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Host: Usha

Thrissur, India

USD
$28-$48 per person

A wonderful glimpse of the life of a traditional Nair household in Kerala

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Usha

Usha and her husband, Kocha, grew up in Thrippunithura and Ernakulam in Kerala. After living in the United States for many years, they returned to the Kerala area after inheriting an old home in Thrissur. Now, they spend about half of their year in the US and the remaining part of the year in their family home in Kerala. Usha is excited to invite travelers in to their home to share more about the Nair community of Kerala, a Hindu community of the region with their own distinct rituals, customs, and cuisine. Usha and Kocha enjoy traveling and consider themselves to be world citizens!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Thrissur is an hour's drive from Nedumbassery Airport and two hours from Ernakulam. Usha’s old-world house was built over 100 years ago by her grandfather in a traditional Kerala-style architecture, with its tiled roof and black flooring. The house is filled with other charm like the family's antique furniture, old family photos and various other memorabilia collected over the years.

Usha serves you a wonderful traditional sadhya (feast) straight out of her family kitchen in her tharavad (as ancestral houses are called in Kerala). Your multi-course meal, served on a plantain leaf, might include dishes like sambar (lentil-based vegetable stew), aviyal (mixed vegetables), olan (curry made with white pumpkin, peas and coconut milk), and erissery (pumpkin), all served with rice and papadum (crisps). You will end your meal with a sweet dessert of mango-cinnamon preserve or fried banana slices dusted with cinnamon powder. After your meal, Usha will take you around the house sharing anecdotes from her formative years in Kerala and of her fond memories linked to the house.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Though the house is old, Usha's kitchen is a charming mix of old-world and modern equipment. The dishes Usha prepares will depend on what is available that day from her garden and the market. Her yard has fruit trees like bananas and papayas and a host of tropical vegetables. The cooking part of your experience will last for 30-45 minutes in which you will join Usha in her kitchen for a hands-on cooking class to learn to prepare a few of the local dishes you will enjoy during your meal together. Note as your meal involves many dishes, Usha will have pre-prepared some of the other dishes that you will also enjoy during your meal.

Notes: Usha is happy to customize the menu as per your preference. Please let her know when you book if you have any special requests.

Languages spoken: English, Hindi

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Fish molee: a Kerala special of fish curry prepared with fresh sea butter fish (neymeen)
  • Okra, stir-fried and flavored with turmeric and mango powder
  • Shredded papaya salad tossed with grated coconut and curry leaves, and Cucumber and green mango salsa
  • White or brown rice
  • Dessert: banana fritters, a Kerala specialty
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Usha is very gracious and hospitable. She is willing to show guests around her house and explain interesting family history to them. The food she served is native to her community and is prepared with love - the taste of which still lingers in my mouth! My favorite thing from my experience was the walk around the rambling mansion, accompanied by Usha and her reminiscences about her grandfather, grandmother and assorted uncles and aunts. Usha regaled me with tales of her ancestors as she showed me photos and memorabilia. Also, the ellu curry (a dry savory dish made of sesame seeds and yam and served as an accompaniment to the meal) and the cinnamon-mango sweet preserve served as a dessert were delicious and were so unexpected even for me, who hails from Kerala! There was nothing I did not like about the experience, I loved every moment spent there!

Ganesh, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

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Usha

$28-$48 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $40 $32 $28
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $48 $40 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $40 $32 $28
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $48 $40 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 1:00pm-3:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Usha

Usha and her husband, Kocha, grew up in Thrippunithura and Ernakulam in Kerala. After living in the United States for many years, they returned to the Kerala area after inheriting an old home in Thrissur. Now, they spend about half of their year in the US and the remaining part of the year in their family home in Kerala. Usha is excited to invite travelers in to their home to share more about the Nair community of Kerala, a Hindu community of the region with their own distinct rituals, customs, and cuisine. Usha and Kocha enjoy traveling and consider themselves to be world citizens!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-6 guests) Thrissur is an hour's drive from Nedumbassery Airport and two hours from Ernakulam. Usha’s old-world house was built over 100 years ago by her grandfather in a traditional Kerala-style architecture, with its tiled roof and black flooring. The house is filled with other charm like the family's antique furniture, old family photos and various other memorabilia collected over the years.

Usha serves you a wonderful traditional sadhya (feast) straight out of her family kitchen in her tharavad (as ancestral houses are called in Kerala). Your multi-course meal, served on a plantain leaf, might include dishes like sambar (lentil-based vegetable stew), aviyal (mixed vegetables), olan (curry made with white pumpkin, peas and coconut milk), and erissery (pumpkin), all served with rice and papadum (crisps). You will end your meal with a sweet dessert of mango-cinnamon preserve or fried banana slices dusted with cinnamon powder. After your meal, Usha will take you around the house sharing anecdotes from her formative years in Kerala and of her fond memories linked to the house.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Though the house is old, Usha's kitchen is a charming mix of old-world and modern equipment. The dishes Usha prepares will depend on what is available that day from her garden and the market. Her yard has fruit trees like bananas and papayas and a host of tropical vegetables. The cooking part of your experience will last for 30-45 minutes in which you will join Usha in her kitchen for a hands-on cooking class to learn to prepare a few of the local dishes you will enjoy during your meal together. Note as your meal involves many dishes, Usha will have pre-prepared some of the other dishes that you will also enjoy during your meal.

Notes: Usha is happy to customize the menu as per your preference. Please let her know when you book if you have any special requests.

Languages spoken: English, Hindi

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Fish molee: a Kerala special of fish curry prepared with fresh sea butter fish (neymeen)
  • Okra, stir-fried and flavored with turmeric and mango powder
  • Shredded papaya salad tossed with grated coconut and curry leaves, and Cucumber and green mango salsa
  • White or brown rice
  • Dessert: banana fritters, a Kerala specialty
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Usha is very gracious and hospitable. She is willing to show guests around her house and explain interesting family history to them. The food she served is native to her community and is prepared with love - the taste of which still lingers in my mouth! My favorite thing from my experience was the walk around the rambling mansion, accompanied by Usha and her reminiscences about her grandfather, grandmother and assorted uncles and aunts. Usha regaled me with tales of her ancestors as she showed me photos and memorabilia. Also, the ellu curry (a dry savory dish made of sesame seeds and yam and served as an accompaniment to the meal) and the cinnamon-mango sweet preserve served as a dessert were delicious and were so unexpected even for me, who hails from Kerala! There was nothing I did not like about the experience, I loved every moment spent there!

Ganesh, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $40 $32 $28
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $48 $40 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $40 $32 $28
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $48 $40 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 1:00pm-3:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.