Andhra cuisine


Andhra cuisine is the traditional culinary style of the Telugu people, who are native to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is generally known for its tangy, hot, and spicy taste.

Regional variations

The regions of Coastal Andhra, and Rayalaseema all produce distinctive variations of the Telugu cuisine. Rice is the staple in the irrigated regions of Andhra and Rayalaseema. Ragi is also popular in Rayalaseema and Palnadu. The curries, snacks, and sweets produced in these areas vary in both name and method of preparation from region to region.
Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of red chili and rice in India. The concentration of red chili production in Andhra Pradesh has led to the liberal use of spices in Andhra cuisine. Vegetarian dishes, as well as meat, and seafood in coastal areas, feature prominently. Tomato pappu, gongura, and tamarind are widely used for cooking curries. Spicy and hot varieties of pickles are also an important part of Andhra cuisine, including avakaya. "Deltaic" cuisine from Guntur in Coastal Andhra is known as the spiciest variety of Andhra cuisine, primarily because of the use of red chilis traditionally grown in the region.
The eating habits of Hindu royals and Brahmins have historically had a heavy influence on Andhra cuisine. Andhra Pradesh's proximity to Western, Central, and Eastern India influenced the diversity of those border regions' cuisine as well, as the Telugu-speaking population spread into neighboring states. Different communities have developed their own variations, and rural areas still follow centuries-old cooking methods and recipes.

Coastal Andhra

Coastal Andhra is dominated by the Krishna and Godavari river delta regions and is adjacent to the Bay of Bengal. This proximity to water has led to rice, lentils, and seafood becoming dietary staples in the region. Andhra cuisine has its own variations, but dishes are predominantly rice-based. The Nellore region in the south has its own unique recipes, markedly different from those in Uttarandhra. Ulava charu is a soup made from horse gram, and bommidala pulusu is a seafood stew that is considered a specialty of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra cuisine is prevalent in restaurants all over Andhra Pradesh, as well as in cities like Bangalore, Chennai, and New Delhi.
The Uttarandhra region is composed of the northeastern districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam in Coastal Andhra. While Visakhapatnam district has a cuisine closer in character to the rest of Andhra's districts, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam cuisine shares less in common with other Andhra regional cuisines. The food of the Uttarandhra region is often sweeter than in other regions of Andhra Pradesh. Lentils are often cooked in jaggery, a dish referred to as bellam pappu and are usually served with butter and steamed rice.
Vegetables are often cooked in a gravy of menthi kura, avapettina kura, or nuvvugunda kura . Ullikaram is another popular dish in which vegetables or corn seeds are flavored with shallots or onion paste.
Poori and patoli are popular breakfast or festival dishes. Patoli is composed of soaked split black chickpeas ground to a coarse paste and seasoned with coriander seeds, onions, and sometimes cluster beans . Upma or uppindi coarsely broken rice steamed with vegetables and seeds. This dish is eaten on feast days, when people fast during the day and eat at night. Attu also called dosa is a standard breakfast in Andhra Pradesh, which may also include coconut or tomato chutneys. Idli, also known as iddena, is also very common. Karam podi is a popular curry powder that is served with idli, dosa and upma.
Inguva charu is a sweet-and-sour stew made with tamarind and hing. It can be eaten with rice or uppupindi. Bellam pulusu is another flavorful, thick, sweet stew made out of rice flour, jaggery, corn cobs, and whole shallots.
The pickles used in Uttarandhra differ from those of other regions of Andhra Pradesh. Avakaya is a mango pickle which is part of a standard Andhra meal. Pieces of mango are coated with mustard powder, red pepper powder, and salt, then sun-dried, and finally soaked in sesame oil to give the pickle extended shelf life. The result of this process is a darker hue and a sweeter taste than other pickles. This method helps preserve Uttarandhra pickles better amidst the high moisture from the Bay of Bengal coast.

Rayalaseema

Rayalaseema, in the south of Andhra Pradesh, is well-known for the spiciness of its cuisine due to the liberal use of chili powder in almost every dish. Naatu kodi pulusu, a spicy country chicken stew, is a classic and highly popular dish in this region. Seema karam is a dish unique to this region. Some of the main courses include rice, jonna, ragi roti with neyyi, and raagi sangati, usually served with spinach or pulusu. Uggani ' is a dish unique to Rayalaseema, especially Ananthapur, Kurnool, and Kadapa districts, as well as in Karnataka, where it is called oggane '. It is made with boiled paddycorn and is generally yellowish in color due to heavy use of turmeric powder. It is usually served with mirapakaya bajji ' '. Uggani bajji '' ''served primarily as a breakfast dish, but can be eaten as a snack too. It is spicy and a signature dish of Rayalaseema and Eastern Karnataka.
Sweeter dishes of Rayalaseema include ariselu, pakam undalu, borugu undalu, and rava laddoo. Masala borugulu, and ponganaalu are other savory specialties from the region.

Breakfast

A typical Andhra breakfast consists of a few of the items listed below. Usually it consists of idli; garelu, also known as vada, deep-fried lentil dough; or minapattu, also known as dosa, a rice- and lentil-based pancake or crepe. Tea, coffee with milk, or simply milk often accompany these dishes. The most common dishes consumed for breakfast are:
  • Idli, urad dal and steamed rice cakes, often eaten with freshly made chutney or with neyyi added and sprinkled with karrap podi or chutney and sambar
  • Andhra dosa, a rice- and urad dal-based crepe eaten with chutney and sambar
  • *Minapattu, a rice- and lentil-based crepe, served with chutney and sambar
  • *Pesarattu, a green gram-based crepe. It is usually served with ginger chutney. Sometimes pesarattu is filled with upma, in which case it is known as upma pesarattu.
  • *Dibba attu, a deep-fried dosa made with idli batter
  • *Atukula dosa, a dosa made from atukulu, also known as poha.
  • *Rava dosa or suji dosa, a dosa made with sooji dough with chili, coriander leaves, onion, and pepper.Andhra upma
  • * Godhuma uppindi, upma made from broken wheat flour
  • * Pesarpindi uppindi, a dry porridge made of green gram flour; commonly served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle
  • * Pulusu uppindi, a dry porridge made with rice flour, peanuts, and tamarind extract, and commonly served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle
  • * Beeyam rava pesara pappu, literally translated as 'made with broken rice and hulled green gram'; commonly served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle
  • * Varipindi uppindi, a dry porridge made with rice flour and hulled green gram; commonly served with yoghurt or mango-jaggery pickle
  • *Uppudu pindi or uppindi, also known as upma, a porridge made from broken sooji flour, ghee, and vegetables. It is commonly served with buttermilk or a spicy-savoury powder made from pulses.
  • *Saggubiyyam upma, an upma made from sago
  • *Semiya upma, an upma made with vermicelli
  • Vada
  • *Garelu, a deep-fried lentil-based doughnut, or sometimes a deep-fried dal mixture
  • *Punukulu or punugulu, also known as bonda, a deep-fried dish made from idli and dosa batter
  • *Gunta punugulu, made from rice and dal batter
  • *Saggubiyyam punugulu, vada made from sago
  • *Mung dal punugulu, or bonda, a deep-fried dish made from idli and dosa batter
  • *Thapala chekkalu, a deep-fried rice and dal-based flat vada with onions, curry leaves, and chiliAtukulu or poha
  • * Atukulu, moist rice flakes sautéed in oil
  • *Atukula dosa, dosa made from atukulu ''poha
  • *Atukula upma, upma with sooji replaced with atukuluBread and roti
  • *Nokulu annam, made of jowar and jaggery
  • *Chapati, baked flattened wheat dough, served with dal or chutney.
  • *Puri, wheat dough deep-fried in cooking oil. Served with potato bajji'' or chutney. Technically a north Indian dish, but widely available in all Telugu restaurants.

Lunch and dinner

Great effort is put into preparing lunch and dinner in many Telugu households. In most urban households, the food is served on stainless steel or porcelain plates, while in traditional and rural households, the food may be served on a banana leaf. The banana leaf is often used during festivals, special occasions, and for guests. Many middle-budget restaurants in smaller towns also use banana leaves for serving food. At times, a vistaraaku is used. Sun-dried banana leaves have also traditionally been used to package food for personal use on long journeys.
A complete vegetarian Andhra meal typically consists of rice served with ghee, pulihora, chapati or puri, pappu, sambar, chaaru, fried and wet curries, appadam, odiyalu, chutney, pachadi, avakaya, yoghurt and a sweet for dessert. In general, food from the Vijayawada-Guntur region contains more chili and spices than food from the rest of Andhra Pradesh. Rice is considered the main dish and everything else is considered a side dish.

Main course types

Koora — a generic word for a curry. Koora dishes are named for the ingredients used and the method of preparation. There is also iguru which is a type of curry where most of the moisture evaporates, leaving mainly the cooking oil. Additional methods include:
  • Vepudu: crispy fried vegetables or sometimes meats, typically including prawns, okra, ivy gourd, potato, colocasia, and several additional local vegetables.
  • Pappu koora : boiled vegetables stir-fried with a small amount of half-cooked lentils.
  • Podi : mixed with rice and a spoonful of ghee or sesame oil.
  • Gujju : a tomato or coriander seed base into which is added into brinjal, okra, etc.
  • Pulusu
  • *Pulusu koora/Aava petti koora : boiled vegetables or meats cooked in tamarind sauce and mustard paste. Some varieties include snake gourd, bottle gourd , okra, pumpkin, country chicken.
  • Kaaram petti koora/Kaaram podi koora : sautéed vegetables cooked with curry powder or paste, served as a solid mass. The vegetables can be stuffed with curry powder or paste and are usually cooked whole.
  • Pappucharu or charu
  • Charu rasam
  • Ooragaya : avakaya, gongura, nimmakaya, etc.
  • Pachadi : kobbari, tomato, gongura, dosakaya, gummadikaya, and allam.
  • Other gravy-based curries are usually made with vegetables cooked in tomato sauce and onion with coriander and cumin powder.

Pappu (dal)

Pappu dishes include toor daal and moong daal, which are usually cooked with a vegetable or other green. No masala is added to the dal. In some areas, garlic and onion are included in the seasoning, while in others asafetida is used. Kandi pappu is often cooked with leafy vegetables such as palakura, gongura, malabar spinach, and other fruits and vegetables such as tomato, mango, or bottle gourd. Sometimes the cooked version of the dal is replaced with a roasted and ground version, like kandi pachadi, or pesara pachadi.
A very popular combination in Andhra is mudda pappu and avakaya.

Pulusu

Pulusu is a curry-like stew that is typically sour and cooked with tamarind paste. Other common bases include tomatoes or mangoes. The mixture can be flavored with mustard, chilis, curry leaves, jaggery, onions, or fenugreek. Fish, chicken, and eggs are typical meat additions. Pachi pulusu is an unheated version of pulusu, typically made of mangoes or tamarind, and eaten during the warmer months.Majjiga pulusu : sour buttermilk boiled with channa dal and coconut pasteMenthi challa/''menthi majjiga: sour buttermilk seasoned with ginger or green chili paste and menthi seeds, then fried in oilMukkala pulusu or Dappalam : pulusu made with aanapakaya and other vegetables Chammagadda pulusu : pulusu made with colocasiaKanda pulusu : pulusu made with yamKanda bachali pulusu: pulusu made with yam and Malabar SpinachGangabayala kura pulusu: pulusu made with purslanebendakaya pulusu: pulusu made with okra (Ladies Finger)sorakaya pulusu : ''pulusu made with Bottle gourdPerugu : the last dish of the meal, normally eaten along with pachadi'' or pickles

Pickles

Pachadi and ooragaya are two broad categories of pickle that are eaten with rice. Pachadi is the Telugu version of chutney, typically made of vegetables/greens/lentils and roasted green or red chilis, using tamarind and sometimes curds as a base. It is prepared fresh and must be consumed within two days due to having a short shelf life. Ooragaya is prepared in massive amounts each season. Preparation includes using large amounts of chili powder, as well as menthi powder, mustard powder, and groundnut oil or sesame or mustard oil. It is either consumed on its own, mixed with rice, or as a side dish with pappu/''koora''.

Biryani and pulao

While the aforementioned main course types are prevalent in home cooking, biryanis and pulaos are a common entrée at Telugu restaurants.
Common bases for vegetarian biryanis and pulaos include jackfruit, mushroom, brinjals stuffed with spicy gravy, green chili, red chili, mango pickle, horsegram broth, gongura, eggs and more.
Common bases for nonveg biryanis and pulaos include chicken, quails, chevon, lamb/mutton, fish, prawns and crab.

Vegetarian dishes

Meal presentation

Pappu and kooralu are placed to the right of the diner, while spiced pickles, pachadi, a saucy condiment with dahi, vegetables, pappulu podi, and neyyi are placed to the left. On some occasions, special items such as pulihora and garelu are placed at the top right. A large scoop of annam is placed in the middle. Small amounts of neyyi are added on the rice. Avakaya and gongura are often served with the meal.

Courses and servings

Rice is the main dish, eaten by mixing with the side dishes using the right hand, and the primary source of carbohydrates. Spiced pickles, pachadi, podi, and papadum are typical side dishes.
A meal traditionally starts with modhati muddha, an appetizer of spiced pickle followed by a pappu dish, which can be made with vegetables added or eaten plain with a pickle. This constitutes the main source of protein for vegetarians. This is followed by a couple of koora varieties, which provide vitamins and minerals. A pappu or rasam, usually kadi, is the third course. The fourth course of the meal is either a perugu or majjiga accompanied by a spicy pickle or other condiments.
After the meal, paan or somph is traditionally offered. On festival days or other auspicious occasions, a sweet, usually paravannam, is served with the meal, which is usually eaten first.

Non-vegetarian dishes

While there are a plethora of vegetarian dishes in the Telugu cuisine, a vast majority of Telugus also consume non-vegetarian food.
Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also lead in per capita meat consumption within India. Per capita meat consumption has surged by 40% between 2018-2019 and 2024-2025 in both Telugu states. Per capita meat consumption reached 21.33 kg and 28.78 kg in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, respectively, in 2024 compared to a national average of 7.5 kilograms.

Meats

The states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana produce abundant aquatic foods and have an established livestock industry.

Poultry

Chicken is the most prevalent poultry in the Telugu cuisine and has three varieties: Broiler chicken, country chicken and gamecock.
What distinguishes country chicken from its conventional broiler counterpart is that it is allowed to roam freely, kept drug free and lives on a minimally processed diet of grains, foraged insects and worms, and vegetables. As a result of this lifestyle, the meat of country chicken is tougher and gamier than that of broiler chicken. It’s also believed to be tastier, healthier and capable of strengthening the immune system. Due to these benefits and the longer growth period, country chicken is much costlier than broiler chicken and typically as costly as mutton and chevon, sometimes more depending on demand.
Gamecock refers to roosters bred and reared for cockfights, a popular Sankranti tradition in Andhra Pradesh. These roosters are raised on a high-protein, high-fat diet consisting of minced mutton, eggs, boiled chicken and nuts. As a result of this unique diet and the roosters’ active lifestyle, meat of these roosters is said to be darker and much tougher than that of broiler chicken, taking hours to cook. Traditionally, the losing rooster would be relinquished to the winner and its meat distributed amongst their friends and family. However, due to high demand, it is now more common for the winner to sell the rooster’s meat, as it is prized for its unique qualities.
In addition to chicken, quail is quite popular in the Telugu states due to its nutritional benefits as well as the fact that it is relatively affordable to rear. Duck is also reared in rural areas for its meat and eggs due its fast growth.

Seafood



With the state being the largest producer of fish and accounting for nearly one-third of total fish production in India in 2022-2023, Andhra Pradesh is a major aquaculture hub. Annual per capita fish consumption has also risen steadily, reaching 9.93 kg and 8.79 kg in 2022-2023 in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, respectively.
Popular aquatic foods include fish, prawns and crab and some popular fish include striped snakehead, spotted snakehead, catla, barramundi, spiny eel, Indo-Pacific king mackerel, Corica soborna, beltfish, anchovies, Indian mottled eel, ilish, Bombay duck, elongated mudskippers, rohu, Indian mackerel, mullet, shark and more. While many dishes are cooked with fresh fish, some are also made with uppu chepalu which are drier and crispier. To make these, fish are cut in halves and gutted, placed in barrels of salt for several days and then sun-dried for several more days.
Additionally, in the districts adjacent to the Godavari River, escargot is consumed by some, due to the belief that it can treat many ailments as well as its affordability.

Red meat

Due to the abundance of small ruminants in the Telugu states, chevon, lamb and mutton are staples in many Telugus’ diets. In contrast, the consumption of beef and pork is less common, likely due to religious and cultural taboos. Besides muscle meat, special parts of goat and sheep such as offals and trotters are also consumed, with popular examples including liver fry, brain fry, spleen fry, tripe and intestines curry, trotter stew, blood fry, and testicles fry or curry.
Instead of mutton and chevon, some communities, such as the Madigas, rely on beef or water buffalo meat for protein, with over 3.2 million in erstwhile United Andhra Pradesh consuming it. Despite its illegality throughout India, donkey meat is considered a delicacy in some districts of Andhra Pradesh, owing to prevailing superstitions.

Rabbit meat

Due to their high fecundity and feed efficiency, rabbits are being reared for meat in parts of Andhra Pradesh though they remain a niche food item.
However, as a result of its leanness and protein density, rabbit meat is growing popular in restaurants as it is seen as a healthier and tastier alternative to chicken.

Popular meat dishes

Hyderabadi biryani and palaav, or "Andhra biryani", are popular dishes within the region. Royyala palav, made with shrimp, is considered a delicacy in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Mutton biryani and mixed biryani are other popular biryani dishes, generally available in restaurants. There are many local variations as well, such as kaaja biryani, kunda biryani, avakaya biryani, ulavacharu biryani, and panasa biryani.
Kodi ''koora and mutton koora are two popular meat dishes, often made with a range of spices and condiments. The base usually consists of onions, tomato, coriander, tamarind, and coconut. These are mixed with steamed rice on the plate during the meal. Pepper is also used on fried meat dishes. Popular dishes commonly served in Andhra-style restaurants include the spicy Andhra chili chicken, chicken roast, and mutton pepper fry. For seafood dishes, a tamarind base is generally used. Shrimp and prawns are widely available for use in cuisine, due to the state's extensive shrimp farming industry.
Other common meat dishes include:
  • Talakaya pulusu and medadu vepudu : Talakaya pulusu is a sour and spicy meat stew with bold flavours, made with chunks of charred goat or sheep head, coriander, tamarind and spices. It is a soupier and sourer version of talakaya kura. The brain of the animal is typically not included in the stew and instead cooked separately into a tender spicy fry known as medadu vepudu which often accompanies talakaya pulusu as a side dish.
  • Chepala pulusu : a fish curry seasoned with freshly ground spices and tamarind juice.
  • Endu chepala vankaya : a flavourful dry fish curry cooked with brinjal.
  • Gongura Endu Royyalu : a curry made with gongura leaves, sun-dried prawns and various spices. Part of the appeal of using sun-dried prawns as opposed to fresh ones is that they have minimal odor.
  • Gongura Mamsam : spicy and sour curry made with tender goat or sheep pieces cooked in a curry of gongura and freshly-ground green chili paste.
  • Gudla pulusu : egg curry sprinkled with chopped onions, green chilis, and coriander.
  • Natukodi Pulusu : A spicy savory country chicken curry/stew originating from the Rayalaseema region. This is often paired with ragi sangati.
  • Vatti Tunakalu : Also known as endu mukkalu . To make this traditional jerky, raw meat is first cut into small chunks. Then, these chunks are coated in seasoning such as salt, turmeric, chili powder and ginger-garlic paste and left out in the sunlight for around a week. Once they harden, they can be stored for up to a year in an airtight container or cooked into a curry. Typically, chevon or mutton is used but some use beef or buff instead.
  • Doopudu Gorre Pulao : This pulao dish originates from the Bhimavaram region of Andhra Pradesh and it’s also known as Doopudu Potu Pulao. First, a ram is charred with the skin left on to impart a distinct smokey flavor. Then, the meat is cubed and these cubes are cooked with gravy. Later, it’s added to the rice which was cooked separately.
  • Sorapittu : A dry fry made with spices and minced shark meat.
  • Miryala Mamsam Vepudu : This crispy spicy roast is a popular starter in many Telugu restaurants, and it is made by frying mostly boneless chunks of goat or sheep in several spices with pepper being the dominant one.
  • Bongu Kodi : Bongu Kodi is a unique dish that originates from the Araku Valley region of Andhra Pradesh. First, chicken is marinated in spices and set aside for half an hour. Then, the chicken is stuffed into hollow tubes fashioned from bamboo stalks and the ends of the tube are sealed shut with banana leaves. Next, the bamboo stalks are placed on firewood until all the moisture in the bamboo has evaporated. Once it cools down, the chicken is served. What makes this dish special is that no cooking oil or water is necessary as the moisture in the bamboo itself is sufficient to cook the chicken while imparting a rich smoky flavor.
These dishes are usually served with steamed rice, Thalimpu annam, sajja roti, or jonna roti.
Non-vegetarian snacks include kodi pakodi, chicken 65, peetha pakodi, chepa vepudu, royyala vepudu'', and chicken lollipop.
Bhimavaram town in West Godavari district is famous for its unique non-vegetarian pickles, such as chicken, shrimp, and fish pickles.

Snacks

Some common Telugu snacks include:
  • Upma
  • Boondi
  • Kaarappoosa
  • Ponganalu
  • Bajji and bondaalu or punukulu, stuffed with spices, dipped in chickpea batter and fried; served with a spicy dip. Other varieties include mirapakaya bajji, vamu bajji, vankaya bajji, aratikaya bajji, urla gadda bajji, and vegetable bonda.
  • Pakodi
  • Gaare, spiced deep-fried dough
  • Jantikalu
  • Maramaraalu or puffed rice: Usually mixed with tomatoes, onions, coriander, lime juice, and chili powder.
  • Bean/pea snacks, such as senagala talimpu and guggillu
  • Mixed snacks, such as boondi mixed with chopped onions and lemon juice

Sweets and savories

Sweets and savories are typically made on festive and auspicious occasions, and are served to visiting relatives. Some of the savories below are also prepared as an evening snack.Pootharekulu, a sweet dish consisting of sweet powder with cardamom flavor stuffed into very thin pancake skins made of rice flour. Pootharekulu was created in Atreyapuram, a village in Andhra Pradesh.Kaaja, a deep-fried pastry filled with fruit or soaked in syrup. Variations such as madatha kaaja and kakinada kaaja are eaten across the region. Sakinalu, one of the most popular savories, is often cooked during the Makara Sankranti festival season. It is a deep-fried snack made of rice flour and sesame seeds, flavored with ajwain.Kajjikayalu: fried dumpling stuffed with suji, dry coconut powder, and sugar. It is usually prepared during Deepavali.Sunnundallu, laddu made with roasted urad dal and jaggery / sugar. A generous amount of ghee is usually added to enhance the flavour.Ariselu, a sweet fried snack made of rice flourBoondi ladduPoornam boorelu ''Poornalu, made by cooking chana dal until soft, cooling, then adding jaggery and cardamom powder. The mix is then rolled into balls, which are subsequently batter-fried. The batter that is used is made from urad dal. This sweet dish is usually served during a festival lunch.Rava ladduBobbatlu or polelu, sweet flatbread made of senega pappu
  • Tapeswaram kajaPulagam pongali, a sweet dish made on a festival morning as an offering for a deity. Soaked rice is cooked in milk at a ratio of 1:2.5; when the rice is cooked, well-broken jaggery is added. The dish is completed by adding a splash of ghee and fried dry fruit.Payasam, a sweet pudding sometimes served in templesGavvalu or "sweet shells", deep-fried and sugared balls of flour Chakkera pongali Laskora undalu or raskora undalu Boondi, a fried snack made of chickpea flourPalathalikalu, an Indian sweet made during Ganesh ChaturthiRavva kesariPappuchekkaJeediluMalai khaja, a traditional sweet from NelloreKobbari lavuju, grated coconut flesh in molten jaggery or sugar syrupVennappalu''

Rural cuisine

In rural Andhra Pradesh, agriculture is the predominant occupation. Some centuries-old cooking practices can still be observed, particularly the use of mud pots, but this practice is being replaced by the use of steel utensils in recent decades. Traditional recipes have largely been influenced by what was grown and available locally earlier in history. In the drier districts, jowar, bajra and ragi are still in use, while eating rice is seen as a symbol of prosperity. In the Delta and coastal districts, rice plays a major role in the cuisine.