A perfect idli should be smooth and soft like a baby's bottom: Twitter celebrates World Idli Day
Not many people knew that March 30 is observed as World Idli Day before it started trending on Twitter, with photos of the much-loved breakfast food item popping up on timelines.
Many revelled in the fact that idli, which has a strong regional tag attached to it, is being celebrated across the country and also outside.
According to reports, in 2015, Idli Day was celebrated for the first time under the initiative of Eniyavan, who is also known as the “idli king”.
He is a school dropout and used to work at restaurants until his tryst with idli happened when he was working as an auto-rickshaw driver. He had a regular customer who used to deliver idli batter. It was then that he took interest in idli and in 2003, he made it to the Guinness World Records by making an idli weighing 128kg.
Now, the 48-year-old runs Mallipoo Idli, a Chennai-based company, which specialises in varieties of idlis, including Kung Fu Panda idlis, Mickey Mouse idlis.
A perfect idli
Origin of idli
As people expressed much enthusiasm about idli on social media, the discussion veered towards the origin of the dish, with both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu claiming credit. According to reports, many claim that idli first appeared as “idlika” in Kannada writer Shivakodi Acharyan’s work Vaddharadhana in 920 AD. It again figured as “idrika” in the Sanskrit work Manasollasa in 1130 AD. The word also appeared in Tamil literary works.
Gujarati historians believe that Saurashtrian merchants introduced idli to south India during the 10th and 12th centuries — it was called Iddada.
There are other theories attributing idli's origin to Indonesia and the Arabs.
Crossover idli
No north vs south day
Every day is idli day
Why homemade idli is the best
Idli, CBSE, pakoda
The greatest feeling
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