Meet your guide at No. 18 hotel, and venture with your small group on a 3-hour journey through Kochi that includes about a dozen tastings.

Ease into your day inhaling wafts of cardamom, coriander, cloves and cinnamon on a stroll through a nearby bazaar of Indian spice traders before arriving at a teashop for morning drinks and snacks. From there, continue on public transport to the heart of Mattancherry in the western part of the city. The Muslim neighborhood showcases biryani and beef curry dishes, both typically served with appam (coconut milk pancake) or idyappam (rice noodles).

After a sampling of Mattancherry’s offerings, travel onward to the city’s Hindu sections. Notice the change in scenery when the storefronts turn from butcher shops to fruit and vegetable vendors that cater to the strictly vegetarian diet of Hindus.

Try specialties such as dosa (fermented pancake) or thengapal (curry in coconut milk), and sample a vegetarian thali platter of typical dishes served in small bowls. Your guide explains everything and makes recommendations, depending on your tastes. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll find plenty of Indian treats along the way.

Your final stop is in a toddy bar, a typical watering hole frequented by fishermen. Usually, you’ll only find the local men sidling up at the bar (it isn’t the custom for women to drink here). However, it's perfectly acceptable for male and female travelers to join in, so raise a glass with the locals and your small group.

In the casual atmosphere of this drink shack, hang out with the locals as you nibble on traditional bar food. If you’d like, purchase a toddy (local palm wine) to accompany your seafood, which may include crab, mussels, clams, sardines, mackerel and more ─ all served up in various forms of curry.

After your tour, you can head back to your departure point with your guide.