Beaches and mountains, caves and temples, forests and cities - Maharashtra is blessed with an abundance of natural wealth and cultural heritage. Food is an integral part of Maharashtra’s cultural heritage, and no visit to the state can be considered complete without sampling a variety of its specialties.

Thanks to its varied landscape, the culinary heritage of Maharashtra too varies as you go from the golden sands of the Konkan, up through the gentle Deccan plateau, to the scorching heat of Vidarbha in the east. Unlike many other Indian cuisines, one rarely finds traditional Maharashtrian food in Indian restaurants outside the state, although it has as just much to offer. Subtle and understated, the flavours of Maharashtrian food are heavily dependent on the seasons - raw mango (kairi), kokum and coconut make their appearance in the heat of summer, deliciously crispy gram-flour batter coated, deep fried vegetables in the monsoon and rich sesame and jaggery based sweets in the winter. Fish curries and rice are a staple in the coastal belt, while spicy mutton curries are a favourite in the east. Every festival is an occasion to cook, and naturally eat, something special to that season. And of course, the street food traditions like the ‘Bhel Puri’ and sandwiches of Mumbai are without parallel.

Every meal should take you on a journey of exploration, and there is as much to meet your taste buds as there is for your eyes to feast on with the traditional cuisine of Maharashtra!