Malabar Snacks: Data & Facts (2026)
By Abdulla K P
Nutrition numbers
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Banana chips, energy | 519 kcal / 100 g | USDA reference entry [1] |
| Banana chips, fat | 33.6 g / 100 g (~29 g saturated) | same USDA entry |
| Banana chips, fibre | 7.7 g / 100 g | same USDA entry |
| Sugar caveat | USDA entry includes sweetened chips (35.3 g sugar); Kerala salted upperi adds none | our analysis [2] |
| Kozhi ada, energy | ~160-190 kcal per steamed piece | kitchen estimate, method published [3] |
Market prices, observed July 2026
Our own dated survey of public listings - useful precisely because snack prices are rarely recorded anywhere:
| Item | Observed price | Where observed |
|---|---|---|
| Kozhikodan halwa, classic flavours | Rs 160-280 / ~900 g | Calicut online halwa sellers |
| Kozhikodan halwa, premium dry-fruit | Rs 899-999 / ~900 g | same survey |
| Halwa assorted boxes (12-24 varieties) | Rs 899-1,599 | same survey |
| Kozhi ada, homemade-brand pack | Rs 360 / 20 pieces | leading Malabar home-food seller |
Prices move with jaggery, nuts and season; these are point-in-time observations, re-surveyed when this page is refreshed.
The demand base
- ~2.2 million Keralites work abroad, most in the Gulf, per the Kerala Migration Survey 2023 [4] - the population behind the send-home parcel economy our diaspora guide serves.
- Peak seasons: Ramadan (the nombuthura table) and Onam (the sadya leaf) dominate demand for iftar snacks and chips respectively - pattern documented across our festival guides.
- Search demand exists year-round: in our own Google Search Console data (July 2026), list-style queries like “malabar snacks names” reached top-6 positions within weeks of publishing - evidence the category’s informational demand is underserved.
History dates that anchor the category
| Event | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vasco da Gama lands near Calicut | 1498 | Wikipedia - Kozhikode [5] |
| SM Street (Mittayi Theruvu) trading | ~500 years | The News Minute [6] |
| Halwa etymology | Arabic hulw, “sweet” | Kerala Tourism [7] |
| Tirunelveli halwa trade begins | 1880s; Iruttu Kadai est. 1900 | Wikipedia - Iruttu Kadai [8] |
| Karachi halwa reaches Bombay | post-1947 Partition | Wikipedia - Karachi halwa [9] |
Shelf-life reference
| Snack | Keeps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Banana chips, sealed | Weeks to ~2 months | Gas-flushed packing [10] |
| Banana chips, opened | 1-2 weeks airtight | Humidity is the enemy |
| Kozhikodan halwa | 2-3 weeks airtight | Sugar preserves it |
| Kozhi ada | 2-3 days fridge, 1 month frozen | Re-steams from frozen [11] |
As of July 2026. Corrections welcome at the contact page - a fact sheet is only useful if it stays right. For the names behind the numbers, start with the Malabar snacks names list and the full Malabar snacks guide.
Keep reading & shopping
Frequently asked
How many calories do banana chips have per 100 g?
519 kcal per 100 g by the USDA reference entry, with 33.6 g fat (about 29 g saturated) and 58.4 g carbohydrate. Kerala salted chips carry no added sugar, unlike many commercial chips in that reference.What does Kozhikodan halwa cost in 2026?
Observed across Calicut online sellers in July 2026: roughly Rs 160-280 for classic ~900 g slabs, Rs 899-999 for premium dry-fruit varieties, and Rs 899-1,599 for assorted 12-24 variety boxes.How large is the Kerala diaspora that drives snack shipping?
Around 2.2 million Keralites work abroad, most in the Gulf, per the Kerala Migration Survey 2023 - the demand base behind the send-home snack parcel economy.How old is the Malabar snack trade?
Calicut's SM Street (Mittayi Theruvu) has traded for roughly 500 years, and the halwa tradition it is named for goes back to Arab traders in the Zamorin-era spice port. Vasco da Gama's 1498 landing near Calicut marks the European entry point.How is this data maintained?
Every number on this page carries its source and, for market observations, the month we recorded it. The page is refreshed periodically; figures marked 'observed' are our own dated surveys, and estimates are labelled as estimates.