What is the difference between upperi and sharkara varatti?

Both start as raw nendran plantain fried in coconut oil. Upperi is sliced thin and salted in the pan - crisp, golden, savoury. Sharkara varatti is cut thick, fried, then tumbled in melted jaggery with dry ginger and cardamom until each piece wears a spiced sweet shell.

Which one goes on the Onam sadya?

Both, side by side - they are separate mandatory items on a proper sadya leaf, the salted upperi balancing the jaggery-sweet sharkara varatti.

Is sharkara varatti higher in calories than salted chips?

Yes - it carries everything salted chips do plus a jaggery coating, so more sugar and more energy per handful. Treat it as a sweet, not a chip.

Both keep weeks when sealed airtight. The jaggery shell of sharkara varatti actually protects the chip beneath, though in humid weather the coating can turn slightly tacky - airtight storage matters even more.

Which should I order first?

If you grew up outside Kerala, start with thin salted upperi - it is the definitive taste. Add sharkara varatti when you want the festival version; most gift orders sensibly carry both.

Sweet vs Salted Banana Chips: Upperi & Sharkara Varatti Compared

By Abdulla K P 19 July 2026

Jaggery-coated sharkara varatti, the sweet sibling of Kerala banana chips.

Side by side

	Upperi (salted)	Sharkara varatti (sweet)
Cut	1-2 mm thin rounds	Thick batons or chunky rounds
Seasoning	Turmeric-salt water splashed into the oil	Jaggery syrup, dry ginger (chukku), cardamom
Texture	Glassy crisp	Crunchy centre under a sandy-sweet shell
Role	Everyday snack, tea companion	Festival sweet, gifting
Sadya position	Salted counterpoint on the leaf	The sweet opener beside it
Energy	High (fried)	Higher (fried + jaggery coat)

How each is made

Upperi is the four-ingredient classic - raw nendran sliced straight into hot coconut oil and seasoned by the famous salt-water splash. The full technique is in how Kerala banana chips are made.

Sharkara varatti adds a second act: the fried thick-cut pieces are tumbled in melted jaggery cooked to the right string, with powdered dry ginger and cardamom

sometimes a whisper of cumin - until every piece is coated and the sugar sets to a dry, sandy shell. The dry ginger is not optional; it is the flavour signature that separates sharkara varatti from mere sugar-coated chips.

Which to choose (an honest guide)

First order from Kerala nostalgia: upperi. It is the taste of every tea shop and every flight home.
Festival table or gift box: both - a sadya without one of them reads as incomplete, and gift boxes that pair the salty and sweet halves always land best.
Watching sugar: upperi only; sharkara varatti is honestly a sweet. The numbers context is in are banana chips healthy?
With chaya on a rainy evening: sharkara varatti, no argument from us.

Deeper reading: the glossary entries for banana chips (upperi), sharkara varatti and nendran banana, plus the Onam guide for the sadya context. We fry our chips in Calicut in pure coconut oil - the first batch opens July 2026.

Keep reading & shopping

Frequently asked

What is the difference between upperi and sharkara varatti?
Both start as raw nendran plantain fried in coconut oil. Upperi is sliced thin and salted in the pan - crisp, golden, savoury. Sharkara varatti is cut thick, fried, then tumbled in melted jaggery with dry ginger and cardamom until each piece wears a spiced sweet shell.
Which one goes on the Onam sadya?
Both, side by side - they are separate mandatory items on a proper sadya leaf, the salted upperi balancing the jaggery-sweet sharkara varatti.
Is sharkara varatti higher in calories than salted chips?
Yes - it carries everything salted chips do plus a jaggery coating, so more sugar and more energy per handful. Treat it as a sweet, not a chip.
Which keeps longer?
Both keep weeks when sealed airtight. The jaggery shell of sharkara varatti actually protects the chip beneath, though in humid weather the coating can turn slightly tacky - airtight storage matters even more.
Which should I order first?
If you grew up outside Kerala, start with thin salted upperi - it is the definitive taste. Add sharkara varatti when you want the festival version; most gift orders sensibly carry both.