Iruttu Kadai Halwa wins Food Connoisseurs India Awards 2026 honour

CHENNAI: Tirunelveli's iconic Iruttu Kadai Halwa has received a major recognition at the Food Connoisseurs India Awards 2026, according to a Daily Thanthi report. The award has brought renewed attention to the city's traditional sweet and its long-standing culinary legacy.

Iruttu Kadai Halwa won the Best Sweet Shop of the Year (South) award at the ceremony held in Delhi. The shop's owner, Kavitha Singh, received the honour at the event.

A 110-year-old Tirunelveli legacy

Iruttu Kadai Halwa has been associated with Tirunelveli's culinary identity for more than a century. Founded by Krishna Singh in 1900, the shop began as a modest establishment where he prepared halwa during the day and served it to customers in the evening. The Singh family has since continued the tradition of making and serving the halwa across generations, contributing to its enduring place in Tirunelveli's food culture.

The shop has retained its small, traditional set-up and is located near the Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli town. Its name, ‘Iruttu Kadai’, literally translates to ‘dark shop’, a reference to when the shop used to be lit by just a single bulb. The shop also operates only around dusk, from 5 to 10 pm daily.

In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the shop's current owner, P Sulochana Bai, in a trademark dispute, holding that no one else was entitled to use the ‘Iruttu Kadai’ name for halwa.

What makes Iruttu Kadai Halwa distinctive?

The Iruttu Kadai halwa is traditionally prepared using wheat milk extracted from whole wheat, along with sugar and generous amounts of ghee. The preparation is a labour-intensive process that takes three days.

The wheat milk is naturally fermented before the halwa is cooked in a copper vessel, a traditional method credited with contributing to its distinctive flavour and texture. Thamirabarani river water is also traditionally associated with the preparation of this halwa and is believed to contribute to its characteristic taste, as per the shop's official website.

The finished halwa is known for its soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture and is traditionally served on plantain leaves.