Madurai Jigarthanda (Hanfia Kadai)
One of the Madurai specialties that is a must try is the jigarthanda. But one has to be sure to have it at the Famous Jigarthanda stall, which introduced this cold delicacy to the temple town many decades ago. Make sure you ask the locals for directions to this original jigarthanda shop, which is almost equidistant from the Thirumalai Naicker Palace and the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, both of which are touristy places. You can walk to the shop from both these places. There are many other shops and restaurants that sell jigarthanda in Madurai and elsewhere but the taste and texture is nowhere close to what you find here. They serve the special jigarthanda and the ordinary jigarthanda. If you are tasting if for the first time go for the special variety priced at Rs 60 a glass in which you get the ice cream and condensed milk cream. Basically it is a corner shop and you have to stand on the footpath to place your order and consume it. The shop also sells parcels by the dozen wherein the delicacy is packed in bottles but I am not sure how it would taste after an hour or two. Best to enjoy it on the spot.
