How a Slice of Halwa Named a Street - The story of 'SM Street'

If you’ve ever walked through the busy heart of Calicut, there’s one street you just can’t miss - SM Street, a.k.a. Mmale Muttayitheruvu. It's a sensory overload in the best way possible. The sweet scent of halwa hanging in the air, the loud voice of shopkeepers on either side of the street saying “kerikkoli...vaangikkoli...”, the old-world charm of the buildings… it’s a beautiful mess!

But have you ever paused and wondered - what does “SM” in SM Street actually stand for? (Here's a clue: It’s not some British-era abbreviation or a government code).

Well, let’s take a trip back in time...

The story begins centuries ago, when Arab traders would regularly sail their majestic urus (traditional wooden ships) to the shores of the Malabar Coast. One of their favourite ports was Calicut - then ruled by the mighty Zamorin. Among the many things they brought along - spices, fabrics, stories from distant lands - was something soft, rich, and syrupy sweet: halw (that’s Arabic for sweet).

Now, the Zamorin had a curious palate. He tried this sticky, glistening delicacy, and loved it. But being a man of great taste, he wanted more than just imported halw. He wanted to make it a part of Calicut.

So what did he do?

He invited expert halwa-makers from Gujarat - skilled artisans who knew how to blend textures and sugars with finesse. But of course, this wasn’t going to be just any halwa. It had to be Calicut-style.

So, they began experimenting. Out went the usual ingredients, and in came the essence of Kerala - coconut oil, local ghee, mix of spice and that rich, chewy texture that you can almost taste as you read this.

The place where these masters began preparing halwa was near today’s Kottaparambu Hospital. Slowly, word spread. Locals loved it. Shops sprouted around the halwa kitchens. Before anyone knew it, the entire stretch turned into a sweet-lovers’ paradise.

But here’s the fun part - those thick, glossy slices of halwa reminded many of meat. They were often cut into neat slabs, stacked up like beef or mutton at a butcher's shop. Sweet, but looked like meat.

So, people began calling it the Sweet Meat Street - quite literally describing what they saw and tasted. Over time, like most things in history, the name got a neat little abbreviation. Sweet Meat became SM. And thus, SM Street was born.

So the next time you’re walking down SM Street, just remember - you’re walking through a street that was quite literally built on sweetness.