Indian Food – A Brief Article On The Myths And Truths
Many first-timers to Indian food and cuisine carry age-old thoughts (read myths) about the food of India. In the article below, get to learn the facts and background of some myths and some truths about Indian food.
Indian Meals are always spicy: This is the general consensus among foreigners. Not true at all. While Indian food typically is more spicy, you can find many cuisines where the food is even sweet and bland. So if spicy is not your preference you could try those cuisines, for starters Gujarati cuisines are perfect for folks who dislike spicy food.
In fact traditional Indian cuisines from many parts of India might have that added masala but are generally less spicier than regions like Andhra Pradesh where recipes are very spicy in general.
Most of Indian recipes are Vegetarian: Well, not entirely true. While many sections of India are strictly vegetarian, the array of non vegetarian food available in this part of the world is immense.
Many of the Hindus while vegetarian have traversed to the other side and there’s a great population of non vegetarians in India. Muslims and Christians in India also consume meat, while Hindus do not eat them as they considered it sacred.
There isn’t variety in Indian cooking: Many, especially foreigners and first time visitors to India, are of the opinion that Indian food doesn’t have so much of choices. Indian cuisine is perhaps the most varied food-culture in the world!
Indian food = Chicken Tikka : This is a popular myth made famous by ethnic Indians in England. Chicken Tikka was originally a Persian dish brought to India by the Mughals. This was later adopted by the people of Punjab (in India and Pakistan). They created their own version of Chicken Tikka and took the recipe with them when many of them migrated and settled in Britain. Though it is highly popular in UK, it is not so much in India where it has to compete with hundreds of other local dishes.
Indian food is all about Curry: Curry is something that was again made popular by British-South Asian ethnic groups. While Curry abroad may refer to a thick and spicy gravy dish, India takes a different meaning altogether. In South India, Curry may refer to a vegetable side-dish that is often served with rice.
This is true and Indians consider eating with hands a more enriching experience although this is not a rule and Indians do use spoons and forks too. Moreover there are plenty of Indian dishes which are not easy to eat with a fork or spoon.
You will also find that in certain Indian regions, food is served on a banana leaf or an areca nut leaf. These traditions have been passed on to families since many generations and many modern Indian continue to follow then regardless of caste differences.
For more details and video recipes please visit the buzzing food community on ifood. If you are an Indian food lover you can also take a look at Indian Recipes and South Indian Recipes.
