Indian Food's Conquest of the West
Why Indian Food is Getting Popular in the U.S. and the U.K.
May 1, 2007
Indian food has been favored by the British palate for quite some time now. The relationship that began with the hunt for spices of 16th century European merchants setting up trade connections with India has at this time culminated in the piquant chicken-tikka-masala becoming one of the most popular national dishes of UK. So much so that British army recently prescribed replacement of its customary steak-and-kidney-pie lunch with chicken-tikka-masala!
In England, Indian cuisine reigns, there being as many as 10,000 Indian restaurants in business. Some of these have lately been recognized by the Michelin Guide, which is an inventory of outstanding European restaurants. The Indian food industry in the UK is valued at £3.2 billion and forms almost three quarters of the fraction of all the dining out in that country. The first curry house in Britain started in 1809, called the Hindustani Coffee House and situated in London's Portman Square. The word 'curry' has its origin in the Tamil expression 'kari' implying “spiced sauce”. Aromatic spices are the quintessential element of Indian cuisine. According to studies by the scientists at Nottingham Trent University, the taste buds are stimulated by the spices used in a curry and thus people begin to yearn for a helping.
Indian food started its conquest of USA when the immigrants from India started opening their small eateries and take away joints. After the Immigration Act of 1965, number of emigrants from South Asian countries in the United States augmented, and with it the pervasiveness of Indian cuisine, particularly in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, the New York City neighborhoods of Murray Hill, Jackson Heights and East 6th Street, and in Edison, NJ.
However, Indian victuals took a longer time to catch the fascination of the Americans as compared to the British. This was mostly because of the fact that the ties between the U.K. and India hark back to the days of the East India Company, dating over two centuries. On the other hand, the Indians have begun migrating to the U.S. only since the late sixties. Moreover, in the early days, the restaurants were low in cleanliness and the foods were too spicy to suite the Western taste buds. Gradually, the scenario changed:
- The restaurateurs began concentrating on the improvement of health and hygiene standards and the ambiance. This attracted the Americans seeking the feel of a new cultural experience.
- The process of preparation of the food was improvised, so as to use the minimum possible fat and cooking in low heat to bring out the natural oils of the food ingredients.
- In the 1960s, a sort of Indo-Western “fusion-food” evolved combining local ingredients with traditional Indian cooking techniques that fast gained popularity with the connoisseurs of tasty cuisine.
Indian restaurants are widespread in the larger cities of Canada, particularly in Toronto and Vancouver where countless Indian nationals have settled since 1970. Culinary schools specializing in teaching Indian cooking have also sprung up in large numbers.
Then again, not all the Indian dishes served in the modern Indian restaurants in the Western countries are oil-free modifications of more popular Indian items. India is a huge country and Indian cuisine is as varied as its culture, languages, regions and its climate. Every major region of India has its repertoire of its own unique dishes as well as adds subtle diversifications to the popular dishes.
There are a plenty of traditional oil and fat-free recipes in India, especially from the eastern and southern states of the country, as for example, items like the lau chingri (prawns with white pumpkin, from Bengal) and the salmon tikka.
Currently, as the demand for appetizing, stronger-flavored and more authentic regional food swells up, consumption of Chinese, Mexican and Indian meals is also being engorged by the day.
If you are looking for some delicious recipes for Indian food, you can look here.
