Gastronomy in India

India’s culinary delights are as diverse as its languages, customs and traditions. Every state has its own cuisine and delicacies range from the hearty naan and butter chicken of Punjab to the fragrant maacher jhol (fish curry) in Bengal and spicy seafood delicacies from the coastal regions of Goa and Mangalore. In fact, there are about fifteen distinctive cuisines in the regions, each different from the others.

Spices are a distinctive feature of the cooking of India. The most common preparation is a curry, which is a mixture of different fragrant powdered spices as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, and turmeric. Another staple is dal, which is lentil soup seasoned with cumin or rye and spiced with turmeric. In different parts of the country, either rice or roti roasted thin flat, round pancakes of wheat flour are the staple. Typically, an Indian will mix dal or curry with rice or tear the roti into bits using one hand and dip into the curry. A vast number of Indians are vegetarian and there is a variety of vegetable preparations as well. Due to religious considerations, beef is not consumed by some Hindus while many Muslims do not eat pork. However, both are widely available in shops and restaurants.

India also has delicious mithai or sweets made from milk or cheese. These are usually eaten after a meal and widely distributed during any festival or celebration. All manner of beverages are also available in the country including indigenous wine, beer, whiskey etc as well as international wines. Tea and coffee are popular equally popular in different regions of the country.