The different aspects of Indian Cuisine
Indian Cuisine is becoming popular due to its exotic flavors and healthful
preparations. The repertoire of Indian Cuisine is vast and the following are interesting
aspects of the cuisine.
- Cooking according to tastes : There exists no written recipes
in India and the individual is encouraged to orchestrate a dish by using fresh, seasonal
and local vegetables. We use spices sparingly and our foods are not necessarily hot.
Besides spices we use lots of herbs and other natural seasonings to make our foods sweet,
sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.
- Cultural Influences :. Many Indians are vegetarians having been
influenced by Buddha (Indian King and founder of Buddhism), Mahavir (founder of Jainism)
and King Ashoka. Our cuisine has been influenced by the Aryans settlers, the Arab and
Chinese traders and conquerors such as the Persians, Mongolians, Turks, the British and
the Portuguese.
- Ayurveda : India's ancient science system, has given India a
comprehensive system of health, diet and nutrition. India's cuisine has been shaped by
this science. Ayurveda is the common thread that runs through the various sub
cultures/regions of India. Otherwise, the cuisine can be vastly different from region to
region.
- Diversity:. India is a large country, almost the size of
Europe, and has a greater diversity of people, language, climate, cultures and religion
than almost any country in the world. Consequently, Indian cuisine is also diverse.
- Indian Restaurant Cuisine: Many Indian restaurants around the
globe are influenced by North Indian Cuisine. Indian restaurant cuisine has been
influenced by Indian chefs that had their culinary training in France. They created a
fusion of the two great cuisine's by adopting cream sauces in their Indian recipes.
- Royal Kitchens of India: Under the patronage of the rajahs of
India the art of food was elevated to a high level of advancement and professionalism. The
royal chefs understood the finer points of food, the art of presentation and created
exquisite preparations.
The
hospitality of the Indians is legendary. In Sanskrit Literature the three famous words 'Atithi
Devo Bhava' or 'the guest is truly your god' are a dictum of hospitality in India.
Indians believe that they are honored if they share their mealtimes with guests. Even the
poorest look forward to guests and are willing to share their meager food with guest. And
of particular importance is the Indian host's pride that they will not let a guest go away
un-fed or unhappy from her home. Indians are known for their incredible ability to serve
food to their guests invited or uninvited.
|
