A brief history of the Indian cuisine


When someone speaks about the Indian cuisine or just mentions it, the very name brings to mind various dishes generously showered with spices and herbs. This cuisine is known all over the world today for its strong aroma and taste. This is due to the inclusion of various spices and herbs of course.

The unique thing about the Indian cuisine is its diversity. The cuisine and food habit of one region and state vary greatly from another. There are many factors which have resulted in this unique feature of the cuisine, shaping its history and evolution.

Today, you can experience the many delights of Indian cuisine from Indian restaurants near Rutherford area.

The methods and techniques of cooking in India have been discovered to be at least 5000 years ago. The cuisine, as in all other lands, has been influenced by its geography and its climate. Apart from this, the religion of the land has considerably influenced the cuisine. One more factor is the direct influence of traders, travellers and even foreign invaders. They remained for some time and then left, leaving behind them new cooking methods, new ingredients and new preparations. These were easily adopted by the local indigenous population. When the country was invaded and occupied by foreign rulers, they were also influenced by the land’s cuisine. 

For instance, when the Mughals conquered the land, they were influenced by Indian cuisine through their native cuisine is Central Asian. Thus, one of the fascinating things about Indian cuisine is that despite everything, this thousand of years old cuisine never got lost. Even today, it has retained the same uniqueness which it was known for back then and is equally tasty and healthy as it uses equal measures of pulses, vegetables, meats and dairy products.

A typical diet under this cuisine is quiet interesting actually. It contains meat which is more often game meat, along with various vegetables and fruits. The use of spices in the Indian cuisine goes without saying. It was said in the Indian scriptures back then that spices used for cooking were beneficial for health when used in moderation. Today, science has proved that this is completely true! Spices taken in moderation is indeed beneficial for health in a number of ways. Spices have been used in India as far back as 3000 BC. In India, religions like Jainism and Buddhism arose in time, which influenced the cuisine considerably. The adherents of these religions were and still are strictly vegetarians. When it comes to eating meat, killing and eating cow or beef is a sin and a taboo. Whether one is a Jain, a Buddhist or a Hindu, one does not take beef in any form.

In the Middle Ages, items like additional spices and tea was introduced by European traders. Later on and consequently, when India was occupied by the Afghans, the Arabs, and the Mughals and then the British, the cuisine was influenced by the foreigners, but never lost its essence and thus survived. Even today, it retains its originality and simplicity.



Summary: Ever wondered why Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka are the rage in the UK now? Why is Indian cuisine so well known all over the world? The fact is that there are many reasons for it.