|
India is a very large South Asian
country with a population estimated at one billion inhabitants, the
majority being Hindus and a significant minority of Muslims and
Buddhists. Indian cuisines are therefore greatly influenced by
religious and geographical conditions with four different climates and
very different foods available. In Northern India wheat grows well and
chapati (flat bread made from dough of flour and water) are eaten
with thick curry sauce. In Southern India, rice is the main staple
food, often eaten with fish and vegetable dishes. Religious
differences contribute to the difference between the Hindu and Muslim
cuisine. Islam forbids the eating of pork, while Hindus regard the cow
as a sacred animal and will not eat beef. Instead they eat vegetarian
food. Other minorities practice a cuisine different from others. In
short the different cuisines found in India depend on religious
beliefs and on geographical and climatic factors. Notwithstanding
these differences, on common denominator lies at the heart of Indian
cooking. It is the extensive use of spices. Nearly every family
cherishes the recipes for spice mixtures which are centuries old and
often handed down the generations. |