India
Throughout its history, India has been invaded by armies, traders, and immigrants from all over the world. Major culinary influences result from significant historical invasions, including the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great in 326 B.C. Greek and Middle Eastern ingredients and cooking techniques are obvious in Indian cuisine. Moghul invaders in the 16th Century introduced meat and rice dishes to India. Portuguese rulers introduced chilies, and the more recent rulers from Britain in the 18th and 19th Centuries had an influence on chutney development. Interspersed throughout these major historical events were influences from Bactrian, Mongol, Scythian, Parthian, Kushan, Hun, Arab, Turk, Afghan, and Dutch invaders.
In the northernmost areas of India, close to the Himalayas, the weather is temperate. Wheat is the predominant grain and meat dishes can be elaborate. Much of the food is cooked in oil.
To the south towards the equator, dishes become hotter - sometimes fiery. Rice is the predominant grain crop, and a vegetarian lifestyle predominates. Much of the food is steamed.
Seafood dishes are prominent along the coastline of India, where the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean offer rich bounties of fish and shellfish. Jungle areas of India offer mangoes, guava, papaya, bananas, and coconuts.
Vegetarian cuisine is widespread, resulting from the predominance of Hindus in India. There are a wealth of dishes which solely rely on grains, legumes, and vegetables. In contrast, the Muslims rely on beef and lamb as integral parts of their diets.
India: What to eat
by Mimi Rippee
Indian food can be enjoyed as much during the cooking process as during mealtime. The aroma from cooking spices, herbs, o...
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...mble thick tortillas. Some are deep fried, and others are baked in tandoors - underground clay ovens which reach 1,000 degrees. Flatbread is often used in place of silverware.
These same ovens are used to cook "barbecued" meats, often stained red from their potent marinades. Shish-ka-bobbed chicken and lamb are both common.
Most Indian spices and herbs are available to the home cook. If you enjoy cooking Mexican food, you already probably own cumin, cinnamon, cloves, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, saffron, and coriander. If you cook, you are probably already familiar with chilies, onions, garlic, and cilantro. So add cardamom, turmeric, fresh ginger, yogurt and mustard seeds to your stockpile of goods, and you can do Indian food justice - along with a good cookbook. This writer's personal favorites are books by Julie Sahni and Madhur Jaffrey.
Hot and cold foods, properties like heavy or light also point another factor among the local people. For instance, heavy food is normally preferred during daytime so as to gain maximum energy to sustain physical labor, while the light foods are taken in the evening (Nicolas, DeSilva, Grey, & Eastep, 2006)
According to Hinduism, the religion most common in this country, believe that killing animals is inhumane and is unfair to the creature, thus there are not many meats that available for the people, except in some certain areas. Despite this fact, meat alternatives are very popular in India for these people being able to get protein and healthy fats while still being able to follow the guidelines of their religion. The prices of lentils, especially are cheap there as many poor and middle class families rely on these types of foods. Some examples of these types of lentils or culturally known as, daal, are moong, urad, masoor, and chana daal. Moreover, India is one of the major importers of lentils from Canada surprisingly, spending on average $1.1 billion dollars. As this Asian nation is already drowned in substantial amounts of debt, having many of its citizens buying all the lentils can ensure them that they are making profit of these foods. Thus, through the food guide, they want to encourage Indians to continue to buy this item buy making the protein a section of the food guide, rather than nothing or a very small portion. Moving on, in Canada, meat and alternatives are a small portion of the food guide because an individual does not need a lot of it to maintain a healthy body. Also, in many western countries like Canada, fast food meals have become very popular and are being eaten in enormous quantities, raising the number of obese, diabetic and individuals with heart related problems. Therefore, in the food guide it addresses Canadians to have small servings of meat when cooking themselves, to ensure that none or merely a few people are overeating
What are some of the native foods, and/or dishes that are special from their homeland?
This is how you wrap up a proper tortilla! First, you start off by putting the meat you desire in your tortilla. Then add caramelized onion, salsa, and proceed to fold it in half. The trick to finishing it off is sprinkling a touch of lime juice on top of it, folding the bottom part of the tortilla into two small triangles inward, and ensuring the food does not fall out.” The overall product of her finished taco was mouthwatering. My olfactory senses were going crazy with intricate details of carnita, salsa, limes, and onionwithin arm length of me. I felt the need to enquire about where she obtained this recipe for this meal that I had never seen before. She went on to discuss in depth about how her grandmother’s mother used to sell carnitas on the street of Mexico. That her carnita tacos were bringing in so much revenue that she was able to open her own restaurant! She also mentioned how the recipe for preparation has been passed down generation to generation with the expectation to cook it to
Peruvian cuisine has evolved from both local and immigrant traditions. The cuisines main influences have been the indigenous Incan peoples, the Spanish conquistadors and African slaves that were brought in by the Spanish. In addition, a large influx of Italian, Chinese, and Japanese immigrants brought new flavours in the 19th century. “From the native Quechua and Aymara peoples to Europeans, Africans, and Asians, the unique ethnic makeup of Peru has resulted in a wide variety of cultural and culinary traditions that are all recognized as inherently ‘Peruvian,’” ("History of and Variation in Peruvian Cuisine").
There were two religions that first accepted vegetarianism: Hinduism made the cow a sacred animal, something to be respected and admired, and over time, these ideals evolved from mere ideas to commonplace social practices. Ahimsa is the principle that teaches one to not to injure a living creature for fear of negative karmic impact and dietary impurity.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Mexican culture has a variety of different and unique ways of cooking and preparing meals. They usually include something mildly spicy. It also has many atypical ingredients compared to ours. Some examples are adobo, which is a red sauce or paste which is made from chipotle chiles. Aguas Frescas, are cold drinks made with fresh fruit mixed with water, they’re more like water than juice, but the ingredients are fresh, not a powder. The most unique ingredient in my opinion is the Mole. Mole is a rich, dark reddish-sauce, usually smooth and sometimes mildly spicy, and sometimes have chocolate in it. Tomatillos are another special ingredient in the Mexican culture, they are mostly called tomato verde in most parts of Mexico, but they aren’t really
MacLennan R, Zhang A. “Cuisine: the concept and its health and nutrition implications-global.”Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr. 13.2(2004):131-135. Print.
Pandey, T. N., 2014. Lecture 1/9/14: Culture of India: Aryan and Indigenous Population. Cultures of India. U.C. Santa Cruz.
26). This dish was very simple and did not require too much time, but I was still able to gain an appreciation for the types of meals that are cooked by Moroccans. Many of the ingredients that were incorporated into this dish are also used in a vast variety of dishes within North Africa. The paprika, cumin garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes gave this dish a unique flavor that is different from typical eggs and vegetables. There was a hint of spice that seasoned the eggs and vegetables perfectly. The eggs were soft and warm, while the vegetables added a slight unique crunchy and soft texture. Although this dish did not incorporate staple ingredients like lamb, bread, or fish, it did incorporate many of the spices and vegetables that are used in many dishes and on a daily basis. I was able to gain a great deal of appreciation for the types of meals that are prepared in a Moroccan
the European era in Indian history. The lucrative trade in spices of Malabar - in modern Kerala - had tempted
In conclusion, Indian cooking can very well be known to be vivid, exquisite, and simply delicious. India is a banquet expressed in colors, smells, flavors, and personalities. The hundreds of spices which most Indian cooks use, show exactly why their food can always stand out from others and taste fantastic. The traditional foods used in India such as curry, Roti, and chutneys are some of the reasons as to why India’s dishes are so extraordinary. The tasty snacks in India complete the list by allowing Indians to grab a quick bite while on the way to an important desti-nation.
While culture plays a major role in deciding what food is popular, what’s available, which is influenced by the geographical features of the region, may play an even bigger role. So what places are famous for what types of food, and what are their geographical features? In the north of France, it is relatively flat with a few rolling hills and mountains which make it easy to have farms that raise cows
A cuisine cannot simply be defined as a particular group of food associated with a geographic location. To understand a cuisine equal understanding of the culture to which it belongs must exist. A culture, such as the population of Italy, manipulates the presentation and substances of a cuisine to something representative of that culture. This makes a cuisine much more than food on a plate; a cuisine includes history, both of those making the dish and the ingredients and cooking styles that form the final product. A cuisine includes pride of nationality and personality. Similarly culture is more than a geographic location; it is a way of living and a respect for a group of beliefs and traditions. To understand this relationship between culture and cuisine certain information must be addressed; information such as the demographic figures surrounding a culture, the specific effect Italian culture has on Italian food, as well as the ingredients and cooking skills applied in the Italian cuisine. Consequences of the Italian cuisine will also be identified, both nutritional value and health detriments and how these effects may continue into the future.