Peering Closely At Indian Cuisine

One of the major cuisines in the world is the one that originated from India. It has had a considerable influence in its own region, in Southeast Asia due to its status as a major power together with China during the pre-colonial years when the European powers had not expanded to the Far East.

Perhaps another good description for India’s cuisine is its versatility. Indian cuisine is very flexible, having been formed from the influences of the immigrations and the colonization that occurred during its long history. Also, India has several geographic regions which are also distinct from each other in terms of climate, and the crops that grow there. All of these result to a very diverse set of cuisine in just one country.

Five Geographical Divisions of Indian Cuisine

Indian cuisine, as mentioned earlier, is very diverse. It is divided into five, by geographical area. These five divisions are:

  • Northern India

Among the five sub-cuisines of India, the Northern Indian cuisine is distinctive for its extensive of use of dairy products. It also uses meats a lot, especially from goat and lamb, although other meats like chicken can also be sampled in Northern Indian cuisine. Northern Indians are also known for having a staple diet consisting mostly of wheat bread that they call the “roti.”

Northern Indian cuisine is also noted for its Muslim influences: Pakistan is just nearby, and some Pakistani Muslims have at the past entered India from the North.

  • East India

East Indian cuisine would best be described as a sweet tooth’s favorite. This region of India specializes in sweets. Of all the regions in India, the East is the one most noted for its dessert preparations. In fact, they are so popular that they have influenced the North nowadays: Orissa and Bengal region desserts have found their way into the Northern region.

  • South India

South Indian cuisine is one that is made up most of rice dishes. That is because rice is the staple grain of the Southern region. Another fitting description of South Indian cuisine is that it is by itself diverse: one region cooks a dish called sambar differently from the others. This owes to the diverse tastes of the people that live in the area alone.

  • Western India

Just like South India, the cuisine in West India is divided. There are three groups: the Gujarati, Maharasthrian and Goan groups. Maharasthrian itself is divided into the hilly and the coastal regions, each with different staple and emphasis in their cooking. The Goa region is dependent on rice, coconut and fish because it is coastal, just like one section in the Maharasthrian group. The Gurajati, on the other hand, has an emphasis on vegetables for its cuisine.  

  • North East India

Of all the cuisines in India, this one is distinct for being “non-Indian” in a sense. While there are semblances of Indian cuisine present in North-East Indian dishes, most of its characteristics are heavily influenced by their neighbors especially China and Burma.