India is a pretty diverse place. Between states, there are massive differences in customs, language, culture, and cuisine. The level of diversity is not present in any other country, most people don't realize that there is no real "national language" of India. (There are around 21 official languages, probably the two most widely spoken are Hindi and English) So I think a blog related to Indian food would not be complete without at least a cursory explanation of the differences in Indian cuisine by region. There are 28 states, and several territories in India, one post is not really enough to deal with the specific cuisines of all of them. So I am just going to talk about North, South, and East, and West.
South: This is the region my father comes from. It contains states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is predominantly Hindu, and has many Brahmins, so vegetarian dishes are prevalent. Southerners also often cook with tamarind and coconut milk as flavoring agents. They also use sea-fish in coastal areas. Regional dishes include avial, a mixture of vegetables cooked in coconut milk, dosa, a crepe made with rice and lentil flour, and idli, a cake (not sweet) made with rice and lentil batter.
East: Includes Kolkata, the city where my mother is from. It contains states such as West Bengal and Bihar. There are many "Bengalis" in this region, who eat primarily of river fish, notably the hilsa (similar to shad),and use sugar in their savory dishes. They also use mustard seeds and mustard oil. There are also more Muslims in the East, who often eat meat, particularly mutton, potatoes, and other root vegetables, among other things.
North: This is where a lot of "restaurant" Indian food originates. It contains states such as Punjab. Here the tandoor, a clay oven, is very prominent. Thus popular dishes in the North include Naan and Tandoori Chicken.
West: Western cuisine has been described as a combination of Northern and Southern. Probably the most well-known Western specialty is Vindaloo, a curry made with vinegar. West India contains states such as Goa and Maharashtra. Goan cuisine is actually pretty special in itself, as Goa was a Portugese colony for quite some time, and Goan food reflects this. (They use more pork and beef than the rest of India, and are noted for their sausages, which are similar to the Iberian chorizo)
Irit, am using your blog to tell you a little bit about your heritage.
ReplyDeleteYour father's family comes from Kerala, a state with an unusual demography in India .. there are roughly equal numbers of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in that state... it had a very tiny Jewish population too but that is almost extinct now (though there is an extant synagogue in Cochin that you must remember).
Your father's family descends from an ancient lineage called Syrian Christians .. they pre-date Christians in Western Europe.
All Kerala communities use coconut and coconut milk in their cuisine. They also use expensive aromatic spices prodigiously (cinnamon, cardamom, black/white pepper, nutmeg etc) because Kerala is the heartland of spice production.
The vegetarian food you describe is the dominant diet of Hindus. Your paternal food tradition is very focused on beef and fish.
I really appreciated this post. I've heard the term "tandoor" before, but never really stopped to consider what it actually meant. I also think it's really interesting how most of what the West considers to be "Indian Food" comes from the North. Why is that?
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