Indian cuisine is as captivating as it is appetizing. The cooking style has an impressive history and external influences. Here are a few facts about Indian cooking and food ingredients that will surely leave you surprised.
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Food Categories
According to Ayurveda (ancient medicinal system of India), Indian foods can be categorized into the following three types:
- Satvic
- Rajasic
- Tamasic
Satvic foods include naturally processed foods like vegetables. It has a purifying and calming effect on the mind and body.
Rajasic foods are spicy, salty, and oily. They drive ambition and egotistic nature.
Tamasic foods are overly processed and cooked. They are hard to digest and can negatively impact the human body and mind.
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India - The Land of Spices
India is the largest producer of spices in the world as it produces 70% of the world's spices. You will get a variety of spices in India, and all of them are rich in quality. You can buy Indian spices and Indian food ingredients online in the UK from our eCommerce store. We offer top-quality spices, snacks, herbs, sweets, groceries, and other items at affordable prices and deliver them across the UK mainland.
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The Primary Taste of Indian Foods
Many people think that Indian cuisine is all about spices. But they are not entirely right. According to food theory, Indian dishes comprises the following primary tastes:
- Sweet (madhura)
- Sour (amala)
- Bitter (tikta)
- Pungent (katu)
- Astringent (kasya)
- Salty (lavana)
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200+ Indian Desserts
As already mentioned above, Indian dishes are not all about spices. India is the home of the 200+ desserts, including kheer, traditional rice pudding, sandesh, gajar ka halwa, etc. Most of the conventional Indian desserts used to be made with honey and fruit. But finally, Portuguese traders introduced sugar in India. Now you will notice sugar in modern Indian desserts.
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External Influences in Indian Cooking
India has always been a part of the global trade routes. The massive exposure to international cuisines has influenced Indian cooking styles a lot. Indian cuisine is influenced by Persian, Chinese, Arabian, Mediterranean, etc. Some of the most popular sweets and snacks like jalebis, samosa, gulab jamuns are imported.
Fun Facts
We hope that the facts mentioned above were surprising for you. But the list doesn't end here. In this section, we will also share some interesting fun facts with you.
- Some of the most common ingredients of Indian cuisine like potato, chilli, and tomato don't have Indian origin.
- Chicken tikka masala is one of India's most popular dishes, but it was not invented in India but Glasgow, Scotland.
- Chai is a very popular beverage in India. It is an ancient drink that offers many health benefits.
- Mustard and coconut are very common in South Indian cuisine.
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