India is rich in history and culture, making it one of the best destinations to travel to during the holidays. The place is full of diversity and gives one a great opportunity to meet new people and exchange cultures. One can also make new discoveries and acknowledge what makes the country unique in terms of culture and traditions as you interact. Apart from the history, gastronomy is another part of the heritage that is fascinating is the Indian. The culinary specialities of the Indians are very different and are one of the things that give the region its identity. To discover more about the gastronomy of the region, you can go to www.diving-asia.eu.
The Indian cuisines are vastly diverse since they consist of a wide range of regional and traditional cuisines. Even though they are diverse, these cuisines are characterized by the use of fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs available locally. In addition to this, they are very tasty and delicious. Other things that influence the Indian culinary specialities are the traditional, religious and cultural choices in the different regions.
What makes up the staple food?
The staple foods mostly found in Indian cuisines are pearl millet, rice, whole-wheat flour, and different lentils. Some of the most common varieties of lentils include; Mug beans known as Mong, Black gram known as Urad, Pigeon peas and red lentils. In addition to those, various pulses make up the staple foods, including chickpeas, kidney beans, and Black-eyed peas.
When it comes to oils used in preparing these cuisines, vegetable oil is most common. However, peanut oil is most common for the northern and western region and coconut oil along the west coast. Mustard oil is common in the eastern region, while the south loves sesame oil because of its nutty sweet-smelling scent. Spices are a big part of Indian cuisine, including common spices like cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, different types of masala, powdered or whole chilli papers, ginger, garlic and even coriander. For cultural reasons, one is not allowed to consume beef since cows are sacred beings in Hinduism. However, mutton and chicken meat are popular in the cuisines.
Classification of Indian cuisines according to the regions
The Indian cuisines are diverse in accordance to the division of India geographically into different regions. Other factors that make the different regions have different cuisines include the local culture, traditions and economics.
The northern region culinary specialities
The main cuisine in this region is based around Chapattis or bread as it flourishes in the cultivation of wheat and millet. Another staple food in the region is rice, but it’s not popular in the region. Rice is used to make tasty chicken biryani with a blend of ghee used in preparing mutton and chicken.
The western region delicacies
For this region, the foods cuisines mainly consist of different varieties of vegetables. However, in other areas of the west, like in Maharashtra, the cuisines are a blend of what is cooked in the north and southern region, with both wheat and rice being at the centre of every delicacy.
The eastern region
The culinary specialities of this region mainly consist of seafood and accepted meats like chicken and lamb. The most common meal is fish and rice and is prepared through a special method known as hilsa. Desserts and sweets are common in this region.
The southern region
This is one region that has maintained its traditional culinary specialities. Most dishes consist of different vegetables. The states in the region use a lot of spices and coconuts in the meals. Tamarind is added to the cuisines to add some sourness, which makes it different from other regions. Some common meals across the region are lamb stew, rice puttu, fish molie and even Malabar fried prawns.
Indian gastronomy is very interesting. If you are looking to experience it first-hand, it’s better to travel to the country and visit all the regions and feel the food culture straight from the source.