Taste of India
Food in India is wide ranging in variety, taste and flavor. Being so different geographically, each region has its own cuisine and style of preparation. Food is an important part of Indian culture, playing a role in everyday life as well as in festivals. In many families, everyday meals are usually sit-down affairs consisting of two to three main course dishes, and accompaniments such as chutneys and pickles. The course of the meal is incomplete without rice or homemade roti (bread).
Indian cuisine is as rich in variety as the country itself. The delicate flavors of the classical cuisine that developed in imperial courts of Delhi, Kashmir, Hyderabad and Lucknow are complemented by a vast range of regional specialties made with a variety of exotic ingredients.
Food is categorized into five tastes - sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter. A well-balanced Indian meal contains all five tastes; this can not always be accomplished. Side dishes like chutneys, yogurt, daals (lentils) and Indian pickles contributes to add to the overall flavor and texture of a meal and provide a well-balanced meal.
Foods of India are better known for its spiciness. The unique and strong flavors in Indian cuisine are from different type’s spices such as turmeric, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, coriander, and ginger. Most of the spices used in Indian cooking are originally chosen thousands of years ago for their medicinal qualities and not for flavor. Most of the herbs such as turmeric, ginger and cardamom are used for digestion and healing. India is characterized by its sophisticated and rare use of many spices and herbs. Considered by some to be the world’s most different cuisines, each family of this cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. Though a significant portion of Indian food is vegetarian, many traditional Indian dishes also include chicken, goat, lamb, fish, and other meats. Beef is not eaten by most Hindus.
Diversity is a defining feature of India’s geography, culture, and food. Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting the population of the ethnically diverse subcontinent. Generally, Indian cuisine can be split into four categories: North Indian, South Indian, East Indian, and West Indian. Besides this difference, some unifying threads emerge in the art of Indian cuisine. Uses of spices are a necessary part of food preparation. They are used to improve the flavors of a dish and create a unique aroma. Cuisines across India have also been influenced by various cultural groups such as West Asia, Central Asia and Europe.
Eating habits in urban India have undergone considerable change in recent years, triggered off by rapidly changing lifestyles and the intro of Western fast food change. Though most Indians relish food cooked at home, eating out is becoming increasingly popular in the larger states.
pradinya,
your essay was brilliant, i never understood so much about indian food, just the thought of it makes me really hungry. you used alot of important aspects to make your essay as sucessful as it is.
few suggestions:
1, in the first sentence, it might sound better if you say ” Indian food has a wide range in…”
2. in the last sentence of the first paragraph, i suggest adding a ‘however’ at the beginning of the sentence.
3. sit down family dinners should be a paragraph on its own, becuase your explaining the indian culture and how it ties into the food that is consumed. this couldve strengthened your paper
4.in the third paragraph, second line, i suggest adding a ‘however’ to ” this cannot always be accomplished”
5. in the fourth paragraph, on the first line, you should say ” foods of india are better known for their spiciness”
6. on the third line of the fourth paragraph, the last word, “are” should become ‘were’, because the spices that were chosen thousands of years ago is a past tense.
a job well done
yasmina