India is known for its vast culinary feasts, which one can explore and taste in almost every single nook and corner of this amazing country. People who travel through the country can experience many flavors and cuisines since each state has its own specialty and one may take more than a few lifetimes to fully understand and taste the food. The North Indian Cuisines are very different from that of South India and same goes in the case of East and West India as well. The food industry of India has seen a considerable growth in past, and for this reason and intent, the scope of culinary tours to India has also risen remarkably.
There can be few things more frustrating than when a tourist goes into a restaurant in India and complains that there is no korma on the menu. The chefs must want to take out a giant map of the country, label the regions and their culinary influences and then point out that korma is in fact from a Mughal tradition, emanating from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Northern India. The map of Indian food is as varied as its landscapes, cultures and historical influences. One thing that is common throughout all of India, however, is the cultural importance of food. How it has been influenced by colonists, religion, spice traders and of course, the climate. And most importantly, the culture of eating together as a family or with friends is what makes the culinary experience in India most delicious of all.
Indian food is as varied as the country itself, with every region having its own specialties. It therefore, does not always have to be “hot” nor can any one dish be labelled a “curry.” (That said, many Indian cuisines can be pungent to those unaccustomed to it. Even if you have eaten at Indian restaurants outside India, remember that many such establishments tone down the spice quotient for local tastes) Most dishes with a gravy are normally called curries but are prepared with a different masala (a combination of spices and seasonings) containing among other things coriander, cumin, garlic, onions ginger, turmeric, chillies, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves cinnamon, bay leaves, saffron, mace and nutmeg; all the aromas and flavors that brought traders to India for centuries.
