Curry
A Global History
Colleen Taylor Sen‘Curry’ is one of the most widely used and misused terms in the culinary lexicon. Outside of India, the word curry is often used as a catch-all to describe any Indian dish or Indian food in general. This title describes the Anglo-Indian origins of curry and how it has been adapted throughout the world.
‘Curry’ is one of the most widely used – and misused – terms in the culinary lexicon. Outside of India, the word ‘curry’ is often used as a catch-all to describe any Indian dish or Indian food in general, yet Indians rarely use it to describe their own cuisine. Curry answers the question ‘What is curry?’ by giving a lively historical and descriptive account of a dish that has had many incarnations.
In this global history, food writer Colleen Taylor Sen describes in detail the Anglo-Indian origins of curry and how it has been adapted throughout the world. Exploring the curry universe beyond India and Great Britain, her chronicles include the elegant, complex curries of Thailand; the exuberant curries of the Caribbean; kari raisu, Japan’s favourite comfort food; Indonesian gulais and rendangnonya cuisine; and exotic Western hybrids such as American curried chicken salad, German currywurst and Punjabi-Mexican-Hindu pizza. Along the way, Sen unravels common myths about curry and Indian food and illuminates the world of curry with excerpts from popular songs, literary works and historical and modern recipes.
A vibrant, flavourful book about an increasingly popular food, Curry will find a wide audience of cooking enthusiasts and hungry fans of Indian food.
‘Curry’ is one of the most widely used and misused terms in the culinary lexicon. Outside of India, the word curry is often used as a catch-all to describe any Indian dish or Indian food in general. This title describes the Anglo-Indian origins of curry and how it has been adapted throughout the world.
‘Curry’ is one of the most widely used – and misused – terms in the culinary lexicon. Outside of India, the word ‘curry’ is often used as a catch-all to describe any Indian dish or Indian food in general, yet Indians rarely use it to describe their own cuisine. Curry answers the question ‘What is curry?’ by giving a lively historical and descriptive account of a dish that has had many incarnations.
In this global history, food writer Colleen Taylor Sen describes in detail the Anglo-Indian origins of curry and how it has been adapted throughout the world. Exploring the curry universe beyond India and Great Britain, her chronicles include the elegant, complex curries of Thailand; the exuberant curries of the Caribbean; kari raisu, Japan’s favourite comfort food; Indonesian gulais and rendangnonya cuisine; and exotic Western hybrids such as American curried chicken salad, German currywurst and Punjabi-Mexican-Hindu pizza. Along the way, Sen unravels common myths about curry and Indian food and illuminates the world of curry with excerpts from popular songs, literary works and historical and modern recipes.
A vibrant, flavourful book about an increasingly popular food, Curry will find a wide audience of cooking enthusiasts and hungry fans of Indian food.
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a fascinating look into the origins of curry and its ubiquity around the globe today . . . Sen's introduction to the culture and history of curry is a tantalizing reminder that the roots of globalization lie deeper than we likely realize.
'Southeast Review of Asian Studies
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The Edible series contains some of the most delicious nuggets of food and drink history ever. Every volume is such a fascinating and succinct read that I had to devour each in just a single sitting . . . food writing at its best!
'Ken Hom, chef and author
Introduction: What is Curry?
1 The Origins of Curry
2 Britain
3 The Colonies: The United States, Canada and Australia
4 The Indian Diaspora: The Caribbean, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Fiji
5 Africa
6 South-east Asia
7 Other Regions
8 Curry Today and Tomorrow
Recipes
References
Select Bibliography
Websites and Associations
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Colleen Taylor Sen lives in Chicago, and her books include Curry: A Global History (Reaktion, 2009) and Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India (Reaktion, 2014), named one of the best food books of the year by Vogue and The Smithsonian Magazine.
