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Abstract
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 catchall 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 many incarnations.
In this global history, food writer Colleen Taylor Sen describes in detail the Anglo-Indian origins of curry and how this widely used spice 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 curry/rotis of the Caribbean; kari/raisu, Japan’s favorite comfort food; Indonesian gulais and rendang; Malaysia’s delicious Nonya 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, historical and modern recipes, and illustrations depicting curry dishes and their preparations.
A vibrant, flavorful book about an increasingly popular food, Curry will find a wide audience of cooking enthusiasts and hungry fans of Indian food.
"How did curry become so popular around the world, and how have its manifestations changed over time? These issues – and more – are taken up by Colleen Taylor Sen, whose Curry: A Global History offers a fascinating look into the origins of curry and its ubiquity around the globe today." — Steven E. Gump, Southeast Review of Asian Studies
Colleen Taylor Sen is a food writer and journalist specializing in the cuisine of India. She is the author of Indian Cuisine and Culture and a regular contributor to such publications as Travel and Leisure, Food Arts, the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Globe and Mail.