By Ina
Anyone who has tried a dish of curry knows the magic that fulfills all of our 5 senses. The word “curry” is thought to come from the Tamil word kari meaning side dish with rice. This beloved dish has been travelling around the world by means of colonization, immigration, trade and indentured labor and has now become a global food.
An interesting fact of how curry become so popular is that Christopher Columbus unintentionally helped it’s spread and development through trade with the East; But what is Curry?
Curry powder is a combination of various spices. It can range from 5 ingredients to more than 10, and may include spices such as: cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, dry mustard, fenugreek and black pepper.
The most common spices found in curry pastes and powders are: 1. Turmeric – a spice which gives the yellow colour to curries 2. Cumin – one of the oldest spices, with a nutty flavour and amazing fragrance 3. Chillies – which give pungency to any dish. Found in Thai green or red curry 4. Coriander – very popular in southeast Asian cuisine and used in various dishes
As mentioned earlier, curry is everywhere in the world! From kare raisu in Japan to curried goat in Jamaica, there are so many dishes inspired by “curry magic”.
The sweetness of the coconut milk combined with the heat from the chillies make Thai curry a very much loved dish around the world. However in Japan, curry has a milder sweeter taste. Curry has developed in each country with the use of local ingredients, therefore every curry dish is authentic because the spices and the ingredients used are cultivated differently around the world.
