In the history of human nutrition, cooking dates back to one of the oldest activities carried out by man. It was so simple that ancient men were hunters and gatherers, and they hunted, skinned and threw their catch into the fire and ate when they were ready. Over time, more complex methods were invented and food was subdivided into cuisines. In this article, we will focus on the development of one of the Asian cuisines, namely South Asian cuisine.

South Asian cuisine is a combination of many cuisines popular in the Indian subcontinent. As its name suggests, it originates from South Asia, and is highly influenced by some Hindu practices, as these are the dominant people found in this region. Other cultural influences also come from Muslims.

Popular Ingredients and Staple Foods

One of the things that is very popular in this cuisine is a flatbread known as Naan and it is usually eaten in combination with many meals. Beans, barley, rice and chapatti, made from wheat, are also very common foods in the kitchen.

A characteristic of foods in this area is that they are highly flavored with black pepper, chilli, cloves, and various spices and herbs used in combination with ghee butter. Including ginger in them usually enhances sweet and salty foods. In meat, ginger is minced while it is used as pickled ginger in rice. The popularity of ginger is enormous, since it is boiled to make concentrated syrups that are used in the preparation of desserts. The curry is made with cumin and turmeric.

Meats such as chicken, goat, and lamb are very common, but beef is not popular as a food as it has a sacred place in Hindu worship culture. The severity of the special status of cows is emphasized by the ban on buffalo meat, as it closely resembles cows. The same case applies to pork, as Muslims and Hindus also avoid it. This kitchen has very sweet desserts that are made from dairy products. The most frequent dessert ingredients are ground almonds, dairy products, sugar and ghee.

down memory lane

Much of Indian food dates back five thousand years. The oldest civilization was made up of people known as the Indus, and they hunted alligators and turtles. That civilization is modern Pakistan. In addition to hunting, they were gatherers of plants, herbs, and grains, and many types of food from this period are still popular today.

A variety of these foods include eggplant, cucumber, rice, tamarind, wheat, and barley. The use of spices in Asian cooking dates back to this period, as the Indian people used ginger, green peppers, salt, and barley. An orange coloring and flavoring powder was made from grinding turmeric root.

More collaborators

Further contributions to this cuisine were the Aryans, who introduced the use of green vegetables, dairy products, and lentils in the diet. Spices such as coriander and cumin were part of the Aryan diet around 1500 BC. The Portuguese popularized potatoes, red chili peppers, and cauliflower around 1600 BC. C. One thing that led to the diverse development of this cuisine is that Asians treat food and cooking as an art, so many precision cooking tools and methods are used.