It is an Interesting fact that most of the people around the world do not know exactly what "Curry" means despite being curry lovers. In Britain, the wordcurry has come to mean any South Asian dish particularly Indian. Well it's about time the secret should be revealed about the curry and the world revolving around it.
The traces of curry recipes can be found in cook books from as early as 16th and 17th centuries. The curry powder was introduced in the 18th century but it did not gain much fame until William Makepeace Thackeray wrote a 'Poem to Curry' in his ' Kitchen Melodies' in the late 19th century.
What is a Curry?
The word curry has been derived from the Indian term ´Karee´ or ´´Karai'. It certainly has its origin in the South Asian soil but it has undergone evolution in Britain according to the local taste. Curries can originate from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other South-eastern Asian regions.
The common characteristic of all Curries is the amalgamation of different combinations of fresh or dried spices. The selection of spices manly depends on the local tradition and preferences. Curry dishes may contain meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables or a combination of these.
Top Curry Facts
Curry actually has an amazing history. It was born in ancient India, it has travelled to all sorts of places and evolved in several ways. Here are some amazing facts about Curry:
- The term 'Curry' originated in Britain and not South Asia. It emerged from the Tamil word 'kari'.
- The Spice trade between India and Britain become popular in 1690
- The Curry powder is commercially produced since 1780
- The first Curry house in Britain opened in 1809. It was located in London Portman Square
- Queen Victoria had two Indian chefs also among her chefs. It is believed she used to order the chefs to make curries two times in case she had Indian guests.
- According to surveys South Asian food is the most favorite cuisine of Britain.
- The British spend £250 million annually on South Asian food
- The internet offers more than 500 curry recipes from around the word.
- The south Asian Food industry is worth £3.2 billion in Britain
- A survey on eating out indicates that two-thirds of all eating out in UK is associated with Curry.
- There are more than 9,000 South Asian restaurants in UK
- The South Asian Outlets in UK serves around 2.5 million customers weekly.
- The British consume three and half million curries on weekly basis.
- Chicken tikka masala orginated in Britain and is included in the national cuisine of Britain.
- Curry fans, according to survey spend £480/minute on curry shopping.
- 1.1 million Packets of chicken tikka masala are sold per year in leading supermarkets of UK