Alan Davidson

Pakistan

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

Pakistan a relatively new nation, created when India was partitioned in 1947. Until the secession of its eastern wing (now bangladesh) in 1971, it covered those areas of the Indian subcontinent where the population was predominantly Muslim.

Although Pakistan is a new nation its cuisine has developed over centuries, and it is closely related to the cuisines of its neighbours, afghanistan to the west and india to the east. Pakistan also shares a border with iran.

Pakistan is a land of contrasts. The Hindu Kush mountains lie to the north. In the south there is desert. In between there are areas of green valleys and fertile plains watered by the Indus and its four tributaries. The climate ranges from extreme heat to cold.