Gujarat

The state of Gujarat lies north of Mumbai (Bombay) on India’s west coast. Its desert area, called Katcch, borders Pakistan and has a long coastline. The major cities are Ahmadabad, the capital, and Surat, a busy commercial center. Gujarat is well known for its textile industry. Its cuisine is very distinctive, with an elaborate and inventive vegetarian repertoire, characterized by mild flavors and a hint of sweetness in many dishes. Perhaps because of Gujarat’s location on the Arabian Sea, many Gujarati people have emigrated to other lands: Most of the South Asians who settled in eastern and southern Africa in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were Gujarati, as Gandhi was, and their descendants now live all over the world. Consequently, Gujarati prepared foods and special ingredients are widely available in South Asian markets in North America and elsewhere.