Foreign Influences

Among those lured to the country by the valuable spices were Arab, English, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish traders. These foreign travellers introduced cooking styles that are still practised today. The north continues to be dominated by Mughal cuisine, while the east pays tribute to tribal and Anglo-Indian styles. In the south, Syrian Jews and French traders passed on their cooking techniques, and western India came under the influence of the Portuguese and the Persians (Parsis). The result is a rich, colourful and multi-dimensional cuisine with a repertoire of recipes that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.