Curry & Conquerors

Let’s consider curry. This broad-brush term is used for food cloaked in a hotly spiced sauce originating from the Indian sub-continent. Yet no such word exists in any Indian language and, as we’ve already explored, curry powder is not used in its supposed country of origin.

The generic label is one originally imposed by the British, coming by way of early Portuguese settlers who described the spiced dishes Indians ate with rice as ‘carree’. This they had adapted from various languages in the south of India, including the Tamil kari, meaning ‘gravy’. Thus, you will not find the word ‘curry’ used in South Asia; each of the countless dishes has a unique name befitting their distinct personalities. But travel to many other parts of the world and you’ll find local curries, often named as such, showing the vast web of inspiration Indian food has spun around the globe.