India – More than the Restaurant Food

India, the land of a billion beings. That is how our country is recognized by the world but we Indians know that India is much more than that. Ours is not a country which believes in restaurant food but we prefer food made at home.

A billion people placed in different parts of the country, in deep pockets give rise to various food habits. Different cultural backgrounds define the type of foods consumed. It’s indeed a land of diversity. You find diversity in religion, language, culture and most importantly diverse food habits.

Food is an intrinsic part of any culture worldwide but the Indian cuisine can’t be limited to one genre. The food habits of the northern region are vastly different from the south.  Western part of the country believes majorly in vegetarian food whereas the eastern region people see nothing beyond non – vegetarian fare in their daily food intake.

There are exceptions as well, like in Goa, placed in the west is a hardcore non – vegetarian loving part of the country whereas its immediate neighbours like the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra are stark believers in the vegetarian way of life. If one goes to the eastern part of the country, into the hilly areas, there the food habits are completely different from the rest of the country. They use the minimal level of spices and concentrate on the flavours of their foods. Ingredients are scarce in those hilly terrains and thus they create amazing items from the naturally obtained ingredients. Ground spices don’t feature in their food styles like the rest of the country. Theirs is a unique, rustic way of cooking nutritious, non – vegetarian food.

Now, if one compares the northern and southern regions then the style of cooking changes completely. The northern part of India prefers their food to be very spicy and use a variety of ground spices to serve an array of spicy food high on oil. For them that’s the sign of belonging from a well-to-do family which is also a reminder to their boisterous way of life as well. Their food also needs to be “loud” like themselves. Far down in the south the way of life is very peaceful and their food habits are also quite light compared to the north. They also believe in adding spices but they will balance out the strong flavours with milder flavours to create a balanced food item.

India like its colourful spirit has a colourful palette too. It varies from one part to another and lets people try out a vast array of food items from all across the country.