India’s cuisine is as rich and diverse as her people. The spectrum of Indian cuisine can be said to lie between two dietary extremes: vegetarianism and meat-eating. India is well-known for its tradition of vegetarianism which has a history spanning more than two millennia. However, this was not always the case.
As India has been the crossroads of many people and cultures over centuries, foreign elements have invariably seeped into its culinary culture, sometimes displacing or modifying local cuisines. The invasion brought changes in many aspects of everyday life in India, including the palates of the Indian people which became tempered by a foreign taste.
Styles of eating differed between the Hindus and the Muslims. In contrast to the Muslims, the Hindus usually take their meals individually, a feature that may have developed as a result of rules regulating eating practices across castes. Continue reading