Worldwide Curries

Worldwide Curries

No matter where you are in the world, the chances are that there are at least a few curry powders to be found among the shop shelves. We simply can’t live without the stuff. Some of the cuisines most associated with curry include South Asia (the Indian subcontinent in particular), as well as vast swathes of South East Asia, from Thailand and Malaysia to Indonesia and beyond. African nations and the Caribbean region can all lay claim to favourite curry dishes while even in the UK, you’d be hard pressed to find a town without a local curry house. Curry powders are everywhere.

But what exactly is a curry? In its most basic form, a curry is a dish that is made by cooking vegetables, meat, or seafood in a sauce or gravy that’s been flavoured with a blend of spices. It’s the curry powders that make up this blend of spices—the essential ingredient of all worldwide curries.

Of course, curry recipes will vary greatly depending on the region and preferences, which impact things such as taste profiles and cooking styles, as well as the available ingredients for the curry powders and their spice levels.

For an example of how curry powders can differ, our Rogan Josh Spice Blend is made up of coriander seeds (roasted and ground), whole black cumin seeds, paprika, cinnamon bark, black Tellicherry peppercorns, ground cayenne chillies, crushed red chillies, black and green cardamom pods, clove buds and ground nutmeg. This creates a very heavy, spicy Indian curry known as a Rogan Josh. On the other hand, our Poudre De Colombo Spice Blend contains white cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, brown mustard seeds, clove buds, ground turmeric root and ground black peppercorns. This gives the curry a much more mild warmth that’s sweet and pleasant.

Thanks to their fantastic flavours, some of these curries have gone on to become worldwide curries, going international and spreading all around the world. Some of the most popular include the chicken korma from India (a very mild dish, particularly loved in the UK), the chicken tikka masala, Thai green and red curry (both delicious) and Indonesian beef rendang.

These dishes have become worldwide curries for a multitude of different reasons. During the British Empire’s colonisation of India, many curry recipes made their way out of the subcontinent and into Europe (the Portuguese were also adept at this). Through subsequent migration, when many Indians began to move to the UK, more and more curry houses appeared, particularly during the 1970s. The nation was hooked.

Meanwhile, other migration stories around the world, increasing globalisation and the ability to travel far more easily has seen people around the world being exposed to different cultures and cuisines, ensuring the popularity of these tasty dishes soared around the world.