The second most populous country in the world after China & the seventh largest in area India is unique among nations in its diversity of climates languages religions tribes customs & of course cuisines Yet what is it that makes Indian food so recognizably Indian & how did it get that way? India is at the centre of a vast network of land & sea trade routes
- conduits for plants ingredients dishes & cooking techniques to & from the rest of the world Foreign visitors have long marvelled at India's agricultural bounty including its ancient indigenous plants such as lentils aubergines turmeric & pepper all of which have been central to the Indian diet for thousands of years Feasts & Fasts A History of Indian Food is an exploration of Indian cuisine in the context of the country's religious moral social & philosophical development It addresses topics such as dietary prescriptions & proscriptions the origins of vegetarianism culinary borrowings & innovations the use of spices & the inseparable links between diet health & medicine This lavishly illustrated book gives a mouth-watering tour of India's regional cuisines containing numerous recipes to interest & excite readers