Robin Cook once said that Chicken Tikka Masala was Britain’s new national dish. Certainly, Indian food has become an immensely popular aspect of British culture. But how has this happened, what does it tell us about how we relate with other cultures and is there really such a thing as an ‘authentic’ Indian cuisine anyway?
Indian food first came to the UK as early as the 17th Century. Bengali seamen (or ‘lascars’) were at work on the trading ships of the East India Company from the early 1600s onwards, bringing with them the spices and techniques of their native cuisine. Over time, the increasing influence of Britain in India meant that many traders returned from South Asia with Indian servants, and a taste for Indian flavours.
The first commercial curry powder in Britain was introduced in London in 1780, with the first Indian restaurant opening around 1809. The Hindoostanee Coffee House was run by Mr Dean Mahomet. He had come to London from Bihar, India, via Cork, Ireland and according to an advertisement, he hoped to offer a place “for the Nobility and Gentry where they might enjoy the Hookha with real Chilm tobacco and Indian dishes of the highest perfection". Unfortunately, he went out of business just three years later as many wealthy people preferred to eat at home, with many having their own chef.
Queen Victoria helped make curry fashionable in the mid-1800s, eating it regularly at home. There was a dip in the popularity of Indian food in the early 19th Century, but it saw a strong resurgence from the 1940s with increased immigration. Many South Asians took over bombed out takeaways in the post-war era, serving curry alongside traditional fish and chips. Many would stay open late to catch the pub closing time business, forming the ritual of ‘the curry on the way home’ which many of us still follow now.
The story of Britain’s early relationship with India is very much bound up with power and money, and indeed some might argue this is still the case today. As these forces drove the spice trade and colonialism across South Asia, the cuisines of number of other countries became meshed with the traditional recipes of the region, leading to dishes such as vindaloo (a Goan version of a Portuguese meat dish) and Biryani (a Persian-inspired rice dish).
Lizzie Collingham’s ‘Curry: A tale of Cooks and Conquerers’ looks at how South Asian food has interacted with different cultures around the world. She shows that curry is now very international – Japan has kairee raisu (curried rice), New York restaurants sell kosher curries on Lexington Avenue and Samoans use tinned fish and corned beef to make a Polynesian curry. Here in Britain, Walkers have created Chicken Tikka crisps, Heinz sell curry-flavoured baked beans, and chips and curry sauce is a firm favourite.
Middle class sensibilities might baulk at the idea of curry flavoured crisps, believing this to represent the death of an authentic culture. However, a second look at the story of Indian food brings into question the idea of an ‘authentic’ set of dishes. Little could seem more authentically Indian than the chilli pepper, but they were in fact introduced by the Portuguese in the 15th Century. India has also adopted certain aspects of so-called British culture such as a passion for tea drinking, which of course originated in China. Furthermore, Collingham points out that the vast majority of ‘Indian’ restaurants in the UK are actually Bangladeshi. As you can see, the cultural interactions are not as straight forward as they may initially seem.
A recent feature on the BBC website suggested that there is now a movement from some chefs to introduce Anglo-Indian food – such as the Chicken Tikka Masala – into the Indian market. To the ever-growing Indian middle classes, these dishes seem different and exciting. As the spending power of the Indian subcontinent increases, it’s clear that power and money still drive the story of this cuisine. Whilst people have money to spend and a taste for the new, these exciting flavours will continue to be reused, repackaged and reinvented. And for those of us who love food, this means more flavour combinations to try.
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