Facts About Your Curry - Did you know ?

The history of Indian food in Britain is now almost four hundred years old. The term "curry" was invented by the English administrators of the East Indian Trading Co. and later continued by British government employees. Originally the term derives from a Tamil word, "kari", which means a spiced sauce.

Britain's first curry house opened in 1809 called the Hindostanee Coffee House at 34 George Street, Portman Square, London (as recorded in The Epicure's Almanack). The first fashionable Indian restaurant however opened in 1927 when Edward Palmer opened Veeraswamy's Indian Restaurant in London's Regent Street where it still thrives today.

The Indian food industry in the UK is now worth £3.2 billion and Indian restaurants in Britain serve about 2.5 million customers every week. There are about 9,000 Indian curry houses in the UK, employing an estimated 70,000 staff. The 'curry house' therefore has a significant influence on the UK economy.

Chicken Tikka Masala (a British creation) was named the British National dish after a major opinion poll by Gallup. The first to claim its invention are descendents of Sultan Ahmed Ansari who owned The Taj Mahal curry house in Glasgow in 1950's. According to folklore, it came about when gravy loving Brits wanted a sauce with their Chicken Tikka and Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup with added spices was used on the spur of the moment in a flash of commercially motivated creation to appeal to the British palate. The recipe has been developed over the years.

Recent studies have shown that many of the spices used in curries have health benefits. Spices such as Turmeric and Cinnamon contain natural antioxidant and is thought to be beneficial to the skin. Despite common perceptions, Red chilli peppers have significant health benefits and are very rich in vitamin C , pro-vitamin A, and B (especially B6). Therefore a curry is not only a delicious meal, but also contributes to your health in many ways too.

The curry has created some of the strongest cravings in culinary history. Scientists at Nottingham Trent University claim that curries arouse the senses and make your heart beat faster. The assumption is that the ingredients in curries are addictive. Nevertheless, the reasons for liking the taste is more connected with a natural high. The effect curry has on pain receptors in the tongue, is indeed an arousing experience. It is the physiological and psychological effects that, when combined, create the addiction.

"Some Like it Hot"

In a restaurant the hottest curry is the Phal. It is a restaurant invention to satisfy the true 'Chilli-Head' who has an unusually high tolerance to chillies and genuinely enjoys extremely hot food.

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