Promotional Information

Offers the first comprehensive overview of Indian cuisine.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword Preface Introduction: India, a Land of Diversity Timeline of Indian Food History Historical Overview and Attitudes Toward Food Major Foods and Ingredients Cooking Typical Meals Eating Out Special Occasions Diet and Health Glossary Resource Guide Selected Bibliography Index

About the Author

COLLEEN TAYLOR SEN is a regular contributor of articles on food and travel to major newspapers and magazines. She specializes in ethnic and Asian cuisines, particularly India's foodways.

Reviews

[A] timely work given the increasing interest in the culinary culture of South Asia, and of Indian cuisine in particular. Wide in scope and in ambition, this descriptively rich book constructs a panoramic view of the culinary world of the subcontinent….Sen's work is significant given that the culinary and gastronomic culture of the subcontinent is remarkably complex, comprising countless regionally differntiated cuisines and gastronomic genres, which she presents in a digestible manner…The book is full of fascinating details about dishes that Indians take for granted as part of their heritage but never think to inquire about….[i]nvaluable.
*Contemporary South Asia*

[T]he heart of ^IFood Culture in India^R lies in its cultural approach and college-level collections will consider it a value addition to any in-depth section on India.
*MBR Internet Bookwatch*

Not a cookbook but an invaluable source of the why of Indian cooking is Colleen Taylor Sen's ^IFood Culture in India^R….Sen does an admirable job sketching out the history of India and its myriad food cultures. She manages to remain clear and accessible while trying not to overlook any one region, ethnicity or economic class. Dishes or foods that may seem strange or unfamiliar to the average American reader suddenly make sense when placed in the broader societal and historical context. Ingredients are explained, cooking techniques explored, everyday and holiday eating defined. The book even offers a few representative recipes. This is a work that belongs in the kitchen library of any serious lover or preparer of Indian foods.
*Chicago Tribune*

[A] well researched and truly fascinating look at the culture, foods and their origins all over the sub continent, broken down by region … definitely one for the shelves to come back to time and again.
*Menu Magazine*

…these books provide a wealth of information that would be ideal for travelers interested in the food cultures of their Asian destinations; 'foodies' in any country who desire greater background knowledge of these three ethnic cuisines; high schoolers working on food-related projects; or students in introductory college-level area studies, anthropology, or geography courses who are curious as to how history, the physical environment, agriculture, technology, religion, conceptions of health and nutrition, and other circumstances have affected and continue to affect the food cultures in three key Asian countries: China, India, and Japan.
*Southeast Review of Asian Studies*