My good friend from America, Mahiruha works in a grocery store. He asked why the British expats were so keen on Indian cuisine. This is my take on his question.
The first thing that springs to mind – if you grew up eating British school dinners you would better understand the popularity of curry and Indian food.
When I was growing in Yorkshire many years ago (in the days of black and white tv e.t.c.) – we were lucky to get more than a diet of tripe, dumplings and boiled cabbage (and sometimes custard with a horrible skin on it). By, contrast a curry seemed incredibly exotic. I think I tried a mouthful aged five but my taste buds were not acclimatised, and I took a dislike. I never took another curry until aged 18 I had my first curry in a restaurant in Bradford. I ordered an “extra mild curry” – quite nervous about the exotic spices and was pleasantly surprised it was quite tasty. If only we had a bit of curry powder to mask the horrid tastes when growing up.
The only thing is that curry doesn’t mix well with Yorkshire Pudding. If made properly, they are very good genuine British cuisine.
Not every Englishman is a friend of Indian cuisine though. One brother disciple from England struggles in New York. Just the sight of an Indian meal is enough to send him off looking for a chip shop. He has been known to smuggle tea bags (Earl Grey or Ceylon), marmite and baked beans into America just in preparation for the inevitable days of Indian food. The funny thing is he has a very real devotion for Lord Krishna, but in culinary matters, he is as English as King Henry (though I doubt the King Henrys were vegetarian).
On a more serious note, there is a quote in Sri Chinmoy’s writings about how the British unwillingly and reluctantly accepted India’s light more other countries. Perhaps the appreciation of Indian food is somehow symbolic of that inner tie, or perhaps it is just a reaction to tripe and onions.
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Question: Which country or countries have received India’s light the most?
Sri Chinmoy: Unconsciously, reluctantly and even unwillingly, England has received India’s light the most.
