- Origins of North Indian and Pakistani foods
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Most of the food items that define modern North Indian and Pakistani cooking have origins inside the Indian subcontinent though many foods that are now a part of them are based on fruits and vegetables that originated outside the Indian subcontinent.
Vegetable Origins
Vegetable Hindi-Urdu Name Origin Likely time of introduction Notes Okra Bhindi Highlands of Ethiopia 100-500 CE Tomato Tamatar Latin America (Mexico to Peru) 1600 CE Likely introduced by Portuguese traders Potato Aaloo South America (Peru/Bolivia) 1600 CE Likely introduced by Portuguese traders Taro Arbi / Arwi/ Guhiyaan Unknown (India, Polynesia or SE Asia) Unknown Bitter Melon Karela Unknown Unknown Garlic Lehsan Unknown (possibly North Africa) Unknown Onion Pyaaz Unknown (Central Asia suspected) Unknown Cauliflower Phool Gobhi Cyprus or Turkey 1500 CE Cabbage Band/Patta Gobhi Mediterranean Region Derived from Wild Mustard Eggplant Baingan Native to the South Asia Turnip Shalgham West Asia or Eastern Europe 1500 BC Very early presence in the South Asia Yam Zimikand/Suran/kachalu/banda Africa/Asia 7000 BCE Different types of yams by taste, colour, size, skin, acidity Sweet Potato Shakarkand Latin America 1600 CE) Via Portugal Calabash Lauki/ghiya India Fenugreek Methi Middle East (possibly Iraq) Unknown Coriander Dhania North Africa or Southwest Asia Unknown Mentioned in ancient Egypt Chili pepper Mirchi New world 1550-1650 CE? Introduced by Portuguese traders Fruit Origins
Vegetable Hindi-Urdu Name Origin Likely time of introduction Notes Mango Aam India or SE Asia Unknown Mulberry Shehtoot/Toot Temperate regions worldwide Unknown Apple Seb Central Asia (Kazakhstan) Unknown Plum Aloo Bokhara Unknown (Armenia suspected) Unknown Orange Malta/Santara Unknown (SE Asia) Unknown A sweeter Indian variety was introduced by the Portuguese in Europe (ca. 15th century) Tangerine Santara Unknown (North Africa) Unknown - Old World foods
- Indian cuisine
- North Indian cuisine
References
- "Domestication of plants in the Old World," Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, Oxford University Press, 2000.
- "History of Food," Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, Blackwell Publishing, 1994.
- "Culture and Cuisine: A Journey Through the History of Food," Jean François Revel, Doubleday, 1982.
- "The Agrarian History of England and Wales," Edward John T. Collins, Stuart Piggott, Joan Thirsk, Cambridge University Press, 1981.
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