The history of food from the sub-continent goes back further than most people would expect. We can be forgiven for walking down almost any street in Britain and taking the sight of an Indian restaurant or takeaway for granted.
Who would have considered that Indian food would have had an assoication with this country for nearly 400 years? The radical change has not been confined to this country, it can also be seen in native India.
Indian people first starting arriving in this country in the seventeenth century, after English merchant began trading in Surat. The company called itself the East India Company, and began to employ sailors or Lascars to man the ships. During the late eighteenth century the population of the lasgars grew steadily, although ironically, they often lived in poverty.
The interest in Indian food in this country grew as the country’s influence in Indian began to grow. This marked the first published recipes, and the introduction curry powder towards the late eighteenth century.
In the twentieth century, there were three main reasons why the Indian restaurant market grew in the UK. The first reason was the growing affluence of the people. The second reason can be attributed to the cosmopolitan nature of the people, and the third was the Tandoor.
The Middle East was the birth place of the Tandoor, which came from the Babylonian word ‘timuru’ which meant fire. With its introduction into this country in the late 1960s, it was responsible for adding the classic ‘chicken tandoori’ to the national culture. This has now become a timeless favourite in all Indian takeaways throughout the land.
Because of the success of Indian entrepreneurs, the Indian food sector is seen as one of the fastest growing in the UK. The popularity of both Indian restaurants and take away food has ensured that it will be an English institution for many years to come!
