What Indians Eat
Stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the tropical Indian ocean in the south, the Indian sub-continent is a huge place and home to an amazingly diverse population, each with its own history and religious beliefs. As such, India's cuisine is marked by its regional diversity and there is no single type of Indian food. The kinds of food you'll encounter vary widely from place to place, making it an incredibly exciting vacation destination for food lovers. Does this Spark an idea?
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Meat
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Hindus avoid eating beef due to their religious beliefs. People living in the different areas of India tend to use different meats, depending on their religious beliefs. Hindus believe that cows are sacred animals, and as a result, the use of beef is extremely rare in the north of the country where Hinduism predominates. Sikhs also avoid eating beef, but the meat is popular in Muslim communities whose beliefs prevent them eating pork. Pork is, however, a fixture in the food of the western coastal area around Goa, where past Portuguese settlers introduced Christianity to the country.
Fish
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Fish is popular in all of India's coastal areas. Fish is a popular choice in virtually all India's coastal areas and also in areas where freshwater fish are available. India's waters provide around 2,000 different species. The state of Orissa in eastern India is well-known for the quality fish and shellfish its people harvest from the Bay of Bengal. Further down the coast, fish curry and rice is the staple diet in much of coastal southern India, but the use of a wide variety of different spices and flavorings means you can travel widely without eating the same meal twice.
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Vegetables
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Lentils are widely used by India's vegetarians. Vegetables are a vitally important part of Indian cuisine. No matter which part of the country you visit, you're likely to encounter vegetables like eggplant, gourds, okra, onions, peppers, spinach, corn and tomatoes. The majority of locals in Gujarat on the western coast are vegetarian, meaning their traditional cuisine relies on beans, peas and lentils alongside numerous vegetables. Ingredients like lentils and chick peas are also widely used in southern India, where they are mixed with chilies and other spices and contribute to the region's reputation for highly spiced food.
Accompaniments
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Rice is a staple of the southern Indian diet. Many meals in the north of India will be accompanied by bread. The state of Punjab is known as "the breadbox of India" and if you visit you'll see a wide variety of types, including both leavened, such as naan bread, and unleavened, of which roti is a common variety. Northern India is also where much of the country's rice is grown, even if it is the south of the sub-continent where the grains dominate meals.
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References
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