A mention of India today immediately conjures up images of the Taj Mahal and Slumdog Millionaire in the minds of foreigners. But until this latest wave of Indophilia struck, India had an entirely different association in the eyes of the rest of the globe. For centuries, the ancient world saw India as the Land of Spices.
The aroma of these flavourful plants wafted from the subcontinent and captured the imagination of the rest of the world. The Egyptian and Roman civilisations of history had steady trade relations with India based on the demand in those lands for Indian spices. In times of antiquity, Arab merchants revelled in profits thanks to their monopoly over the Spice Route. The rest of the world desired Indian spices so strongly that it sparked off the Age of Discovery. European seafarers left their native ports and braved the unpredictable seas with the lucrative goal of discovering a sea route to the Indian coast. Christopher Columbus discovered America because he was searching for India, and Ferdinand Magellan, the first captain to circumnavigate the globe, did so on the return leg of his journey from the subcontinent.
Whether the spices were being used for their taste or for their aroma, the Indian kingdoms dealing in them enjoyed a constant flow of income from the trade. The Indian association with spices is so strong that even today, with cultivation of spices in full swing across the tropics, the hallmark of Indian cuisine is its spiciness.
Amidst today’s environment of vanishing borders and the beginnings of a global village, food has become a badge of culture. Italy’s population might have a huge percentage of immigrants, but pasta will always remain distinctly Italian. In this scenario, exploring global cuisine has become an integral part of the experience of internationalisation.
AVID encourages multiculturalism, but not at the expense of forgetting your roots. Our Spices, Tastes and Flavours workshop with food blogger and enthusiast Rushina Ghildiyal aims to explore global culinary traditions, while experimenting with the quintessential Indian ingredients, spices! Bring Inspired Learning to your kitchen with AVID this Independence Day!
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