The Illustrated Foods of India A-Z

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Drawing from two OUP classics–Indian Food: A Historical Companion (OUP 1994) and A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food (OUP 1998)–and with an appealing new format, The Illustrated Foods of India showcases the wide range and richness of Indian cuisine, More than a decade earlier K.T. Achaya successfully presented to the world, Indian food in all its diversity. This illustrated edition use the timeless appeal of his work to reach out to a wider audience.

The book looks at food from a wider perspective: the principles, the ingredients, the regional influence, therapeutic diets as prescribed in the ayurvedic system of medicine, colonial eating habits, Indian diaspora food as reflecting the cultural and regional origins of the immigrants. And through it all it does not to forget the religious influences–for example, how the complicated mass of rituals dictate Hindu domestic cooking practices, and how seviyan are an integral part of Id celebration.

Combining startling insights into the complex world of food with practical considerations of availability of food materials and climatic situates Indian food in time and place. Including information on a host of historical factors that influenced the regional cuisines of India, particularly the migration of food plants from the New world to India, and the interesting transfer of words across languages, for example, from Tamil and Malayalam (often by way of Portuguese or Spanish) into English, this latest addition to the Oxford India Collection should appeal to all our readers.

Globalization may have brought Indian food closer to the international palate, but it has generated many myths. There is perhaps no bigger irony than considering the replacement of fish and chips with chicken tikka masala as the national dish Britain as symptomatic of the Indianization of the British palate. The Illustrated Foods of India, an authentic and textured account of Indian cuisine and its rich heritage, will dispel such myths forever.

Drawing upon the country's oldest literatures in Sanskrit, Pali, Tamil, and Kannada, The book provides readers the A–Z of Indian food. Not just about food per se, it covers the historical, regional, and religious influences on Indian food showcasing the intricacies of the various sub-cultures of India through their cuisines. Actual recipes from historical sources like Ani-i-Akbari, menus from the diaries and cookery books of colonials, and quotations from the accounts of foreign travelers–along with the more than 80 visuals – add significantly to the book's appeal.

Extensively cross- referenced for easy access, the Illustrated foods of India will charm and inform both foodies and food academics.

K.T. Achaya (1923-2002), a renowned nutritionist and an authority on Indian food, pursued scientific research in the areas of oilseeds, vegetable oil, processed foods, and nutrition. His books Indian Food: A Historical Companion (OUP 1994) and A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food (OUP 1998) are considered classics on the subject.