Curry

Curry is not a single spice but a blend used widely in Indian cusine as well as in cuisines throughout Asia. In Western countries, the word “curry” doesn’t just denote a spice but any dish featuring that spice.

The basic spices in the blend known as curry are coriander, cumin, and turmeric although other spices such as chili, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, garlic, mustard, or fennel are added. Blends vary from region to region and there are mild, hot, and very hot curries according to the amount of chili used in each blend. Although every household ground its own curry, today ready blends are used throughout Asia and even in India.

How curries are served also varies by culture. Indian curries, for example, are served with a range of garnishes such as raita, peanuts, or coconut.

Curry is very flavorful and flexible as it can be added to almost any food. If you’ve never tried curry before, use sparingly at first until you settle on an intensity.