10 Cities in India for the Food Lover’s Soul

There’s something special about traveling.  That awe struck feeling of everything around you being new, the sudden urge to explore or maybe even take an adventure.  The experiences you create and cherish and the memories that will last you all your life.  It’s beautiful really, taking in each breath as you gaze upon the new world around you.

What do you love the most about travel?

For many, the food ranks up quite highly, so if your heart desires to see India for the first or simply next time, there are many places you should consider going!

This first one’s going to be no surprise, but Delhi!  India’s capital, which is colossally popular for the North Indian food offered, has a vast array of options for it.  These span from its street foods, dhabas, restaurants and their high end cafes.  Be sure to check out chholo bhatura, parathas and tandoori chicken while you’re there!

Next up is Mumbai, which has all sorts of restaurants essentially serving anything you could want to eat!  Not only that, but they also have some of the best street food including pav bhaji, bhel puri, dahi puri, sev puri, vada pav, and much more!

Goa is third on our list, considered one of the places to drink dine and dance!  It is especially known for its seafood, such as prawns, crabs, squids and fish!

Fourth we have Kolkata, the Bengali state capital, home to some of the most loved sweets in the nation, such as rasgulla, sandesh, yummy rolls, chow mein and puchkas!  If you’ve got a sweet tooth, check it out for sure!

Pondicherry is coming in at number five, which offers a blend of South Indian food, but French as well, in addition to traditional and Western dishes.

Sixth is Amritsar, which is widely recognized for its food like Amritsari chhole kulche, maah ki dal and machchhi (fish).  With places sites such as the Golden Temple and Wagah Border, there are all kinds of sites to see as well!

Lucky number seven is Lucknow (Don’t you love it when things line up like that?)!  Once ruled by the Nawabs for over a century, it now houses Awadhi cuisine, such as Galouti kebabs, kormas, parathas and sheermaal.  It’s a great place for both vegetarians as well as those who like some meat in their diet!

Slipping in at eight is Udupi, renown for it’s South Indian food.  With things like rasam, all sorts of dosas, idlis and sambhar, there are plenty of options to choose from to see what makes it such a delgiht!

Coming in at number nine is Hyderabad.  Once ruled by the Nizams, this city has a blend of Munghlai, Turkish and Andhra cuisine for all those present.  The dum biryani in particular is sought after, to the point that biryani throughout all of India is associated with them!

Lastly we have Jaipur, located in the state of Rajasthan and a very popular tourist destination!  There’s a wonderful number of restaurants and places to eat throughout the city, all of which sure to make your adventure one to remember!

For a more in-depth reading, click here to view india.com’s article on the matter.

10 More Fun Facts about Indian Food

Time for some more fun facts about Indian food!

#1

For the most part, Americans are only used to the less spicy food from north India when there are actually 28 different states throughout the nation, each with it’s own culinary style and roots spanning all kinds of different flavors.

#2

While people often think ‘curry’ when they think ‘Indian food’, many don’t actually know what that means.  Truthfully, it’s a blend of spices that Indians often refer to as garam masala, which usually includes tamarind, cinnamon, black and white pepper, cloves, cumin, and cardamom.  Additionally, this isn’t used in ever dish, rather it’s only added to some, along with other spices which make each unique.

#3

The Indian food of today can be traced back 5,000 years to the Harappan civilization, where vegetables were an integral portion of their meals.

#4

Similar to how important we view breakfast, or nashta there, Indians try to start the day with it as well.  These meals often consist of a kind of bread, such as roti or paratha, vegetables, pickles, and curd.  Also like we have it, coffee often accompanies the food!  Tea as well.

#5

Indian food as all kinds of variants, like not only are different ingredients used within their food but they are also prepared in may different ways spanning roasting, steamed, grilled, or even boiled!

#6

Sweets are big there as well!  Halwa fudge, which also has carrots and pudding are enjoyed daily, as is gulab jamun, a dessert of fried milk balls and syrup, kulfis, a flavored frozen sweetened milk or cream, and sandesh, which is a cheese kneaded with sugar and molasses are all highlights.

#7

Indian food theory is that there are six different tastes: sweet, sour, salty, spice, bitter and astringent.  The meals cooked attempt to balance them all, with one or perhaps two standing out.  Despite this, no singular dish contains all six.

#8

Although they have junk food as well, theirs tends to be slightly healthier than ours.

#9

Something else that’s eaten daily is rice.  It’s huge throughout the country and comes in a variety of ways, these including Ponni, Patna, and over a dozen more!

#10

Indian food is internationally popular, to the point even that it’s had some influence on its neighbors: Thailand, Pakistan and even China!  It’s here as well, numbering in the realm of 8,000 Indian restaurants throughout the 50 States.  While California and New York have the most, don’t forget about your local one here in Utah!

We hope to see you soon!

To read the udemy article in its entirety, click here.