New Delhi: Food. Everyone wants it, and everyone has it. Everyone is talking about it. We could talk about food for hours and hours. You may be familiar with various dishes and their recipes. But how well do you know the history of Indian cuisine? Or how many Indian food facts are you familiar with? Here are some interesting facts about Indian food that you may not be aware of:

Land of spices

Rightfully known as the ‘land of spices’, India is the largest producer of spices in the world. The country produces over 70% of the world’s spices and is also home to a higher variety of spices than any other in the world.

Many popular ingredients and dishes are borrowed

Potatoes, tomatoes, and chilies didn’t originate in Indian cuisine. Portuguese traders introduced these items to the country in the 15th and 16th centuries. Saffron was likely brought to India by Greek or Roman traders. Naan bread, which is traditionally associated with Indian cuisine, most likely originated in Persia, in the 1300s. The popular Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala was first made in Scotland in 1971.

Hottest chilli

India is home to one of the world’s hottest chillies – bhut jolokia or ghost pepper – which is estimated to be about 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. Grown in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, the chilli was certified as the world’s hottest in 2007 by Guinness World Records, though it lost its spot in subsequent years.

Chutneys Are The Soul

Traditional Indian food is fragmented and brought back together with this scrumptious side dish. Be that as it may, do you realize the Britishers adored our chutneys as much as we do? Indeed, they named one of the chutneys as ‘Major Gray’s. Now and then for a food lover chutney gives extreme motivation and bliss. The way this stunning and clear blend is prepared, it contains the most extravagant fixings and goes with all meals.

6 Unique flavours

According to Indian Food Theory, our food has 6 different flavours: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy.A proper Indian meal is a perfect balance of all 6 flavours, with one or two flavours standing out. So the next time you eat your meal, you know how to judge it.