The country where curry was born
When most people hear the word “home of curry,” they most likely think of India. Indeed, India is the birthplace of the dish we know today as curry. However, curry does not exist in India.
What we call curry is just a word used in India to describe “a soup-like dish made with spices and herbs. It is said that curry as we know it today is the result of the transmission of this food.
In 1595, Lindhouten of Holland published “A Guide to the East,” which describes a dish already eaten by the Indians called “kalir,” which is a soup of rice poured over rice. is mentioned in the “History of Ceylon” published by Knox of England in 1681.
It can be said that the curry of today is the result of various innovations made to the curry that originated in India.
Origin of the Name Curry
In India, the birthplace of curry, there is no dish called curry. So how did the name “curry” come about?
Currently, the detailed origin of the name is not known, and there are many theories.
Origin of the name “Curry”
- One theory is that it comes from the Tamil word “kali,” which means “a soup-like dish served over rice.
- The theory is that the name “curry” comes from the Hindu word “tarkari,” which means “fragrant food.
- The theory is that it is derived from the Hindu word “Kali Amudu,” meaning “food prepared for the gods.
- The theory is that it is derived from “Kadi,” an old name for a dish in northern India.
Origin of Curry in Chinese characters
There are other Kanji characters, but the origin of this Kanji character here comes from China. Curry was originally written in katakana as “カレー” in Japan.
A certain product manufacturer gave the kanji name to a retort-pouch curry, and it quickly spread in Japan.
