India
I had the opportunity to visit India in 1994 as part of a production team assigned to research
and write a recipe book for a BBC travelog series. The series was presented by Madhur Jaffreys a
well known personality chef in the field of Indian Cuisine.
We started in Madras on the east coast and then flew to Kerela over on the south west coast.
Calcutta, was the third destination and Ahamedabad the final one.
The dishes differed dramatically from region to region.
The south regions enjoyed a diet of fish and vegetables
Coconut milk is often used to create creamy spicy sauces to accompany the catch of the day.
The northan cusine included more meat, lamb in partciular, again cooked with aromatic spices
often without sauces.
During my 2 month visit I had an insight into the life and culture of a facinating nation.
I was suprised by the contrasts within one country;language and dialect, wealth, levels of modern
development and ways of dressing.
This experience stimulated an interest in the history of this nation and lead to the title of
my University dissertation,
Representations of India in the Times Newspaper
The book also contains descriptions of the places visited and offers a commentary about the Indian way of life.