Kamala Harris, who originally hails from Tamil Nadu, India, said that Idli-Sambar with tasty Sambar and any kind of Tikka is her favorite Indian food, which sparked a lot of discussion on Indian cuisine on social media. But, the thing to know is how is Indian food liked abroad? What is the ranking of liking of Indian food in the world and which Indian dishes are eaten with fondness even outside India?
Many types of dishes are popular in India according to the states. There is a lot of variety of veg food as well as non-veg food. Like Macher Jhol in the East, Dal Baati in the West and Chole Bhature in the North, Idli or Dosa in the South etc. Just a few days before Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the post of Vice President in the US elections, Shashi Tharoor, MP from Kerala, also discussed a lot on social media about his liking for Idli. Anyway, let us know how popular Indian food is abroad, with dishes like these being catered by wedding caterers in Ahmedabad and beyond, reflecting their universal appeal.
The most favourite Indian Food in the world?
Which country or culture’s food is the most favourite? The common answer to this could be America’s, but this notion is not correct. Italian food is the famous in all over world. After this, Japanese, Chinese and Indian food is at number four. In the year 2019, American economist Joel Waldfogel’s research paper said that after Indian food, American food is liked at number five.
Not one, but many research and surveys have been conducted from time to time in this regard. According to the survey conducted by UK-based market research firm YouGov last year, Indian cuisine was ranked ninth in the top ten list of most popular foods in the world. This survey was based on conversations with about 25 thousand people living in 24 countries.
What is the choice of overseas Indians?
The survey also revealed that 93 percent of Indians living outside India prefer their own food. But it is not true that only Indian food is liked. Italian, Chinese and American food is also popular among this community. YouGov’s survey also stated that Indians show very little interest in the food of Norway, Philippines, Finland and Peru.
Dishes liked abroad?
There is probably no other country that has as much variety in Indian dishes. The main reason for this is India’s cultural, geographical and historical diversity. Based on the findings of various surveys, these are the 10 Indian dishes that are eaten with the most gusto all over the world.
- Chicken Tikka and Butter Chicken (Chicken Tikka Masala is a Lahore origin dish and Butter Chicken is a Punjabi recipe. Both the dishes are very popular abroad not only among Indians but also among other communities.)
- Biryani (Hyderabadi and Awadhi Biryani are popular worldwide among the non-veg varieties and are served in restaurants in many Asian countries including Europe.)
- Chaat (Varieties of Pani Puri, Aloo and Chole Chaat are famous in many countries, but chaat stalls are seen at many places in Britain.)
- Samosa (The history of this dish is also very interesting and it is made in different tastes in different parts of India. The popularity of this snack eaten with chutneys is no less.)
- South Indian Cuisine (Idli is famous, along with it dishes like Dosa, Uttapam and Sambar are also very much liked. The taste of Sambar is different and unique in every South Indian city. This cuisine is known in many countries
- Kabab (This dish of Mughal tradition has a good variety of its own. Its recipes are found from North India to South India and it is very popular abroad, especially in the UK.)
- Naan (This is a roti-like side dish, which is eaten with dal, chicken or mutton or any non-veg curry. Many of its flavors are famous like butter naan, garlic naan or masala naan etc.)
- Malai Kofta (Koftas prepared especially from bottle gourd and raw banana are made with red, yellow and white gravy. This basically Punjabi dish has been discussed from Europe to the Middle East.)
- Palak Paneer (If we talk about special vegetarian food, then there is no bigger celebrity than this recipe. You can see this dish on the lunch or dinner table in many countries.)
- Dal Makhani (This is also basically a Punjabi dish, which is very popular in veg Indian cuisine from America to Pakistan.)
Apart from these, dishes like Paneer Tikka, Rogan Josh, Chole Bhature/Kulche and Pulao are also popular. Actually, the popularity of Indian dishes in different parts of the world depends on the Indian population living there. This demand has fueled a thriving market for Indian restaurants and caterers, especially in multicultural cities where diverse culinary options are appreciated. For instance, wedding caterers specializing in Indian food are highly sought after in regions with sizable Indian communities, such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.
Where is the craze for Indian food the most?
There is a wide variety of Indian cuisines in countries like the United Kingdom, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, Germany, France and the US. India’s neighbouring countries Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh have food-related similarities due to cultural similarities. If we talk about the Middle East, many Indian dishes are liked here. The main reason for this is that food has been exchanged here for centuries. Even now India imports many types of spices and dry fruits from Arabia and Persia.
If we look at the statistics, 77% people in Singapore, 70% in Malaysia, 49% in Indonesia and 44% in Vietnam like Indian food.
