Around the World, Cuisine From the Subcontinent Is Getting Some Seriously Creative Treatment. We Take a Look at Two Restaurants That Are Pioneering a New Chapter in Indian Food in South Africa.
Despite common misconceptions, there is really no such thing as ‘Indian food’. Rather, the huge geographical area that now makes up the country named India boasts an enormous variety of regional sub-cuisines – there are probably close to 40 different ‘Indian’ cuisines, which vary widely from one place to another.
Overall, the cuisines of the subcontinent are ancient ones and their regional development first made huge strides during northern India’s ‘Golden Age’ (between the 4th and 6th centuries), an era that was characterised by openness to both scientific and artistic pursuits. This, in turn, attracted travellers from elsewhere in the world, and these cross-border interactions introduced new cooking methods and produce to India – including the arrival of tea.
Fast-forward to today and food from India is once again enjoying an epicurean boom – this time, both on the subcontinent and elsewhere in the world. Top chefs are embracing a newfound freedom to go beyond creating ‘authentic’ food, and the result is a new way of showcasing the classics while simultaneously innovating and exploring the possibilities offered by this area’s diverse cuisines.
This trend has most definitely arrived in South Africa and in Cape Town in particular, with the recent openings of hotly anticipated contemporary Indian restaurants Marigold and Thali. With gorgeous, original food and polished, Instagram-friendly decor, these are the places to explore ‘The new Indian’.
BLOOMING DELICIOUS
This story is from the March 2017 edition of House and Leisure.
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This story is from the March 2017 edition of House and Leisure.
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