The British ruled India for over 200 years. So goes the story. Some do argue that they took a 100 years to conquer and ruled another 100 before they were sent back. But, that is a debate for another day. During this tenure they did influence many aspects in India. Education, medical services, fashion and food are probably some of the very obvious ones. Their influence on food is a definite yes as continental food is a huge contribution by the British to Indian culinary.
Some stories do indicate that continental food was introduced to the then royal families of India by the British as a token of friendship. It is said that continental food percolated to the commoners through the kitchens of Indian royals. There is no way to ratify any such observations. The popularity and acceptance of continental food in India even now does leave one wondering if these stories were true. Many people prefer to order continental food regularly even now. Some of the old time restaurants take special care to cater to such crowd.
The trend is generally to eat continental for breakfast or dinner. There are many online food aggregators who provide both these meals. Most major cities in India have these options. When you order food online in Gurgaon, Bangalore o Mumbai, such options are aplenty. It is easy to order continental food in such places. The food is delivered in neat packages and on time.
Continental food collectively refers to the food from various European countries and not just Britain. It represents food from other places like New Zealand, Australia, America and even Italy. There is meat, poultry, bread and olive oil. In some places continental food includes sea food too. Basically depending on the country of origin, continental food is a combination of what is locally available in these countries.
How does your food tastes?
Continental food uses minimal spices. It is generally bland and is to the liking of people who prefer such food. When ordering continental food, it is important to check out the ingredients to be sure that you are being served continental. Most order food online options provide the list of ingredients.
It is interesting to note that continental food has found a place of its own in Indian cuisine. Indian food is mostly considered to be a rich in spices and tastes, unlike continental dishes. Inspite of these basic differences, there is a section of Indian populace that loves to eat continental. Such groups of people are extending beyond the busy metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities of India. In Delhi and the north side of India alone, order food online in Gurgaon for example, has many continental food options. The spread of dishes and the variety of breads and sides is mind boggling. It can actually get a little confusing sometimes if you do not know what you are looking for.
Given the penetration of this cuisine in India I am left wondering at the acceptance and love for food of Indians. My granny sometimes says that ‘Angrez gaye aur angrezi chod gaye’. It means the British left English behind though they left the country. Something similar applies to continental food too.