Continental Food verses Indian Food
Continental food is a term referred
to cuisines from Europe and other Western countries. Continental cuisine can be
better understood as Western cuisine & cuisines in Europe. Meat is more
prominent in cuisines in Europe as France, Italy, UK, Sweden, America, England,
Australia, New Zeeland etc. Wines made from grapes are paired with the foods.
Sauces & condiments have a substantial importance. Sauces are served as
accompaniments with the main dishes as well as a part of the main dishes. Six main
sauces called as Mother Sauces are added with ingredients to make new sauces
called as Derivatives. Meats & vegetables are cooked and served in the
sauce. Sauces provide names to the dishes for an example chicken sautéed and
added in Mornay sauce (a derivative of first mother sauce called Béchamel made
by adding cheese in béchamel sauce) will be named as Poulet mornay (Poulet-
Chicken).
Comparatively less use of fat or even no use
of fat is witnessed in the cooking techniques. Fatless cooking methods as
poaching, steaming, braising, poeling, boiling, blanching are preferred. Stocks
made by simmering of meats, meat bones, fish, fish bones and even vegetables
are used to nutritionally balance the dishes. Meals are balanced with the use
of meats for protein, vegetables for vitamins, potato preparations for
carbohydrates in almost every platter. Soups are served to initiate the appetite
at the start of the meals.
Our nation India is again very rich
when food & food habits are taken into consideration. Indian cuisine fringes
together a variety of regional foods native to various regions in Indian
itself. Food flavors; methods of cooking & a variety of regional dishes are
prepared with distinct tastes and well balanced nutritive values.
Developments in almost every field
in India have led people from India to travel across the globe and people
around the globe are attracted to visit India with specified reasons resulting in
a considerable exchange of food habits and food delicacies available around the
globe.
Indian cuisine has come up as one
of the most demanding cuisines throughout the globe. Combination of spices,
vegetables and meats, use of milk and milk products along with a variety of
other raw materials contributing in dishes balanced nutritionally satisfying
the appetite to the people from the different parts of the world. Technical as well as experienced hands make
the dishes highly elevated in taste. Indian food witnesses its value in
different ways. We can find food dishes having their importance for specific
times like medicinal food which is a prominent part of Indian food providing
required nutritional value as well as detestability value as required by the
consumer. The concept of Kaccha Khanna (food dishes not tempered) & Pakka
Khanna (tempered foods) in the Indian cuisines is another example of well researched
food habits of Idians. Kaccha khana is the food which is served to the
travellers starting a long journey understanding its ease of digestibility. Use
of milk & milk products like Ghee is prominent in balancing the nutritive
value.
Herbs and condiments are used considering
their effects on the human body for an
example turmeric is used as an antiseptic, fennel seeds for their cooling
effect, Amla (Indian Gooseberry) – Vitamin C good to cure cough, cold & diabetes,
Ashok ( Bark & Flower)- cures
Menstrual pain, uterine disorder, diabetes etc.
Indian food is also famous for
various combinations of herbs & spices called Masalas. These Masalas are
made with the adequate quantities of spices & condiments ready to be added
in meat and vegetable preparations.
Both Indian food and continental food
have their advantages over the natives and inhabitants of the regions. Food
items and dishes are made according to the climatic conditions and the
ingredients available in these regions. Industrialization, globalization & modernization
have made people well aware with the delicacies enjoyed around the globe. We
now days have freedom enough to choose our meals according to our choices and
even cook the delicacies according to our threshold to the tastes.
-Chef
Ashish Raina
