Indian Chinese cuisine: Difference between revisions

The most popularized theory for the origins of Chinese Indian food was during the [[British Rule of India]] deep within Calcutta. Calcutta was the capital of [[British-ruled India]] when it was governed by the [[East India Company|East India Trading Company]] (from 1757 to 1858).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Ben|date=2015|title=The East India Company and its Role in Ruling India|url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-East-India-Company/|website=Historic UK}}</ref> The city's relation to the British crown made it a great place for material prospects and opportunity, which drew businessmen and immigrant workers from surrounding areas.<ref name=":1" /> Located in the Northeastern region of India, Calcutta was the most accessible metropolitan area of the country by land from China; thus, this city harboredharboured the very first Chinese settler, a southern Chinese man named Tong Atchew (also referred to as Yang Dazhao or Yang Tai Chow).<ref name=":1" /> In 1778, Atchew settled 20 miles southwest of Kolkata (then Calcutta), founding a [[Sugarcane mill|sugar mill]] along with five dozen or so Chinese laborerslabourers.<ref name=":0" /> Following Atchew's footsteps, waves of immigrants from the [[Guangdong|Guangdong province]] of China fled to India due to civil war, famine, poverty, and conflict, searching for safety and prosperity.<ref name=":0" /> [[Hakka people|Hakka]] Chinese found their niche as [[Shoemaking|cobblers]] and [[Tanning (leather)|tanners]], while the [[Cantonese people|Cantonese]] settled majorlymostly as [[Carpentry|carpenters]] and the [[Hubei]] people as dentists. However, an occupation popular among all groups, especially of wives supporting their laboringlabouring husbands, was a [[restaurateur]].<ref name=":0" />

From these first early settlers, communities of Chinese influence sprung up throughout the area, neighborhoodsneighbourhoods of immigrants cooking and eating foods from their homeland. These [[Cantonese cuisine|Canton cuisines]], known in China to be light and fresh in flavorflavour, began to adapt and evolve into the new area. One reason is due to the availability of ingredients and spices being different from those in Guangdong, therefore forcing the flavorsflavour to naturally Indianize; additionally, Chinese businesses began to cater their foods to the tastes of their Indian patrons to increase sales, utilizing more spices and heavier douses of sauce and oil than their [[Chinese cooking techniques|traditional techniques]] required.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=30 July 2020|title=Food for Thought in India-China Ties|work=Filipino Post}}</ref> Recognized as one of the first Indo-Chinese restaurants in the country, the still-standing corner eatery of Eau Chew gained its popularity by using the fashionable pull of exotic Chinese foods combined with non-threatening familiar flavorsflavours of chili, [[Curry powder|curry]], and corn starch, to attract and keep-on customers.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Kolkata today boasts the only [[Chinatown]] in the country, a neighborhoodneighbourhood known as the [[Tiretta Bazaar|Tiretti Bazaar]].<ref name=":0" /> This being said, nearly every city in India has these adapted "Chinese" foods, whether found in restaurants or hawked by [[Street food|roadside vendors]], as the greasy, spicy, stir-fried food has become wildly popular throughout the country.<ref name=":2" /> It is important also to note those Chinese returning from India to their homelands in China's south, for they often brought their new culinary practices and flavorsflavours with them, working to Indianize the taste of Cantonese-style foods in southern coastal cities such as [[Hong Kong]].<ref name=":2" />

=== Additional Originorigin Pointspoints ===

As Indian historian [[Pushpesh Pant]] once noted, Indian Chinese food is "the result of several isolated encounters."<ref name=":2" /> These encounters, in addition to the Kolkata story, include influences of the [[Silk Road]], historical ties, and geography. Each of these aspects has worked in some way to tie the culinary practices and flavorsflavours of the two countries together, marking other possible origin points for the Indian Chinese culinary tradition.

==== Silk Road Culturalcultural Exchangeexchange ====

The [[Silk Road]] (or Silk Routes) was a network of [[trading post]]s and pathways on land and sea utilized from 130 BCE to 1453 CE spanning from China and the [[Indonesia|Indonesian islands]] through India and the [[Middle East]], all the way to [[Horn of Africa|northeastern Africa]] and Italy.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Silk Road|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Silk_Road/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]}}</ref> The significance of this route to ancient history is undeniable, the exchange of goods, [[disease]]s, and ideas from the East to West and vice versa has had a lasting impact upon the human story. Chinese and Indian [[merchant]]s would carry their goods across the borders separating the two neighboringneighbouring countries: [[silk]]s, [[rice]], and [[Tableware|crockery]] coming from China, with a plethora of influential spices sprouting from India.<ref name=":3" /> Another exchange between China and India was religion, with [[Buddhism]] coming to China from India via the Silk Road as well; moreover, as aspects of Indian culture, practices, and beliefs melded with Chinese traditions, the [[Mahayana|Mahayana Buddhist]] religion was formed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Buddhism in China {{!}} World History: A Comprehensive Reference Set - Credo Reference|url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/fofworld/buddhism_in_china/0|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> Just as the Chinese adapted Buddhist practices to their own beliefs, the two cultures adopted certain aspects of the other throughout their historical interactions and exchanges. Rice dishes cooked in [[Karahi|Indianized Chinese woks]] can be found in the [[South Indian cuisine|nation's south]], and there are spices of [[ginger]], [[cinnamon]], and [[black pepper]] present in various Chinese culinary styles; in this way, it can be seen how the Silk Road was vital in bringing characteristics of the two cultures together.<ref name=":5">{{cite encyclopedia |date=January 2018 |title=Asia |encyclopedia=Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia }}</ref> Indian and Chinese food aspects collided hundreds of years ago to form culinary traditions now inextricable with these nations; in this way, the Indo-Chinese fusion cuisine could be said to have appeared long before the first Chinese settlers in Kolkata.

[[File:Thai red curry (49692016398).jpg|thumb|Thai red curry: the red chilieschillies give it colorcolour and spice.]]

==== Influences on Southeast Asian Cuisinecuisine ====

Geographically, India and China are neighborsneighbours; historically, the two nations are [[Empire|ancient empires]]. Two of the [[World population|most populous]] countries in the world today, both India and China boast lengthy histories. Since the second century CE, [[History of India|Hindu rulers]] presided over [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]] and Chinese regimes ruled the more eastern regions, such as [[Vietnam]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Education - Indian influences on Asia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/education|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kenneth|first=Kiple|title=V.B.2. Southeast Asia: Cambridge World History of Food|publisher=Cambridge Press|year=2000}}</ref> Similarly, Asia's southeast was historically populated by immigrants from both China and India, namely the [[Han Chinese|Han]] and [[Tamils|Tamil]] ethnic groups who joined scattered aboriginal societies.<ref name=":5" /> The influences of China and India can be detected in the [[List of Asian cuisines|cuisines of Southeast Asia]], where the two culinary practices have been combined, adapted, and developed by generations of people. For example, the Chinese practice of [[Rice production in China|rice cultivation]] was introduced to the regions of Southeast Asia and Nepal in the thirtieth century BC, where it has existed as an irreplaceable and undeniable staple ever since.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of rice cultivation|url=http://ricepedia.org/culture/history-of-rice-cultivation|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Ricepedia|language=en-gb|archive-date=2018-03-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317080831/http://ricepedia.org/culture/history-of-rice-cultivation|url-status=dead}}</ref> Furthermore, now completely embedded within Southeast Asian culinary practices, Chinese cooking and [[Tableware|eating implements]] such as spoons, chopsticks, and [[wok]]s were other products which were introduced to the region.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=says|first=All Graduates {{!}} Japanese Translation Service|date=2015-05-05|title=Chinese food culture: Influences from within and without|url=https://theasiadialogue.com/2015/05/05/influences-from-within-and-without/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Asia Dialogue|language=en-GB}}</ref> Evidence of Indian influence, in addition to [[Buddhism|religious philosophies]] and [[Architecture of India|ancient architecture]], can be found in the spices and flavorsflavours of Southeast Asian cooking.<ref name=":6" /> [[Curry|Curries]]—meat, fish, or vegetables cooked in a spiced sauce accompanied by rice or bread—originated on the Indian subcontinent, but have since diffused throughout Asia.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=Curry {{!}} food|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/curry|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> Spices such as [[turmeric]], [[coriander]], [[Black pepper|pepper]], [[Brassica juncea|brown mustard]], and ginger are present in curries throughout Southeast Asia, though each country has adapted the practice to utilize their own regional ingredients as well; most notably, [[Indonesian cuisine|Indonesian]], [[Malaysian cuisine|Malaysian]], [[Thai cuisine|Thai]], [[Filipino cuisine|Filipino]], and [[Cambodian cuisine|Cambodian]] cuisines all have strong ties to Indian-style curry flavorsflavours.<ref name=":7" /> These aspects of both Chinese and Indian culinary practices and traditions have combined to create the origins of what is now a rich and diverse culinary scene making up Asia's southeastern region. Thus, with the joined influence of the two cultures, Southeast Asian cuisine itself is another example of Indian Chinese food origins.

==== Culinary Diffusiondiffusion Acrossacross Bordersborders ====

In addition to Southeast Asia, China has been influenced by Indian spices as well, especially in the autonomous region of [[Tibet]], with [[Nepal]] also possessing culinary practices hailing from both its Chinese and Indian neighborsneighbours.<ref name=":5" /> Therefore, another origin point of Indian Chinese food can be traced to the cultures of [[Nepalis|Nepalese]] and [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] peoples, whose lands are mostly encompassed by the two nations (India and China). Although not aligned with the greasy and pungent flavors of the culinary traditions which evolved in [[Kolkata]], the simple [[Nepalese cuisine|foods of Nepal]] are often accompanied by rice, and consist of curries or spiced vegetables stir-fried or boiled in an Indian-style wok called a [[karahi]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Buchet |first=Jennifer |date=September 2019 |title=Momo, Yack and Dal Bhat--mmmm, How about That? |journal=Faces |volume=36 |pages=18 }}</ref> [[Tibetan cuisine|Tibetan food]], in addition to [[Tibetan Plateau|high altitude and harsh climates]], is geographically influenced by the flavorsflavours of the countries surrounding it: notably Nepal, India, and China. Tibet is a nation heavily influenced by [[Tibetan Buddhism|Indian Buddhist]] values (first brought in the fifth century AD), and with beliefs and ideas travels culture and food as well.<ref name=":6" /> [[Chinese noodles|Noodles]] and [[Butter tea|teas]] from China (vital in making the [[tsampa]] eaten with every meal), [[Brassica juncea|brown mustard]] from India, and even a "[[Momo (food)|momo]]" dumpling dish shared with Nepal are all significant constituents to and dishes of Tibetan cuisine.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Brooks |first=Iris |date=August 2008 |title=Food Fit for a Dalai Lama |journal=Global Rhythm |volume=17 |pages=18–19 }}</ref> With the diffusion of ingredients, culinary styles, and flavorsflavours across [[Borders of India|borders]], the regions of Nepal and Tibet (as well as [[Bhutan]]) which touch both India and China inadvertently developed cuisines mixing both Chinese and Indian styles and tastes, creating yet another Indo-Chinese food origin.

Foods tend to be flavoured with [[spice]]s such as [[cumin]], [[coriander]] seeds, and [[turmeric]], which with a few regional exceptions, such as [[xinjiang cuisine|Xinjiang]], are traditionally not associated with much of [[Chinese cuisine]]. Hot [[Chile pepper|chilli]], [[ginger]], [[garlic]], sesame seeds, dry red chilischillis, black pepper corns and [[yogurtyoghurt]] are also frequently used in dishes.<ref>{{cite news| last=Deshpande| first=Shubada| url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/oct/25us3.htm | title=Fare for the Desi Dragon | work=[[Rediff.com]] | date=October 25, 1999 | access-date=2009-02-22}}</ref> This makes Indian Chinese food similar in taste to many ethnic dishes in [[Southeast Asia]]n countries such as [[Singapore]] and [[Malaysia]], which have strong Chinese and [[Indian cuisine|Indian]] cultural influences.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":4" />

Non-[[Staple food|staple]] dishes are by default served with generous helpings of [[gravy]], although they can also be ordered "dry" or "without gravy". Culinary styles often seen in Indian Chinese fare include "ChiliChilli" (implying [[Batter (cooking)|batter]]-fried items cooked with pieces of [[chilichilli pepper]]), "Manchurian" (implying a [[sweet]] and [[salt]]y [[brown]] sauce), and "[[SchezwanSzechuan saucecuisine|Schezwan]]" (sic - see below) (implying a [[spicy]] [[red]] sauce).

[[File:Indian homemade veg Chow mein in Howrah, West Bengal, photographed by Yogabrata Chakraborty on December 13, 2022.jpg|thumb|Veg ''Chow[[chow mein'']] from [[West Bengal]]]]

[[image:Chilly Paneer 01.jpg|thumb|Chilli Paneerpaneer]]

Indian or [[Kolkata|Calcutta]] Chinese food is readily available in major metropolitan areas of India such as [[Kolkata]] along with other towns and cities in [[West Bengal]], [[Mumbai]], [[Chennai]], [[Guwahati]], [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]], [[Delhi]] and [[Bangalore]]. It is also available in a number of towns and at [[dhaba]]s (roadside stalls), also popularly referred to as "Fast food", adjacent to major Indian [[road]]s and [[highway]]s. Many restaurants have a Chinese section in their [[menu]]s, and some are even dedicated to serving Indian Chinese food. It can also be found in mobile [[kitchen]] [[cart]]s (lari or rekdi) that ply the streets of cities, prepared in [[wok]]s over a portable [[Liquefied petroleum gas|gas]] burner. Manchurian sauce, [[Szechuan cuisine|Schezwan sauce]], [[soy sauce]] fresh and dry Hakka noodles<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.noodle-machines.com/noodle-line/#dry-hakka-noodles-made-by-machine | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613223003/https://www.noodle-machines.com/noodle-line/index.html#dry-hakka-noodles-made-by-machine | archive-date=June 13, 2024 | title=Dry Hakka Noodles Blocks Made by Machine | publisher=noodle-machines.com | date=June 13, 2024 | access-date=June 13, 2024}}</ref> are available in many stores in cities across the country.

As of 2007, Chinese cuisine ranked as India's most favourite cuisine (after local food), growing at 9% annually. It is the most favoured option when young people go out to eat and the second favoritefavourite (after [[south Indian cuisine]]) when families dine out.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IJ30Df03.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821202334/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IJ30Df03.html | archive-date=August 21, 2008 | last=M | first=Raja | title=India gets a taste for Chinese | publisher=[[Asia Times Online]] | date=October 30, 2007 | access-date=2009-02-22}}</ref>

Many overseas Indian restaurants in [[Western world|the West]] and the [[Middle East]] also cater to the overseas Indians' [[nostalgia|nostalgic]] taste for Indian Chinese food.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://in.rediff.com/us/2001/sep/03us3.htm | last=Chopra | first=Sonia | title=Chinese food, Indian-style | publisher=[[Rediff.com]] (US Edition) | date=September 3, 2001 | access-date=2009-02-22}}</ref> The cuisine is also branching out into the mainstream in major cities of North America, such as [[New York City]], [[San Francisco]], [[Seattle]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Houston]], [[Dallas]], [[Chicago]], [[Toronto]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Atlanta]], [[Montreal]], [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] and [[Vancouver]]. Chinese food in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]], also tends to be of this style. It is also available in [[Australia]], especially in [[SydneyBrisbane]], [[Melbourne]] and [[MelbourneSydney]]. In many of these places, the restaurants are labelled as Hakka Chinese, when in fact the cuisine itself has very little resemblance to authentic [[Hakka cuisine]]. "Hakka" label in these restaurants are usually referring to the owner's origins, and many Chinese restaurant owners in India were of [[Hakka people|Hakka]] origin.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}

* [[Chindian|ChindianAnglo-Indian peoplecuisine]]