India’s greatest export might just be its cuisine, but did you know there are many misconceptions about it? Globe Aware travelers, here are three common myths about Indian food!

3 things you didn’t know about Indian food

June 18, 2013
Travel Weekly

India’s biggest export has to be it’s cuisine, with overseas destinations such as Brick Lane in London pulling in the crowds thanks to the restaurants’ adherence to the country’s gastronomy.

Manjit Gill is an award-winning chef and author who promotes the Ayurvedic tradition that sees the five elements of fire, water, earth, air and ether applied to what we eat.

Travel Weekly caught up with Manjit in a recent visit to Australia, and here is what the corporate chef of ITC hotels taught us about Indian food:

1. Indian is not traditionally spicy. Well, it is in the sense that it uses spices, but not in the sense of chilli heat – chilli is only a recent development in the history of Indian cooking. The use of chilli is prevalent because it is cheaper than creating the same flavour impact from more expensive spices, says Manjit.
2. You should eat with your hands. Not only is it fun, but it’s healthy. “The whole body prepares for the food and digestion improves,” Manjit says.
3. Indian food is not traditionally heavy. Manjit counters this western perception and says Indian food “must be eaten the Indian way, without alcohol.” So while that beer and curry may be comforting, it’s not exactly eating the food in the way it is intended.