What did India use before chillies?

cumin, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, garlic, shallots, ginger, turmeric, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, daun salam leaves etc were/are all present in India. Some or all of these could have travelled or have been present in India before chilli.

How did spices come to India?

King Manual I of Portugal had a large influence on bringing spices to his country. Several sea voyages helped establish a trade route to India. By AD 1501, via the port of Lisbon, Portugal had large quantities of Indian spices such as cinnamon, cassia, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, mace, and cloves.

When did Indians start using chilli?

After the Portuguese arrival in India, chillies were first introduced to Goa, from where they spread to South India. When the army of the Maratha king Shivaji moved north to challenge the Mughal Empire during the 17th century, the chilli was also introduced to north India.

What spices are native to Europe?

Central and Northern Europe

• Bear’s garlic (ramson) (Allium ursinum)
• Blue Fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea)
• Borage (Borago officinalis)
• Caraway (Carum carvi)
• Celery seeds (Apium graveolens)
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
• Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
• Gale (Myrica gale)

What did Europe want from India?

The Europeans came to India to trade for sugar, tea, cotton, ginger, pepper, and other spices, a blue dye called indigo, and jute. Jute is a tropical plant used for making rope. Eventually, India’s Mughal rulers became puppets of the British.

What spice makes Indian food spicy?

Much of the heat in hot Indian or Indian-style curries comes from the use of hot peppers, and the powdered chili is one of the most convenient forms. Unlike other forms of hot pepper where the heat can vary, powdered chili peppers have a consistent heat level that gets distributed evenly in the dish.