h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just thought I'd mention the fact that currys were around in the middle ages in England (and presumably the rest of Britain). When we went to India the food that they ate was more simmilar to curries than to pottage, or any of the other popular types of dish that we had, so we called their dishes curries.

Bez

thats interesting, I don't mean to be anal but where did you find out?

I'm a medieval re-enactor (15th C) and there's several records of curries being eaten in that period. Also one of the earliest know English cookbooks (can't remember when, but I think mid 16th C) is called 'The forme of currie'.

Not completelly sure what consitutes a curry, it's a lot more vague than most dishes, but it seems to be applied to virtually any dish cooked in some sort of heavily spiced sauce, rather than either stock, or the sauce being added after cooking.

When I say heavily spiced we're not really talking hot and spicy. Think black pepper, cloves, garlic, cinamon, that sort of thing.

Bez

Thanks for that bit of extra info..

You've got me started now into a little research project...

I often get asked what people used to eat, and what traditional English food is...