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

"The English tend to eat their curries hotter than everyone else"? This is rubbish! I never met an Englishman who could cope with the food my Indian & Pakistani friends regularly swallow. One of my friends, a quiet, self-effacing Hindu woman, used to make enormous buffets laden with mucosa-blistering (and delicious) food. And if the English do tend to eat their curries hotter than everyone else, why are the most popular "curries" chicken tikka masala, chicken korma or some balti dish? None of these are particularly hot.

Oh, I dunno. In my experience the curries in India (where I recently spent six wonderful months) were mild compared to the curries that most drunken rugby teams get dowm 'em on a Friday night. I suppose it's all down to perception: in England there is a subculture based around the spice levels in curry, whereas in India the emphasis seems to be on the quality and subtleties of the taste.

But I'm no expert, just an observer, and it's a good point about the most popular dishes being tikka massala etc. But that's not what catches the imagination when you mention English curries...

Mark

Depends where in India. I can't remember the precise detail of the way it breaks down, but an Indian friend (I think he was from Madras...) explained to me once the regional variations in cuisine in the Indian Subcontinent. Some areas tend to have quite mild dishes, others are more inclined to the, well, searing.

It's also possible you were fed relatively mild curries. A lot of Indian acquaintances and friends tend to assume that Brits can't handle the really strong stuff.

In the south they're more vegetarian and eat more rice, and in the north it's more meat and breads, but I didn't notice any difference in heat.

Having eaten in local restaurants for six months, I don't know it was ever a case of being fed anything different to the local food. If it was, they managed to get away without me noticing a thing. It just tasted excellent.

Mark

It could have been local food, but I was thinking of a few Indians I have known who tended to assume that Brits couldn't handle HOT food and had to have it proven to them by my eating something fiery. Otherwise they would have fed me somewhat milder stuff...

As for the regional variations, it was my friend from Madras who told me that there was some variation in the heat of the food from region to region of India.

It could have been local food, but I was thinking of a few Indians I have known who tended to assume that Brits couldn't handle HOT food and had to have it proven to them by my eating something fiery. As for the regional variations, it was my friend from Madras who told me that there was some variation in the heat of the food from region to region of India.

It could have been local food, but I was thinking of a few Indians I have known who tended to assume that Brits couldn't handle HOT food and had to have it proven to them by my eating something fiery. Otherwise they would have fed me something much milder...

Actually, I've had similar experiences in Thai restaurants here, having to really work hard to persuade them that I DO want the hot version of the food.

As for the regional variations, it was my friend from Madras who told me that there was some variation in the heat of the food from region to region of India.

It was my friend from Madras who told me there werre regional variations in the heat of the dishes.

It is possible you were just getting local food, but I was thinking of some of my Indian friends who really had to have it proved that I liked & could eat hot food before they would give it to me in preference to something much milder. I've also noticed that in Thai restaurants here they rarely give you food at anything like the normal heat unless you actually, forcefully insist on it.

It was my friend from Madras who told me about the regional variations in spiciness.

You might well have been eating straight local food, but I was thinking of some of my Indiand friends who assumed I couldn't eat what they were eating until I made a point of proving it. Otherwise they'd have given me much milder stuff...

WOW! Sorry about that -- the message did not seem to be posted when I hit the button & after a couple of retries I eventually went away to do something else. When I came back, there were multiple posts of the same one. Many apologies.

Ever tried a "PHALL" (usually described as being made from marine distress flares)
Other descriptions have included:
With chillis added to the fire extingusher level (for incendiary fireaters only)
try one of these to light up your night and ruin your following day!!!

Oh, yes, my Lavaeolic friend! I do think your description is rather wanting -- marine distress flares are surely not as hot as a phall! You can avoid some of the after-effects (or at least minimise them), especially the Ring-of-Fire syndrome, by taking some yoghourt as well, prefereably some before and some after. Lhassi is very good for this.

The one bad thing about living in Scotland, and there aren't many, is that although in general the Indian restaurants are superior to all but the best south of the border, you can't get a phall!

I recall going from Bucks one night with some friends to Brick Lane for a phall (it was that specific an objective!) and we were brought one. However, being young and rash, we grabbed the manager and said, "this sauce isn't really hot enough" (I don't think all of us were sober), so he brought out this sauce which was, frankly, napalm.

It was very good, our sinuses in particular appreciated the clearing effect of the spices. If we had stuck to the speed limit on the M40 that night we wouldn't have made it safely back home ...

youghurt's for whimps and should only be taken as a last precaution to the "RING OF FIRE" but as an avid family of curry eaters we quite like it.
By the way some curry houses do not put it on menus but are willing to do it if you are stupid enough to ask for it.

Do you mean the phall or the yoghourt?

I've been attempting to produce a catalogue of events at the
average curry evening. Obviously there will be differences as the
normal rules that people live their lives by don't apply in Curry
Houses. Also included are some things you may not have
noticed about your
curry house but WILL be there.
http://www.h2g2.com/P105779