India Asia

Map

• Cities:• New Delhi (Capital City)

• Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai

• Surrounding Counties:• Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal

and Pakistan

• India is Asia's second-largest country

• India's total area is 3.3 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles)

Flag

• The India flag was officially adopted on July 22, 1947, as the Indian subcontinent divided into India and Pakistan.

• The orange represents courage and sacrifice, green symbolizes faith and chivalry, and white idealizes peace and truth.

• The Buddhist spinning wheel (Chakra) is centered.

Population and Currency

• Population: 1.25 billion • India is the second most populated country in the world

with nearly a fifth of the world's population.

• Ethnic/Racial: India has more than two thousand ethnic groups• Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%

• Religion: Religion in India is characterised by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions; Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

• Language:

• Hindi 41%, Bengali

8.1%, Telugu 7.2%,

Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%

• The 2001 Census

recorded 30 languages

which were spoken by

more than a million

native speakers and

122 which were

spoken by more than

10,000 people

• Currency:

• Indian rupee

Geography and Food

• Himalayas in the north/northeast form the highest mountain range in the world, and slope southward into a large fertile plains/plateaus that covers much of India.

• The Thar Desert• One of the largest deserts of the world

• Consists of rocks, sand dunes and compacted salt-lake bottoms

• Winds that flow with significant force lead to soil erosion.

• Arid climate and the vegetation is scant

• The Peninsular Plateau • Includes shallow valleys and rounded hills

Geography and Food

• Coast:• Arabian Sea in the West

• Bay of Bengal in the East

• Indian Ocean in the South

• Two major groups of islands in India • Lakshadweep islands - 35 islands

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands - 572 islands

• There are many water bodies in India in the form of rivers, canals, gulfs, backwaters, etc. • The Ganges is the heartbeat of India and one of the most

significant rivers on the planet

Geography and Food

• What Indians eat varies by region (and religion) • Northern Indians eat more flat breads

• Southern Indians prefer rice

• Coastal Indians prefer fish dishes

• Chicken and mutton (sheep) are eaten more often in mountain and plains regions

Climate and Food

• India has a variety of climates• Arid desert in the west• Alpine climate in the Himalayan north – cold with snow, with temperatuessometimes below freezing

• Humid tropical regions which support the island territories

• Rainforests in the southwest

• Four seasons:• Winter, summer, monsoon, and post-

monsoon

Climate and Food

• The temperature in summers rise up to 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit)

• In winters, the average temperature is about 10-15 Celsius (50-59 Fahrenheit)

• Spices are used in many Indian dishes. • When it is hot, spices such as chili peppers

and garlic help the body sweat and cool it down.

• In colder weather, spices such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg help warm the body

Agriculture

• India's agriculture is composed of many crops• Rice, the largest crop, is grown wherever the conditions are suitable

• Wheat, pulses (dried seeds, beans, peas, etc.), potatoes, sugarcane, oilseeds

• Non-food items as cotton, tea, coffee, rubber, and jute (a glossy fiber used to make burlap and twine).

• India is a fisheries giant as well• 3 million tons annually – India is among the world's top 10 fishing nations

Agriculture

• Among India's most serious environmental problems are land damage, water shortages, improper water management, and air and water pollution (about 70 percent of India's water is polluted). Even in rural areas, the burning of wood, charcoal, and dung for fuel, coupled with dust from wind erosion during the dry season, creates an air pollution problem.

• Despite the fact that agriculture accounts for as much as a quarter of the Indian economy and employs an estimated 60 percent of the labor force, it is considered highly inefficient, wasteful, and incapable of solving the hunger and malnutrition problems.

• It is estimated that as much as one-fifth of the total agricultural output is lost due to inefficiencies in harvesting, transport, and storage of government-subsidized crops.

Culture

• Some of India's foods date back five thousand years. • The Indus Valley peoples hunted turtles and alligator, as well as wild grains, herbs and plants. • Many foods from the Indus period (c. 3000–1500 B.C.) remain common today. Some include

wheat, barley, rice, tamarind, eggplant and cucumber. • The Indus Valley peoples cooked with oils, ginger, salt, green peppers, and turmeric root, which

would be dried and ground into an orange powder .

• The Aryan-speaking peoples who entered India between 1500 and 1000 B.C used leafy vegetables, lentils, and milk products such as yogurt and ghee (clarified butter). • The Aryans also used spices such as cumin and coriander. • Black pepper was widely used by 400 A.D.

• The Greeks brought saffron, while the Chinese introduced tea. The Portuguese and British made red chili, potato and cauliflower popular after 1700 A.D.

• Perhaps the biggest contributors to India's culinary heritage are the Muslim peoples from Persia and present-day Turkey, who began arriving in India after 1200.

Culture

• Many Hindus avoid eating beef, Muslims avoid pork.• Many Indians—particularly Hindus, Buddhists,

and Jains—are vegetarian.

• Nearly every holiday in India requires a feast.

• The year's biggest festival is Diwali (festival of lights), which occurs in October or November. • The festival's meaning varies by region and

religious group. But some traditions are shared: old debts are paid off, homes are cleaned, new clothes are made or purchased, and an elab orate meal is prepared.

Culture

• Many celebrate the start of spring with Holi. • In the morning, people splash each

other with colored water and smear one another with red, yellow, green, blue and orange powders.

• Many also drink bhang , a yogurt drink.

• After the festival, the old clothes are burned and halwa (a sweet dish made with wheat or rice flour, butter and sugar) is eaten.

• The day often ends with a feast and musical festivities.

Culture

• About 22 percent of the population of India is classified as undernourished by the World Bank. This means they do not receive adequate nutrition in their diet.

• Of children under the age of five, about 53 percent are underweight, and more than 52 percent are stunted (short for their age).

• The government put into place a national system to distribute Vitamin A to children, which contributes to malnutrition and blindness.

Mealtime Customs

• Indian cuisine is varied, but many dishes are cooked in a similar way. • The preparation starts with frying onion, ginger, garlic or spices such as cumin seeds in oil

at a high temperature.

• Meats, vegetables, flavorings such as yogurt, and spices such as turmeric and curry then are added.

• The dish then simmers at a low heat until the ingredients are cooked.

• At the end of the preparation, leafy herbs such as cilantro and flavorings such as lemon juice are added.

• This style of preparation may be linked to the traditional use of cow dung. For centuries, families would cook by placing a pan on top of patties made from cow dung. Like the charcoal used in modern-day barbecues, dung initially produces a high heat, but then burns slowly. Although middle-class and urban Indians have electric or gas stoves, many rural households still use cow dung (waste).

Mealtime Customs

• Traditionally, Indians do not eat with cutlery. • Traditional foods like breads and curry are best eaten with

hands.

• Forks, knives and other utensils are considered a barrier to the way you are supposed to enjoy your food.

• Food should be an all-sensory experience, enjoyed with touch, smell and taste.

• Eating with hands can be done in a very clean manner, so long as you wash them properly and do not keep long fingernails.

• Food can be scooped up with flat bread, such as naan, roti or chapti, and lifted up to the mouth.

• There are some exceptions to eating with your hands, such as if a food is soupy. Spoons are used for food like daals or rice.

Mealtime Customs

• India has the highest number of vegetarians out of any country in the world. Many practice this diet because of religious beliefs. Also, the Hindus will not eat beef, and the Muslims will not eat pork.

• When you are eating, always do so with your right hand. The left is considered unclean. It is becoming more acceptable for left-handed people to eat with their left hands, however.

• Alcohol is not a big part of Indian culture. Many restaurants do not serve alcoholic drinks, and if they do, there is not a great deal of selection.

Menu Items – Breakfast

• Many families begin the day at dawn with prayers.

• A light meal of chai (Indian tea) and a salty snack will follow.

• Aloo paratha (a flatbread stuffed with potato and fried), or toast with eggs.

• Halwa (made with ground wheat, butter, sugar and sliced almonds) or uppma, which is a spicier version of halwa.

• Sabudana Khichdi (pearl tapioca soaked for a while, and is then fried with cumin seeds, salt, red chili powder, green chillies, diced potatoes and other optional ingredients such as fried peanuts)

Menu Items – Lunch

• Lunch usually includes one or two cooked vegetable dishes, rice and chapati or naan bread(a flat-bread).

• Tomato Rice (South Indian) (rice with tomatoes)

• Jeera Rice (Northern Indian) (rice and cumin seeds)

Menu Items – Dinner

• Dinner traditionally is served quite late, and includes two or three vegetable dishes along with rice and chapatti or naan bread.

• Ambur Chicken Biryani

• Dal Makhani

• Curry

Menu Items – Other

• Samosa (a small turnover stuffed with potatoes and peas)

• Bhel puri (a combination of puffed rice, yogurt, tamarind sauce, and boiled potatoes)

• Podi Idli (coarse powder mixture of ground dry spices that typically contains dried chilis, urad, chickpea, and sesame seeds)

• Fruits such as mango, pomegranate, grapes, and melon

Curries!

• Curry is a dish originating in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. The common feature is the use of complex combinations of spices or herbs, usually including fresh or dried hot chillies. The use of the term is generally limited to dishes prepared in a sauce. There are many varieties of dishes called 'curries'. Curry powder, a commercially prepared mixture of spices, is largely a Western creation, dating to the 18th century. Such mixtures are commonly thought to have first been prepared by Indian merchants for sale to members of the British Colonial government and army returning to Britain.

• Dishes called 'curry' may contain fish, meat, poultry, or shellfish, either alone or in combination with vegetables. Additionally, many are entirely vegetarian.

• Curries may be either 'dry' or 'wet'. Dry curries are cooked with very little liquid which is allowed to evaporate, leaving the other ingredients coated with the spice mixture. Wet curries contain significant amounts of sauce or gravy based on yoghurt, cream, coconut milk, coconut cream, legume purée, or broth.

• http://www.foodbycountry.com/Germany-to-Japan/India.html

• http://www.mapsofindia.com/geography/

• http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/in.htm

• http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/India-AGRICULTURE.html

• https://www.expatify.com/news/learning-the-eating-customs-in-india.html

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_India

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_India