The word "curry" has become synonymous with Indian cuisine around the world, but what exactly is "curry"? Believe it or not, the word was not created by Indians!

When the Western world was first introduced to the Indian style of cooking, the word "curry" became a generic description for any sauced dish with the distinctive spices used in Indian cuisine, such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon. It is believed that the word is the anglicized version of the Tamil word "kari", which means gravy or sauce.

And what about curry powder? This is another Western invention that was popularized in the 19th and 20th centuries. Curry powder was first commercially produced in England and consisted of a generic mix of spices commonly used in Indian cuisine.

In traditional Indian cuisine, there are a handful of popular spice mixtures (such as garam masala) and most cooks grind their own mixture using a family recipe.