Whose Samosa Is It Anyway? - by Sonal Ved

Book Synopsis

Did the European traders come to India before the Arab conquerors?
Can you say cinnamon is an Indian spice even though it first grew in Sri Lanka on the Indian subcontinent?

Accompany Sonal Ved on a journey of taste through the various timelines across the Indian subcontinent. We go from the banks of the Indus in 1900 bc to the great kingdoms of the north many centuries later; from the time of the Mauryans to when the Mughal Sultanate reigned supreme. Meet the Europeans merchants desperate to trade in Indian treasures, be it the deep-blue indigo or the pricey pepper. On this trip discover answers to such questions as What are the origins of chutney or of the fruit punch, and how are they connected to India? Who taught us how to make ladi pav and kebabs, and how did the Burmese khow suey land up on the wedding menus of Marwaris? The author takes us through the food history and traditions from the mountains in Kashmir to the backwaters of Kanyakumari; from the ports of the Bay of Bengal to the shores of the Arabian Sea, where traders and travelers arrived from the world over. And, finally, we find out whose samosa it truly is . . .

Review Quotes

"The genius of India has always been its ability to take global traditions and influences and turn them into something uniquely Indian. Indian cuisine is the best example of India's ability to take the international and make it national. Sonal shows us, in this marvellous book, how India created one of the world's best cuisines through absorption and assimilation." Vir Sanghvi, journalist and author

"This book is the need of the hour; I have waited 20 years for someone to write it." Kurush Dalal, archaeologist, historian, food anthropologist and raconteur

"True perspective for any cook to really have a strong relationship with food comes from understanding where the food comes from not just geographically but historically and culturally. This book is going to be a gift to many of those cooks seeking to elevate their relationship with food and make it more genuine." Ranveer Brar, celebrity chef

About the Author

Sonal Ved is the content director at India Food Network, Tastemade India and the food editor at Vogue India. Her second cookbook Tiffin was listed in the New York Times as one of the must-have cookbooks for Fall 2018. Apart from writing about food, she also hosts cooking shows for Tastemade. Her words have appeared in food publications such as Food52 and Thrillist.