Close to the nature
Cuisines
India is a land of diverse cultures showcasing many religions, customs, festivals and climatic conditions. Thus, it goes without saying that each part of India has added and enhanced the flavor of its cuisine by blending spices, herbs and condiments to make its dishes more exquisite, exotic, unique and heavenly.
Indian cuisine is famous and relished all over the world and enjoys a reputation at par with other cuisines. Indian food is as varied as the country itself, with every region known for something different. It is an art in itself to prepare the authentic Indian food which involves the mixing of the right spices in right quantities. Many Indian cuisines can be pungent to those unaccustomed to it.
Most dishes with a gravy are normally called curries but are prepared with a different masala (a combination of spices and seasonings) containing among other things such as coriander, cumin, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, chilies, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves cinnamon, bay leaves, saffron, mace and nutmeg - all the aroma and flavors that have been bringing back the traders to India for centuries.
A traditional meal in large parts of India is usually served in a large metal plate known as 'Thali' (when you see the word in a menu, usually prefixed with a region name, it means you're getting a full traditional meal from that region) with a number of small bowls used as sections for the curries and other gravy dishes. The meal is normally accompanied with unleavened bread, usually wheat-based, in the North, or rice in the South.
The more elite hotels also provide a fair selection of international cuisines and in the major cities, you can also find Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese and Lebanese specialty restaurants besides the international fast food franchises, which are making their way even into the smaller towns.
We suggest that you use water purifying tablets before consuming the water as a precautionary measure. The tap water is not purified for drinking. If you are away from your hotel for an extended period, it may be a good idea to take along a bottle of water or buy a packaged mineral water.
India grows some of the finest and the most popular tea in the world. The tea leaves known for its antioxidants are still served the ancient way in some of the better hotels in the country. However, in many parts of the country, it is served in a milky format. Coffee could also be found in the country, especially in south India where it is preferred more.
While India is not completely teetotal, still in most parts of the country people do not usually drink alcohol with a meal. But the elite hotels and restaurants with liquor licenses, would serve you a drink at your table, incase you desire one. Indian/imported wines and liquors are usually easy to avail.
The age bar for alcohol consumption is 25 years in India and Gujarat is the only dry state in India at present. However, foreigners visiting India can obtain liquor permits either from embassies/missions/tourist offices abroad or at a Government of India Tourist office at Bombay, Delhi, Madras or Calcutta.
