A country roughly one-third the size of the United States, India has a population of approximately 1,065,070,607. The country is located in Southeast Asia and borders the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Two cultures—Hindu and Muslim—are the primary influences on India's cuisine, and each has a different cooking style. The Hindu vegetarian tradition is widespread throughout India (although not all who practice the Hindu faith are strict vegetarians). Muslim culinary traditions can be seen in Indian meat preparation and cooking methods. Over the years, the Hindu and Muslim cooking styles have been brought together to create what we know as Indian cooking. Indian cuisine has also been influenced by the Portuguese, Persians, and British.

There are distinct differences in the cuisines of northern and southern India, in part due to their climates. The diet in northern India includes more meat dishes, partly because the people require more sustenance in the colder weather. Vegetarian dishes and spicy foods are much more common in southern India.

Spices, or aromatics, are the key to all Indian food. A good Indian chef can blend many different spices to create a new flavor. You should be able to taste the different spices in a dish without the spices taking over. The spices in India are different from the ones that we have in the United States. Our country buys a lot of spices from India, the most popular being mint. More traditional Indian spices include turmeric, curry, coriander, cardamom, and amchoor (dried mango powder).

India is also one of the few countries in the world that grow vanilla beans. The others are Tahiti, Mexico, and Madagascar.

Here are some common foods you’ll find in Indian cuisine:

• Chipati: A flatbread made daily in most Indian homes
• Chutney: A spicy relish, usually eaten in small amounts to accent and add flavor to a meal
• Ghee: Browned and clarified butter
• Paan: A green leaf rolled with an assortment of digestive spices such as aniseed, cloves, arecanut, and cardamom that is eaten after dessert

Having a guest for dinner is very important to Indian people. They consider it an honor that someone would visit them to share a meal. An Indian woman never lets anyone leave her house upset or hungry. In fact, there is a saying, “Atithi Devo Bhava,” which means, “The guest is truly your god.”

Try these delicious Indian recipes:

• Indian Grilled Buffalo with Indian Marinade
• Grilled Haan with Eggplant Pure
• Mango Chutney

Try this months project:

• Make a Paper Peacock

Try this month's Holiday Fun:

• Make Pumpkin Bread