Samosa with Mint Chutney © Ppy2010ha, dreams time.com
Making their journey across the globe, edible delicacies have transcended borders and have passed to the hands of foreigners who are allowed into the intimate culture that is intertwined with the food. Traveled from the routes of Central Asia to their homeland of India, samosas have become a staple in Asian-Indian cuisine that combines both heritage and history of the country.
Originating from long journeys across trading routes, samosas started off as convenient mince-filled triangles, which were eaten around campfires or stored in traveler’s saddlebags as snacks or meals. In the tenth and thirteenth century, Arab cookbooks referred to samosas as a form of filled pastries and were known as sanbusak, sanbusaj or sanbusaq.[1] The early forms were derived from languages from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Persia, showing over centuries it has spanned across countless cultures. In East Asian samosas became a staple in a daily diet- being enjoyed by all classes and cherished as a symbol of Indian cuisine because of its clos-to-home ingredients.
Current day samosas are very similar those from the past- small, deep-fried triangle pastries which are stuffed with a variety of fillings and spices dependent on the type of samosa, or basically, in what part of East Asia they are made in. Though, India holds the traditional recipe for samosas, even if the recopied differs between North India and Bengali’s. Served with chutney, a North Indian samosa is a triangular or conical shaped pastry is filled with a hearty helping of potatoes, pomegranate and raisins, paired with cumin, which is found in multiple Indian dishes. Bengali’s create their samosas with ginger-seasoned potatoes, chopped green chili and cauliflower all layered together in a light puff pastry.[2] Though both samosas hold differences, the use of spices and cooking methods that have been passed down generations in India, give these samosas a cultural significance and become an entity that resembles the heritage of India as a whole.
Samosas have developed into a food that has limitless possibilities and opportunities to experiment with different tastes, textures, seasons, fillings, shapes and sizes. This being said, Indian culture has had the opportunity to physically and culturally mold the concept, and food item, of a samosa, to resemble unique heritage through countless spices and food/recipes that exist within Indian cuisine. Samosas represent the upbringing and constant changing of Indian culture yet at the same time it unites India and separates itself from other dishes of the world with its unique recipe.
[1] “The Samosa Connection: Orgins and the Avatars”, The Samosa Connection. Samosa Connection Org, n.d., http://www.samosa-connection.com/index.htm
[2] lbidem
Originating from long journeys across trading routes, samosas started off as convenient mince-filled triangles, which were eaten around campfires or stored in traveler’s saddlebags as snacks or meals. In the tenth and thirteenth century, Arab cookbooks referred to samosas as a form of filled pastries and were known as sanbusak, sanbusaj or sanbusaq.[1] The early forms were derived from languages from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Persia, showing over centuries it has spanned across countless cultures. In East Asian samosas became a staple in a daily diet- being enjoyed by all classes and cherished as a symbol of Indian cuisine because of its clos-to-home ingredients.
Current day samosas are very similar those from the past- small, deep-fried triangle pastries which are stuffed with a variety of fillings and spices dependent on the type of samosa, or basically, in what part of East Asia they are made in. Though, India holds the traditional recipe for samosas, even if the recopied differs between North India and Bengali’s. Served with chutney, a North Indian samosa is a triangular or conical shaped pastry is filled with a hearty helping of potatoes, pomegranate and raisins, paired with cumin, which is found in multiple Indian dishes. Bengali’s create their samosas with ginger-seasoned potatoes, chopped green chili and cauliflower all layered together in a light puff pastry.[2] Though both samosas hold differences, the use of spices and cooking methods that have been passed down generations in India, give these samosas a cultural significance and become an entity that resembles the heritage of India as a whole.
Samosas have developed into a food that has limitless possibilities and opportunities to experiment with different tastes, textures, seasons, fillings, shapes and sizes. This being said, Indian culture has had the opportunity to physically and culturally mold the concept, and food item, of a samosa, to resemble unique heritage through countless spices and food/recipes that exist within Indian cuisine. Samosas represent the upbringing and constant changing of Indian culture yet at the same time it unites India and separates itself from other dishes of the world with its unique recipe.
[1] “The Samosa Connection: Orgins and the Avatars”, The Samosa Connection. Samosa Connection Org, n.d., http://www.samosa-connection.com/index.htm
[2] lbidem