Curry’s Journey Around the World咖喱的环球之旅

Curry is not a single spice， nor is it related to the namesake curry tree （though the leaves are used in many dishes in India）.

咖喱并非一种单一的香料，也与同名的咖喱树无关（尽管在印度很多菜肴都用到了咖喱树的叶子）。

The catch-all umbrella term refers to a “spiced meat， fish or vegetable stew， either freshly prepared as a powder or spice paste or purchased as a ready-made mixture，” writes Colleen Sen in her book “Curry： A Global History.”

这个包罗万象的术语指的是一种“加了香料的炖肉、炖鱼或炖蔬菜，可以是新鲜制作的粉末或糊状调料，也可以是购买来的预制混合物。”科琳·森在她的著作《咖喱：全球史》中写道。

Curry， which is thought to have originated as early as 2500 BCE in what is modern-day Pakistan， has since evolved into a truly global food， having traveled the world through colonization and immigration， indentured labor， trade and entrepreneurship.

咖喱被认为早在公元前2500年就起源于今天的巴基斯坦。自那以后，咖喱通过殖民和移民、契约劳工、贸易和创业走遍了世界，逐渐发展成为一种名副其实的世界美食。

“I don’t think there’s a place in the world that doesn’t have some kind of curry，” says Sen.

“我认为世界上没有一处地方没有咖喱。”森说。

If you’re a curry lover， follow your cravings around the world by heading to these destinations：

如果你是一个咖喱爱好者，那就跟随你的渴望环游世界，去往以下目的地吧：

India

印度

It’s impossible to sum up India’s various “curries” in a few lines. But if there’s one dish that can be found on menus across the country， it’d be murgh makhani—better known around the world as butter chicken.

想用几句话来概括印度种类繁多的“咖喱”是不可能的。不过，如果有一种菜肴在印度各地菜单上都能找到的话，那就是“马卡尼鸡”——更广为人知的名字是黄油鸡。

This famous dish—created by chef and restaurateur Kundan Lal Gujral in New Delhi in 1948—stars yogurt-marinated chicken baked in a tandoor oven， then smothered in a rich creamy sauce of tomatoes， onions and spices.

这道著名的菜肴由新德里主厨和餐厅老板昆丹·拉尔·古杰拉尔在1948年所创，主材是鸡肉，用酸奶腌制后在筒状泥炉中烤制，然后浇上厚厚一层由西红柿、洋葱和香料制成的浓郁奶油酱汁。

Vindaloo is another famous export and a must-try when in its hometown of Goa. Derived from the Portuguese phrase “vinha d’alhos” （meaning meat marinated in garlic and wine vinegar）， this hot and spicy dish is traditionally made with pork， vinegar， tomato， onion， red chillies， garlic and a complicated spice mix.

辛辣咖喱肉是另一道著名的出口菜肴，也是在它的家乡果阿必尝的一道菜。这道热辣辛香的菜肴源自葡萄牙语vinha d’alhos（意思是在大蒜和葡萄酒醋中腌制的肉），传统烹饪方法用到了猪肉、醋、西红柿、洋葱、红辣椒、大蒜和复杂的混合香辛料。

Japan

日本

Typically mild and thick， Japanese curry， kare raisu， is eaten across the country and even considered a de facto national dish， alongside ramen.

“咖喱饭”通常口感柔和而又浓郁，在日本各地都能吃到，甚至跟拉面一样，被奉为事实上的国民菜肴。

“In a survey， the Japanese named curry rice as one of their three favorite home-cooked dishes， while Japanese schoolchildren voted it the best meal served in the lunch program，” says Sen.

“在一项调查中，日本人将咖喱饭定为他们最喜爱的三道家常菜之一，而日本小学生也将其选为学校午餐计划中的最佳菜式。”森说。

Curry has a long history in the country， thought to have been introduced by British officers and merchants in the 1800s.

咖喱在日本有着很长的历史，被认为是在19世纪由英国军官和商人引入的。

Usually cooked with pre-made spice mixes or curry roux， Japan’s thick and mellow variation usually features chunks of stewed beef， onions and carrots over a bed of rice.

日式咖喱饭通常用预制的混合香料或糊状咖喱烹制而成，味道浓郁醇厚，主料通常为大块的炖牛肉、洋葱和胡萝卜，下面铺一层米饭。

Another common incarnation of curry in Japan is the ever-satisfying katsu karē， a hearty dish of crispy fried pork cutlets （called tonkatsu） and a thick， brown gravy over rice.

在日本，咖喱的另一种常见做法是人见人爱的“咖喱炸猪排”。这是一道丰盛的菜肴，将酥脆的炸猪排（日语称为tonkatsu）搭配米饭，再浇上浓郁的棕色肉汁。

Thailand

泰国

During the fourth century， Indian traders and Buddhist missionaries are thought to have disseminated spices and herbs like tamarind and garlic， shallots， ginger and lemongrass across Southeast Asia.

公元4世纪，据称印度的商人和佛教传教士将罗望子、大蒜、大葱和柠檬草等香料和香草传播到东南亚。

Later， in the 16th century， the Portuguese introduced chilli peppers—now a staple ingredient in Thai food.

后来，在16世纪，葡萄牙人引进了辣椒——现在它是泰国菜的一种主要食材。

Over time， Thai people incorporated these ingredients into their own dishes， which gave rise to the country’s famously aromatic， spicy curries.

久而久之，泰国人将这些食材融入他们自己的菜肴，形成了以芳香和辛辣著称的泰式咖喱。

Often made with coconut milk， Thai curry dishes vary across the country. Generally speaking， you’ll see more drier varieties up north and wetter variations in central Thailand and down south， where coconut milk is more common.

泰式咖喱在制作中通常会加入椰奶，具体做法在泰国各地不尽相同。一般来说，你会发现北部的咖喱品种较干，而中部和南部因为椰奶更为常见，咖喱也更湿润。

Thai curries （or “gaeng” in Thai） come in a stoplight of colors—red， yellow and green—and strive to strike a balance between sweet， sour， salty and spicy.

泰式咖喱（泰语称为gaeng）跟交通灯一样有红黄绿三种颜色，也力求在甜、酸、咸、辣四种味道之间取得平衡。

Setting them apart， Thai curries typically contain fermented shrimp paste， as well as lemongrass and palm sugar.

与众不同的是，泰式咖喱通常会用到发酵的虾酱，还有柠檬草和棕榈糖。

Sri Lanka

斯里兰卡

As a major link along ancient spice trade routes and a former British colony， Sri Lanka has a long relationship with curry.

作为几条古代香料贸易之路的主要枢纽和曾经的英国殖民地，斯里兰卡与咖喱的关系源远流长。

“In the 19th century， the British established tea， cinnamon， rubber， sugar， coffee and indigo plantations on the island and brought in thousands of indentured laborers from Tamil Nadu [in southern India] to work on them，” explains Sen.