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.

“19世纪，英国人在岛上建立了茶叶、肉桂、橡胶、糖、咖啡和靛蓝的种植园，并从（位于南印度的）泰米尔纳德邦带来了成千上万的契约佣工在种植园里劳作。”森解释道。

In addition， the island is also home to millions of Sinhalese people， an ethnic group who emigrated from northern India thousands of years ago.

此外，岛上还住着数百万的僧伽罗人，这是一个几千年前从印度北部移民过来的民族。

Thanks to influences from both the Sinhalese and southern Indian communities， curry comes in a rainbow of colors， from bright yellow to creamy white， bright red and rich brown.

受到僧伽罗人和印度南部社区的影响，当地咖喱有着彩虹般的颜色，从明黄色到乳白色、鲜红色和深棕色。

Though flavors vary widely， curries often make use of ingredients like coconut milk， tamarind， Maldivian fish， green chili， mustard seed， coriander and cumin.

尽管咖喱的口味千差万别，但使用的原料通常都会包括椰奶、罗望子、马尔代夫鱼、绿辣椒、芥菜籽、芫荽和莳萝籽等。

Malaysia

马来西亚

Due to its position along the Strait of Malacca， an important maritime trade route between east and west， Malaysia’s culinary traditions have been influenced by centuries of cultural exchange.

因为地处连接东西方的重要海上贸易之路——马六甲海峡沿岸，马来西亚的饮食传统受到几个世纪以来文化交流的影响。

From the late 1700s， Britain had a presence in several parts of present-day Malaysia and Singapore.

从18世纪晚期起，就有英国人开始陆续来到现今马来西亚和新加坡的几个地区。

As with its many other trading ports and colonies， the British hired laborers from India to work on rubber and palm plantations.

跟在其他许多贸易港口和殖民地一样，英国人从印度雇用劳工，在橡胶和棕榈种植园里劳作。

With the immigrants came curry. Tangy fish head curry， Tamil-influenced chicken varuval， warming dalcha lentil curry … Malaysia’s curries are as delicious as they are diverse.

跟随移民到来的是咖喱。香味浓烈的咖喱鱼头、泰米尔风情的干煸咖喱鸡块、热气腾腾的小扁豆咖喱……马来西亚的咖喱美味可口，品种多样。

Nyonya cuisine—dishes created by the Straits-Chinese community—also plays an important role in Malaysia’s culinary melting pot.

由海峡华人社区创造的料理“娘惹菜”在马来西亚这个美食大熔炉里也有着举足轻重的地位。

One of the best known Nyonya curries is kari ayam （bone-in chicken curry） which features a mix of Chinese techniques and Malaysian ingredients， including shrimp paste， coconut milk， star anise， cinnamon， fish sauce， kaffir lime， turmeric， ginger and more.

最知名的一道娘惹菜是kari ayam（带骨鸡肉咖喱），其特点是融合了中式的烹饪技法和马来西亚的食材，包括虾酱、椰奶、八角、肉桂、鱼露、泰国青柠、姜黄、生姜等等。

Sen also points to curry chicken kapitan， which sees pieces of chicken sauteed in curry paste then simmered in coconut milk， tangy tamarind water and aromatic cinnamon.

森还提到了甲必丹咖喱鸡。这道菜要先将鸡肉块在咖喱酱中翻炒，然后加入椰奶、酸香浓郁的罗望子汁和香气四溢的肉桂炖煮。

Another popular dish that’s enjoyed across Malaysia and Indonesia， particularly during holidays and festivals， is rendang.

另一道在马来西亚和印度尼西亚都很受欢迎的菜是“仁当”，节假日的时候人气尤高。

Well known around the world， this relatively dry curry dish is made with beef or chicken braised in a sauce of coconut milk， lemongrass， ginger， and cinnamon for an ultra-tender texture.

这道享誉全球的咖喱料理相对较干，是用牛肉或鸡肉在椰奶、柠檬草、生姜和肉桂制成的酱中焖煮而成，口感格外柔嫩。

The UK

英国

Owing to its long relationship with India， the UK has been putting its own spin on curry since the 18th century.

因为与印度的渊源，自18世纪起，英国就一直对咖喱进行本土化的改良。

Curry-like dishes and other Indian fare began appearing on coffee house menus after members of the British colonial administration who lived in India returned home and craved a taste of their life abroad.

曾在印度生活过的英国殖民政府官员，在回国后渴望重温海外的生活体验，于是咖喱类的菜肴及其他印度饮食开始出现在咖啡馆的菜单上。

Around the same time， inventive merchants bottled up pre-mixed curry powders and exported them across the empire.

大约在同一时间，善于创新的商人将预先混合的咖喱粉装进瓶子里，出口到帝国各地。

“Curry is hugely popular in the UK，” says Sen. “The Brits really love it—they invented tikka masala there， because India has been a part of the British psyche for so long.”

“咖喱在英国非常受欢迎。”森说，“英国人真的很喜欢咖喱。他们在英国发明了玛莎拉，因为多年以来印度一直在英国人心中占有一隅之地。”

Today， curry remains an unofficial national dish—it’s so popular， the country celebrates National Curry Week every October.

今天，咖喱仍然是英国一道非官方的国菜——它太受欢迎了，以至于每年10月，英国都会庆祝“全国咖喱周”。