Indian food in canada

 Indian food is a more recent addition to the culinary scene in Canada, having gained prominence primarily in the post-1960s era of immigration. It is characterized mainly by the Northern Indian approach to cuisine, which features breads and warm curries and the use of yogurt and cream in meat-based dishes. But it also bears the influence of South Indian cooking, which frequently plays with the combination of sour and spicy and the use of tamarind and chilies. However, many typical Indo-Canadian dishes, such as kedgeree and some chutneys, are a product of Anglo-Indian cuisine stemming from Britain’s colonial rule of the Indian subcontinent.

Indian Food Curries and Dishes

Selection of Indian food including curries, rice, samosas and naan bread. Photo Taken On: November 14th, 2010

(© Joseph Gough/Dreamstime)

Background: Indian Immigration to Canada 

Estimates place the arrival of the first South Asianmigrants to Canada in 1902 or 1903, arriving in Vancouver and hailing from Punjab. Although Indian immigrants, mostly single men, enjoyed some initial success, the eruption of anti-Asian race riots and subsequent legislation slowed the flow of migration from the South Asian subcontinent. In 1908, the Canadian Parliamentpassed legislation requiring migrants from India to arrive via a single continuous journey from their homeland. The result was a steep decline in immigration from the Indian subcontinent (see also Komagata Maru)