ROMANCING THE CHILLI

Romancing the Chilli is a book about the enduring heritage of the chilli in India and across the world. Visually and intellectually stimulating, this book traces the history of the chilli in the Indian subcontinent and around the world, along with its morphological, genetic and farm-to-plate journeys. The effect of the chilli on Indian and world cuisine, popular culture, the human body, its science, biology and applications are described in detail. More than forty varieties of chillies from India, Mexico, China, Africa and their applications have been documented with photos. The book includes a photo-documentation of more than forty-five traditional dry and wet chutney recipes from different parts of the country and a few from Mexico, Africa, China and Thailand. Each chutney is illustrated with snippets of history, gourmet tips and traditional health benefits of each. Chutneys from across India, from traditional vegetables, fruits and oil seeds flax seeds, niger seeds, pumpkin, gongura, dal, garlic, brinjal, kokum and many other chutneys will spice up the palate of readers! The book has been thoroughly researched by locating traditional recipes, talking to grandmothers, gourmet chefs, chilli PhDs, chilli traders and farmers from various parts of India.