How curry spread across Asia, spawning local versions from Japan to Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand – and three Hong Kong chefs serving regional curries
- Curry is a blanket term used for numerous dishes, and most Asian countries’ curries have their own styles and flavours; all are available in Hong Kong restaurants
- We talk to chefs from Hotal Colombo, serving Sri Lankan dishes, Bibi & Baba, with Malaysian, Singaporean and nyonya food, and Samsen, home of Thai curries
Is “curry” a racist, colonialist term, and should it be cancelled?
Derived from the Tamil kari, which varies in meaning from “blackened” to “spiced sauce”, it was adapted to carel by Portuguese colonisers during the 1500s. The British, who followed them, changed it to “curry”, a word they used to describe all manner of Indian dishes – and a nebulous term that went on to conquer the world.
Today, local versions of curry are a staple of many Asian cuisines, some clearly influenced by the cooking of India, others bearing little resemblance.
Either way, curry has transcended cultures and cuisines, and Hong Kong is a great place to sample them, including the kari of Sri Lanka and Indonesia, the gaeng of Thailand, Japanese kare raisu, and the city’s own gaa lei fish balls, a beloved street snack.
For Gisela Alesbrook and others, a life without curry is no life at all. The Sri Lankan-born chef at Hotal Colombo, in SoHo, says: “We eat it every day, sometimes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
