Curry : The Biography of the Nation's Favourite Dish (Rev. and updated ed)

Britain has become a nation of curryholics - there are more than 8000 curry restaurants in Britain, visited by two million people each week.

Each year #2bn is spent in Indian restaurants - about #70 per second - while Marks and Spencers sells 18 tonnes of chicken tikka masala weekly.

But how did Britain come to take curry so much to its heart?

Where did the word "curry" originate? When did the first curry restaurants come to Britain? And when were the first recipes produced for those who wanted to concoct the flavoursome dishes in their home?

This book traces the story of curry in Britain.The first recipe for curry powder recorded by the English was from Mrs Turnbull, who wrote down her recipes in manuscript in the mid-18th century at her home in Hyde Park, after returning from India; she also recorded how to make chutney, pilau and ginger candy.

British ships went to India to find spices, and when the British returned from colonial India in the 18th century, they brought with them new tastes.

Today, curry is one of the most widely available meals in Britain, produced at pubs nationwide, in supermarkets and in a plethora of restaurants to suit all purses and palates.