The 250-year-old English curry recipe that lacked any chili heat
In short: Before the fiery spice of modern Indian cuisine reached British dinner tables, there was a version of curry that relied on pepper and seeds. This 18th-century culinary relic reveals how global trade and evolving tastes slowly transformed one of the world's most iconic dishes.
The first English-language curry recipe appeared in Hannah Glasse’s 'The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy' in 1747. While we now associate curry with intense heat, the original version was remarkably mild. The first edition of Glasse's book utilized only black pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning. It wasn't until the fourth edition that ingredients like turmeric and ginger were introduced to the recipe.
The absence of hot chiles in this early publication is historically significant. Although European traders introduced chili plants to India during the late 16th century, they were only just beginning to gain popularity in southern India by the time Glasse's book was printed in 1748. This suggests that the 'heat' we associate with curry today was a much later development in the British culinary consciousness.
To recreate this 18th-century dish, one would take two fowls or rabbits cut into small pieces, mixed with three or four small onions, thirty peppercorns, a large spoonful of rice, and salt. The coriander seeds were browned over a fire in a clean shovel before being beaten into powder. The meat was stewed softly with a pint of water until tender, then finished with a piece of fresh butter about the size of a large walnut.
This recipe serves as a primary artifact for 'tasting history.' It illustrates how food acts as a record of migration and trade; the transition from simple pepper-based seasoning to complex spice blends mirrors the expanding reach of the British Empire and the gradual integration of global flavors into domestic life.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1747 First English Language Curry Recipe Ever Published - Old Cookbook Show - Glen And Friends
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