In celebration of National Curry Week (10th – 16th October),
Sainsbury’s have commissioned a survey to reveal how the nation’s love of Indian cuisine has evolved since
its introduction to the UK.
Curry first came to Britain in the 18th century, and over the years our nation
has fully embraced Indian cuisine establishing it as a firm national favourite. Up until the 1980s, many of the options on offer were just anglicised
versions of a select few Indian dishes, but a demand for more authentic, flavoursome, diverse and exotic cuisine has developed over the decades. Sainsbury's has been meeting this demand, reviewing and testing recipes and ideas to create authentic products with passion.
When it comes to grocery shopping, our choice of spices has evolved too. Alongside store cupboard favourites such as chilli, ginger, paprika and
cumin, we are now opting for more exotic ingredients when it comes to cooking
curry. Sainsbury’s has reported that sales of garam masala are up by nearly a
quarter (24%) whilst cumin and coriander
seed are dramatically increasing in popularity. Sales of turmeric are up
9%. 37% of Brits are also willing to spend up to three hours in
the kitchen perfecting the mix of spices for the best possible flavour for a
home cooked curry.
THE NATION’S CURRY HABITS
• The
nation selected Tikka Masala and Korma as their favourite dishes
• The Welsh opted for hot Madras as
their favourite dish
• The UK chose naan breads over rice as their favourite side dish
• The
majority of the UK like hot curry but Londoners prefer milder recipes
• Brits
will spend a huge £30,331 on curry in their lifetime
• 43% of
Brits would opt for a ready meal over a takeaway for convenience and value
• Nearly half of us
say we would eat curry any night of the week - it's not just a weekend meal
Sainsbury’s first introduced classic Indian ingredients, such
as curry powder and mango chutney, in 1920, representing a revolutionary
addition to supermarket shopping for the time. Their first Indian ready meals were introduced to customers in 1989. Over 20 years on, Sainsbury’s
stocks a range of 50 prepared Indian dishes and accompaniments, selling more
than £61m of Indian food per annum.
The Sainsbury's range of Indian ready meals is continually evolved to suit the changing preferences of their customers. They have recently enhanced their range of vegetarian side dishes including By Sainsbury's Sweet Potato and Red Onion Bhajis, By Sainsbury's Tadka Daal and Taste the Difference Crispy Beetroot and Chilli Samosas.
To find out more about Sainsbury’s variety of spices and new
Indian inspired ready meals or to see the full list of ready meals, visit www.sainsburys.com.