Chitrita Banerji

Warning: this book is likely to induce cravings. It is best read in a place where good Indian food is easily accessible. In fact, it is best read while planning a trip to India, and then read again for a second time when you are actually there.

As well as an excellent guide to the cuisines of different Indian regions, it's a good introduction to all the changes that India has been through - from successive waves of conquerors and immigrants throughout history, to the social changes of today. show more Banerji's thesis is that India's food reflects a long history of intermingling influences - she traces the Portuguese influence on Bengali sweets, and points out that chillis, tomatoes and potatoes are all immigrants to India.

It's more of an overview than a detailed guide, but Banerji writes so well about such interesting topics that it hardly matters - and of course, trying to cover all the cuisines of India in detail would be a mammoth task. show less

Engaging and hunger-inducing! I came away from this book fascinated and awed by the sheer variety of cultures and cuisines in India. A good storyteller, Banerji does a great job of conveying the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the country's different regions, and clearly explains how dishes, even the most seemingly timeless ones, have incorporated ingredients and influences from outside and changed over the years. Some of the less common foods are fading, but thankfully "Eating India" show more helps preserve their memories -- and, as often happens, they may not be gone forever. show less

Above-average story about a woman and a marriage and political turmoil in 1970s Bangladesh. Uma married Iqbal out of love, but when they move back to his native Bangladesh economic pressure, boredom and intrigue combine to destabilize their marriage. Chitrita Banerji's book is suspenseful and moving as the politics of the time and place combine with the domestic storyline in a novel that is both compelling reading and emotionally involving.

A detailed and lip smacking culinary odyssey through the various gastronomical bastions of India. So compelling that you will be forced to hop on the next flight to one of the best epicurean destinations in the world.