India : What to eat ? culinary specialties and gastronomy

India : Enjoying yourself

Timetable India

In the cities, you'll find food everywhere and at all hours. Indians eat late, whatever the meal. Breakfast is taken mid-morning, lunch around 2pm and dinner until 10 or 11pm. However, in smaller towns, restaurant opening times are much the same as in France.

Budget & Tips India

You can eat for a few rupees from one end of India to the other. A thali in the south, or a dal and chapatis in the north, will cost you around a hundred rupees in a small local restaurant. If you opt for an air-conditioned restaurant, the bill will be higher, usually around Rs. 500. The bill in the very best restaurants in the big cities, or in famous restaurants with a view, can reach Rs. 3,000 per person, but this is rare.

What costs extra India

Tipping is part of local practice. In a restaurant, you'll leave 10 Rs in a small restaurant, 50 to 100 Rs in a decent restaurant and 500 Rs in a top-of-the-range restaurant. As everywhere, the tip should reflect the service.

The local way India

No Indian cuisine without spices. Southern cuisine is spicier (and hotter!), as all spices are readily available to cooks, since they grow in this region. In the North, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and salt are used.

Traditionally, Indians eat with their hands and mix everything on the plate. You'll impress your hosts if you do the same. It's imperative to use your right hand. Middle-class and affluent urban dwellers tend to abandon this practice when they have guests.

To be avoided India

Tourists in India are out of caste, which gives them a great deal of freedom in their behavior! The very strict codification of dietary rules and table manners according to caste doesn't apply to them. So you won't be blamed if you use your left hand instead of your right. But wasting food in a country where some people are starving is frowned upon.

In summer, the temptation of ice cubes is great. Always make sure they're made from treated water. This is the case in the vast majority of cases. Avoid eating ice-cream that has been thawed and refrozen if it hasn't been sold.

Kids India

Children are welcome in all restaurants. The most important thing is to make sure they don't drink tap water and only eat cooked food or fruit that has been washed and peeled for a minute. Their stomachs are even more fragile than those of adults.

Smokers India

Smoking is prohibited in restaurants in India, but this is not always respected, especially in outdoor areas frequented by tourists.

India : Take a break

Timetable India

There's always somewhere to sit down and have a drink and/or a snack. For comfort and air-conditioning, look no further than hotel cafés and tea rooms.

Budget & Tips India

You can have a chai, coffee, lassi or fresh fruit juice for next to nothing in India. It's all part of the pleasure of traveling in this country!

Age restrictions India

Legislation varies from state to state; some very religious states, such as Bihar and Gujarat, prohibit the consumption of alcohol. In Kerala, the sale of alcohol is banned on the first Sunday of every month. The sale of beer, wine and spirits within 500 meters of national expressways is banned throughout the country.

Legal drinking and purchasing age:

- 18: Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Sikkim.

- 21: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

- 25 years: Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab and Meghalaya.

It isforbidden to bring alcohol from one state to another, as laws vary. Beware of heavy fines!

What's very local India

What's great about an aperitif in India is the amuse-bouches that go with it, so varied and full of flavor. They're called chaat.

Kids India

Children have no place in establishments selling alcohol. Women are often looked down upon in local bars.

Smokers India

Indian law prohibits smoking in public places. This includes bars. Some bars have a special smoking room or ventilated smoking area.