Curry is the English name of a spice blend widely used in India. In this country, it is added to food both during cooking and eating. In India, the name given to this "mix" of spices has no meaning and probably comes from "turkarri" which, in Hindi, means "wet". In fact, all dishes that contain curry are moist.

'Western' curry is dark orange in color. On the other hand, in India curry has different colors ranging from white to golden brown, red and even green, depending on its composition. Every Indian woman has a 'secret' recipe for making this concoction. The curry marketed in Europe generally includes: pepper, coriander, cayenne pepper, ginger, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, tamarind and allspice.

There are three varieties of curry: mild, the less spicy quality, hot, spicy, and very hot, very spicy (this difference is determined by the dose of cayenne pepper). This mixture of spices is so important in the preparation of oriental dishes that it gives its name to the dish itself. There are thus curries of meat, fish and vegetables, which are always accompanied by steamed rice.