SC - Curry

[Jeffrey Miller]

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <lilinah at earthlink.net>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: SC - Curry


> Llewmike wrote:
> >>I may be mistaken but I heard a report this morning on NPR that I
thought was
> >>indicating that curry is addictive?  I only heard part of the report.
Does
> >>anyone know the details?
>
> I heard it on the BBC.

Funny that, me too.  (but then, it's been a matter of common knowledge that
curry is addictive because of its physiological effects.  I heard this
report and thought, "Uh.. yeah?  ..and what?"

> Given my experience of typical British food in England, it's small
> wonder that people would rather eat curry.

Well, that would be a matter of taste, wouldn't it? :)

> "...the spices are addictive."
>
> Uh, which ones? Most of the spices in Indian and Pakistani curries
> are used in many other dishes in many other cultures? Is Thai food
> addictive? Indonesian? Szechwan? Mexican? Maghribi? I think this is a
> bit, mmm, unscientific?

No, not really - it's the reporting that's unscientific.

We should also note that the study was funded by one of Britain's larger
(Indian?) spice importers..

> "And those who eat curries often build up a tolerance to spices, and
> crave hotter and hotter dishes, the experts found."
>
> This is a bit, mmm, overstated.

If you have a physiological response to 'hot' foods, as they've 'proven,'
and you begin to crave that experience, as you build up tolerence to its
effect you would need to ingest 'hotter' foods to get the same result.

Of course, yeah, it is a little over-blown.  It's not like the streets of
London are overflowing with Curry junkies.

"Hey man, spare a six-pence?  Buy a chum a lamb masala?"

- -eogan-