Celebrating a dish that unites the nation

The love of food in all its delicious avatars is something that has united Indians for millennia. Every region has its own cuisine, all of which are loved across the nation. But there is one dish that has transcended these boundaries of region to embed itself into the heart of every region's cuisine.

That dish is of course, the mixture of rice, spices and meat (and sometimes vegetables) which we all know and love as biryani. It has found its way into the cuisines of every corner of India. Each region has managed to give biryani its own twist, completely changing the flavour profile but the keeping the soul of the dish intact.

From the very north of the country, comes the Kashmiri biryani. The addition of heeng or asafoetida is what makes this strand out in taste and aroma. Lower north is the Mughlai biryani, steeped in rich spices, giving it a decadent taste. Competing with the Mughals is the city of nawabs, Lucknow, with its Lucknowi biryani. With its lighter usage of spices, this biryani is more delicate in flavour.

To the east we find the Calcutta biryani, which is said to have evolved from the Lucknowi biryani. This particular variety is similarly lighter on spices but still manages to stand on its own, with its distinctive usage of potatoes. Down south, we have the famous Hyderabadibiryani. As is typical of most south Indian non-vegetarian dishes, this biryani is also extremely spicy. And as it derives from the Mughlai style, it is extremely rich in taste as well.

All of these and more will be available at the Delhi Airport Biryani Festival, which starts on 5^th February, 2018. So if you're fan of biryani, be sure to walk in and take in the all the flavours of India.