India
Twenty-eight states, thousands of regional traditions. Tempering, layering of spice, and the world's deepest vegetarian repertoire.
Pakistan
Mughal grandeur in biryani and nihari, Punjabi tandoori traditions, and the breakfast cultures of the Khyber and Sindh.
Bangladesh
Fish-and-rice cuisine of the Bengal delta. Hilsa, posto, panch phoron, and an extraordinary tradition of milk-based sweets.
Sri Lanka
Coconut, curry leaf, pandan, and Maldive fish. Hopper breakfasts, kottu rotti dinners, and the sharpest spice on the subcontinent.
Nepal
Dal bhat as daily ritual, Newari feast cuisine, momos in the Himalayan style, and the food cultures of altitude.
Bhutan
Chili as vegetable, not seasoning. Ema datshi, red rice, yak butter tea — the cuisine of the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Maldives
Tuna as foundation — dried, smoked, in broths, in flaky breakfast mas huni. Coconut, chili, and the sea as larder.
Afghanistan
Kabuli pulao, mantu dumplings, naan from the tandoor. A Persian-Central-Asian cuisine of grand hospitality.