Curry Cravings Disappear In The Balti Triangle

Birmingham is the Curry Capital of the UK. One visit to the city’s Balti Triangle and you’ll see why.

What is England’s national dish? Is it fish and chips or shepherd’s pie?If you were to take a quick survey around the nation, you’ll most likely discover that the humble curry is the country’s favorite dish.

There are probably hundreds of types of curries served throughout England, but in Birmingham there’s only one that can claim supremacy. Welcome to the home of the mighty Balti: Birmingham’s Balti Triangle. The Balti Triangle consists of about 50 restaurants clustered around the Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Moseley areas of South Birmingham.The Balti is king here, and it’s easy to see why.

“Balti” literally means “bucket”, but a balti is actually a flat-bottomed wok that the meal is traditionally cooked and served in.Recipes are a closely guarded secret in and around the Triangle, but typical spices include cumin, ginger, cardamom, cloves and coriander.One of the must-haves with a balti is one of the giant naans the Triangle is famous for.They’re often as big as the table, so feel free to share! It’s no wonder that the Balti Triangle was ranked Number 15 of the Top 25 Travel Experiences in Britain in the Rough Guide’s “25s” Series.

It’s believed that the balti originally came to Birmingham in the mid-1970’s and was introduced by the city’s large Pakistani and Kashmiri communities. It quickly became a local favourite, and then spread to surrounding regions and the rest of the nation. In fact, the balti curry is such an established part of Birmingham’s culture that balti bowls are now manufactured in the city.

Not only does the Balti Triangle offer a veritable smorgasbord of taste sensations, it also is the heart of a local economy that welcomes thousands of visitors each year, making it a multi-million pound industry.In addition, about 2000 kilograms of onions and 300 kilograms of chicken breast are used by a typical balti house in a week, which keeps many local suppliers in business.

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