Trabajando en el Proyecto Aladino

Aladino/Ruta de las especias. Clases 1er ciclo

India

India from trustno1trustno1

The Spice Route

Imagine the world with no trains or planes. Centuries ago, all trade was conducted on ships and in great caravans crossing vast distant areas, sometimes between continents.

Such was the Spice Route, which from the seventh century by Arab intermediation; Europe discovered exotic products used to preserve food. In fact, they say it was because of the spices that India and Europe met, which led to a fruitful trade of all kinds. The spices not only and transform the flavors in the kitchen, also used for food preservation, to develop flavors spice and perfumes or for use in traditional medicine. Not surprisingly the spices were called "the gold of India".

Everything began in the East Indies, in Ceylon, Sumatra or Java, where  cloves, pepper and nutmeg were transported to the Bay of Bengal.

The route passed through India or bordered to the west, nurturing of new ingredients, to the shores of Kerala, where Arab merchants initiated the westward route.

When the merchants reached Damascus or Constantinople, through the Persian Gulf, the spices were transported by boat to Roman ports first and then to Venice and Genoa.
The Spice Route marked the development of the entire region during the middle Ages. It was crucial to the prosperity of cities.  No wonder then that the spice trade was the engine of great events of history.

The journey of Vasco da Gama in 1498, bordering Africa to reach Calcutta and return with a precious cargo of spices and substantial trade agreements initiated colonization.
It is well known, that when Christopher Columbus tried to reach the Indies by the West, he came across American Continent. And this is the reason why we all started  this project.

Arabian culture

Arabs are known for their art and handicrafts. Hand woven Persian Silk rugs and carpets are world famous. Arabic furniture, antique jewelry, tea/coffee pots, calligraphic (a style of fancy lettering) wall art and incense burners (for fragrance) are examples of beautiful Arabic home décor items. Arabic henna is also a popular kind of tattoo body art mainly applied to hands in many designs.

Arab families like in many other cultures live together in one house. They are usually big sized families with many children. Arabs are known to be religious and God fearing people. They are warm and hospitable people who look after their guests very well.

Arab men and women usually maintain distance and do not display affection in public. However, style of greeting and communication varies from one Arab country to another.

FOOD

Arabic food is one of the most flavorful cuisines of the world. With a heavy Mediterranean influence, olives, dry fruits (like pine nuts, cashews, pistachios and dates), cheese and other milk products are a big part of many Arabic dishes.

Hummus is a popular side dish made of chickpeas eaten with pita bread called khubus. Baba Ghanush or Mutabbal is the same as hummus but with an added flavor of smoked eggplant.  Felafels are also fried chickpea dumplings that taste great with hummus. Chicken and lamb are the most popular forms of meat eaten by Arabs. Shawarma, a lean pita wrap filled with skewered meat pieces is an all-time favorite snack amongst the Arabs. Kebabs, rotisserie grilled whole chicken are some of the other main Arabic dishes that usually go well with rice and tomato puree. Flat breads called fatayar filled with choice of lebna (yogurt), zaater (oregano), jiben (cheese), dijaj (chicken) or leham (lamb) make a great meal. Arabs believe in eating their greens especially in the form of salad called tabouleh (similar to greek salad).

No cuisine is complete without sweets. Bakhlawa, a kind of pastry filled with layers of dry fruit and sweetened milk is a worldwide hit. Kenafa is also a special kind of fried pastry with baked cheese where as Umm Ali is a delicious Arabic bread pudding. Arabs are shaay (tea) and kahwa (coffee) drinkers and take one or the other after almost every meal throughout the day.

CLOTHING

Arab men usually wear a white (or brown or grey) one-piece cotton garment called the disdasha or thobe and a head cover known as the ghutra or smagh supported by a black ring namely the igal. Bisht is a long over coat worn over the disdasha on special occasions like weddings.

Arab women are traditionally dressed in an abaya, a simple long black maxi like dress with a headscarf called the hijab and sometimes even a face cover called the burkha or niqab. Mostly western gowns are worn for weddings. Most women like to dress up in bright colors with a lot of gold jewelry and shimmer. Children are usually seen wearing western outfits.

ARABIAN CULTURE

Los árabes son conocidos por su arte y la artesanías. Mano tejidas alfombras de la Seda persas y las alfombras son mundialmente famosa. Muebles de árabe, joyería de la antigüedad, ollas de té / café, arte de la pared calligraphic (un estilo de la letras de lujo que) y la quemadores de incienso (para la fragancia) son ejemplos de hermosas arábigos artículos decorativos para el hogar. Henna El árabe es también una especie popular de arte del tatuaje del cuerpo aplicado principalmente a manos en muchos diseños.

INDIA

INDIA

There are 26 states in India and almost each of them has their own language. Hindi is the national language of India and there are 15 other regional languages spoken in the rest of the states. Each state also has its own dress, food, custom, dance, music and art. India is a country of all kinds of people from many different backgrounds and cultures.

The Indian movie industry called Bollywood is perhaps as big as Hollywood today. The interesting thing about Indian movies is that they are mostly musical each including a variety of songs and dances.

Indians generally are God fearing and religious people. They strongly believe in the existence of God and His divine powers. Hindus worship idols of many Gods and Goddesses and follow various rituals and superstitions.
Also most Families in India live together as one big family. For example, children live with their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all in one house. Indians believe that joined families provide love, respect, help and support amongst the family members.

Food: 

India is known as the land of spices! From north to south, east to west, there is a large variety of food found in India.
Mughlai food is a famous North Indian cuisine made with a blend of spices, cream and vegetables or meat. It is enjoyed best when eaten with Indian breads called Naan and Tandoori Roti or white rice. Flour pancakes called Paranthas made with a choice of potatoes, cauliflower, or minced meat stuffing is a popular food for breakfast and lunch. Chhole bhature is a tasty combination of spicy chickpeas and deep fried dough famous all over the country. Biryani is an-all time favorite (pilaf) rice amongst many Indians. It can be made with mixed vegetables or meat.
Dosa and idli are famous rice based South Indian dishes that are usually eaten with a lentil soup called sambar. Indian sweets like bread or rice puddings called kheer, sweetened milk rolls called rasgulla and sweet fried dough called gulab jamun are a treat to the sweet tooth.

Clothes:

The sari is the most traditional piece of clothing worn in India. It is 9 yards of cloth elegantly draped by most Indian women. It comes in a variety of colors, design and fabric so it can be worn on all occasions as well as weddings.
Kurta-pajama or salwaar-kameez is a traditional two-piece set of tunic with pants and a scarf worn casually by many Indian men and women. Children and younger adults usually wear western outfits.