{"id":116203,"date":"2017-11-05T19:32:06","date_gmt":"2017-11-05T18:32:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/?p=116203"},"modified":"2026-06-03T13:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T11:07:10","slug":"indian-food-hindu-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/indian-food-hindu-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian food or Hindu food: do you know which is correct?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, during a fun chat with Henry Days, one of our most curious students, a question came up that, although it seems simple, causes more confusion than you might imagine: does the restaurant on the corner serve Indian food or Hindu food? This innocent and common question is the perfect starting point to explore some linguistic, historical, and cultural curiosities worth knowing.<\/p>\n

India, Hindu or Hindi\u2026 it\u2019s not the same!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To understand it properly, let\u2019s go step by step, as Jack the Ripper would say:<\/p>\n

\u201cIndia\u201d<\/strong> is the name of the country, so if we are talking about its cuisine, the correct term is \u201cIndian food.\u201d<\/strong> For example, chicken tikka masala, chickpea curry (chana masala), paneer tikka, or biryani are dishes of Indian cuisine. Just as we say \u201cItalian food\u201d or \u201cJapanese food,\u201d we should say \u201cIndian food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHindu,\u201d<\/strong> on the other hand, refers to religion: Hinduism. A Hindu is a person who practices this religion, regardless of nationality. Not all Indians are Hindu, since in India there are also Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians, Jews, and even atheists.<\/p>\n

\u201cHindi,\u201d<\/strong> meanwhile, is the name of one of the most widely spoken languages in India. So if you read or hear something like \u201che speaks English and Indian perfectly,\u201d you should know the correct version is \u201che speaks English and Hindi perfectly.\u201d Saying \u201cIndian language\u201d is not incorrect if you are referring to any of the more than twenty officially recognized languages in the country, but if you want to be precise, it is better to use the specific name of the language: Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu\u2026<\/p>\n

A bit of history behind the confusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The confusion between \u201cIndian\u201d and \u201cHindu\u201d is not new. In many Spanish-speaking countries, \u201cHindu\u201d has been used to refer generally to people or things from India. This may be due to two reasons: on one hand, the vast majority of Indians practice Hinduism, and on the other, the term \u201cIndian\u201d has also been used for centuries to refer to Indigenous peoples of the Americas, which created confusion.<\/p>\n

During the colonial era, Europeans did not clearly distinguish between cultural and religious aspects when talking about India. Thus, many old Spanish texts referred to \u201cHindu customs\u201d or \u201cHindu philosophy\u201d when they were actually talking about traditions from specific regions or cultures of India, not necessarily linked to Hinduism.<\/p>\n

Over time, the use of \u201cHindu\u201d expanded beyond its religious meaning and began to be used to talk about culture, art, films, or food. However, the correct usage remains: \u201cIndian\u201d for geographical references and \u201cHindu\u201d for religious or spiritual ones.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make things even more confusing, some dictionaries also list \u201cHindu\u201d as a demonym for Hindustan, a historical region of the Indian subcontinent. No wonder people get confused! The term \u201cHindu\u201d comes from Persian, which used it to refer to the inhabitants of the Indus River, and it later passed into Europe through Arabic. Over time, its meaning evolved until it became associated exclusively with religion.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 what should I say?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you are talking about food, films, music, clothing, architecture, or any cultural element from India, use \u201cIndian.\u201d<\/strong> For example:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u201cLast night we had dinner at a delicious Indian restaurant.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cI love traditional Indian music.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cMy Indian sari is made of real silk.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cWe are going to watch an Indian Bollywood film.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Use \u201cHindu\u201d<\/strong> only when referring to the religion or its followers:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \u201cMy neighbor is Hindu and celebrates Diwali.\u201d<\/li>\n
    • \u201cThe Hindu temple in the city is beautiful.\u201d<\/li>\n
    • \u201cHe is very interested in Hindu philosophy and practices yoga every day.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      And remember: the language is called Hindi<\/strong>, and it should not be confused with Urdu, which is very similar but written in the Arabic script and more associated with Muslim culture in the subcontinent.<\/p>\n

      One language, one culture, many curiosities<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      India is a vast country with more than 1.4 billion inhabitants and an overwhelming cultural diversity. There are 22 official languages recognized by the Indian Constitution, and more than 1,600 languages and dialects in total. Hindi is the most widely spoken language, but in many states other major languages are used, such as Bengali in West Bengal, Tamil in Tamil Nadu, or Punjabi in Punjab. In addition, English remains a co-official and administrative language throughout the country.<\/p>\n

      In terms of religion, India is the country with the largest number of Hindus in the world, but it is also home to the second-largest Muslim community on the planet. It is also the birthplace of Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. This religious richness is reflected in the diversity of festivals, temples, traditions, and cultural expressions found from north to south.<\/p>\n

      And speaking of culture\u2026 did you know that Bollywood, the Indian film industry, produces more movies per year than Hollywood? More than 1,500 titles annually! Many of these films mix music, drama, romance, and action, and can last up to three hours. Despite their extravagant plots, they are loved by millions of people worldwide.<\/p>\n

      Indian cuisine is also a universe of its own. There is no single Indian cuisine, but many regional ones. Southern food, for example, tends to be spicier and uses a lot of coconut, while in the north dishes like tandoori, creamy curries, and naan bread dominate. In addition, many recipes are vegetarian due to religious beliefs, making Indian cuisine a paradise for non-meat eaters.<\/p>\n

      One more curiosity: yoga, now practiced all over the world, originated in India. Although many people see it only as a physical activity, it is actually a very deep spiritual discipline connected to Hinduism, Buddhism, and other philosophical traditions of the country.<\/p>\n

      A short summary to avoid confusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      • India:<\/strong> the country. Use \u201cIndian\u201d to refer to its culture, people, cuisine, cinema, clothing, etc.<\/li>\n
      • Hindu:<\/strong> related to the religion of Hinduism. It is a religious term, not a geographical one.<\/li>\n
      • Hindi:<\/strong> one of the official languages of India. Do not confuse it with \u201cHindu.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        We hope this has helped clear up this very common doubt, and perhaps given you a few ideas for your next conversation\u2026 or your next culinary plan. And if you still have any doubts, the best thing you can do is visit an Indian restaurant, order a good curry or some samosas, and keep learning. Language, like food, is best enjoyed when shared!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Indian food, Hindu or Hindi? Discover the real difference between India (country), Hindu (religion), and Hindi (language) so you never mix them up again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[650],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116203"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116235,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116203\/revisions\/116235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ihdemu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}