Naan spread to the Indian subcontinent during the Islamic Delhi Sultanate period. The earliest mention of naan in the region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poet Amir Khusrau living in India during the 1300s AD. Khusrau mentions two kinds of naan eaten by Muslim nobles; Naan-e-Tunuk and Naan-e-Tanuri.
Early recorded history of naan first appeared in the notes of Indo-Persian poet Amir Kushrau in 1300 AD. Originally, naan was developed after the arrival of yeast in India from Egypt.
originating from over 2,500 years ago, naan, today identified as a leavened indian flatbread, traces its history back to old iran or persia, where the word “naan” referred to bread baked on hot pebbles.
In Goa, bread was introduced by the Portuguese and the genesis is far better documented. Since maida or refined flour wasn't commonly used in India or Goa, the Portuguese used aata or whole wheat flour. Yeast was replaced with toddy as a fermenting agent.
You may be familiar with naan, a flatbread typically associated with India. But other countries and cultures enjoy their own version of this foundational bread — and Afghanistan is one of them.
Historical journey of Naan, a type of leavened bread from Indian Subcontinent
Who invented naan in India?
Naan spread to the Indian subcontinent during the Islamic Delhi Sultanate period. The earliest mention of naan in the region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poet Amir Khusrau living in India during the 1300s AD. Khusrau mentions two kinds of naan eaten by Muslim nobles; Naan-e-Tunuk and Naan-e-Tanuri.
While Naan bread is used in various Asian countries, India and even in parts of Europe, the etymology and origin dates back 2500 years, to Old Iran or better known as Persia.
However, there has been ample evidence of roti originating in Southern India which may point more directly to its origin. A 16th century Sanskrit text mentions the origin of roti as having been invented in the kitchen of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1556. Agriculture was a major occupation in India back then.
Basically, it's a paste of flour and water, cooked over or surrounded by heat. According to history, the earliest bread was made in or around 8000 BC in the Middle East, specifically Egypt. The quern was the first known grinding tool.
The story of bread in Goa starts in the 16th century with the arrival of the Portuguese, who brought not only new governance and architecture but also their methods of baking bread using leavening agents like yeast.
While synonymous with Indian food, tandoor cooking was brought to the country with the Persians who invaded India via Punjab. Even so, it is Indian cuisine that has coined the term 'tandoori food', even though the dishes are essentially an amalgamation of the cuisines of North India's invaders.
Aloo Naan. Aloo Naan is a popular naan variety hailing from the Punjab region of India that tantalises taste buds with its unique blend of soft, pillowy dough infused with mashed potatoes and aromatic spices.
The origins of this popular bread are contested, but most food historians agree that naan, which means “bread” in Persian, has Central Asian roots and were introduced to South Asia through trade and conquest. (Which means you shouldn't be redundant and call them “naan bread”!)
Though pita bread and naan are both flatbreads, there are quite a few differences between them — namely that pita bread was not only invented first, but there's also evidence that it's over 2,500 years older than naan. It's likely due to this wide age gap that pita bread recipes use much simpler ingredients than naan.
Naan is an Indian flatbread made from wheat dough, which is traditionally baked against the side of a tandoor oven and then coated with ghee (clarified butter). It is often served as a side dish to curries and other main meals.
The 8,600-year-old bread was found at the Neolithic archeological site of Çatalhöyük, a UNESCO World Heritage site, at Cumra district in Konya, Turkey.
Bread is the oldest food that doesn't require foraging or hunting. It has been an essential part of human history and formed early human societies. Wheat was domesticated in the Middle East, and cultivation of bread spread to Europe, North Africa, and East Asia.
History. Archaeologist and culinary anthropologist Kurush F Dalal says that the Malabar Porotta is likely to have come with Arab traders from ancient West Asia. He explains: "Kerala has always had trade links with West Asia, right from the pre-Islamic period.
However, some historical accounts claim that chapati originated in East Africa and was later brought to the Indian subcontinent by travelers or merchants. Chapati made its way across Asia via travelers; its flat circular shape allowed it to fare well on journeys as an edible vessel for food.
It is believed that Aryans brought wheat grains to India and since then it is being grown in India. Records from ancient China show that it is raised there since 2700 BC, and it was also known to Egyptians and inhabitants of Switzerland as early as Stone Age.
In South Asian cuisine, flatbreads are a staple, and one of the most popular South Asian flatbreads is Naan. Naan originates from India, but it is enjoyed by homes and South Asian restaurants today.
Pita, also Pitta, breads, also called Arabic bread, balady, shamy, Syrian bread, and pocket bread, are circular, leavened double-layered flat breads that originated in the Middle East.
