Currying Favour This Eastern staple can be used to spice up your table all year round.

To study the term curry is a lesson in multiculturalism. In India it simply refers to a sauce -- any kind of sauce -- whereas in English, curry commonly refers to a stew made with curry powder, a blend of spices that generally includes chili, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.

And different curries are made all over the world. In Japan the curries are rich with butter and flour and are considered Western food, as the British were the first to introduce it there. (They also developed the blend of spices called curry powder.) The Brits generally think of their curries as Indian, but these were made mostly by cooks from Bangladesh.

Then there are the Southeast Asian curries, often flavored with coconut milk; West Indian curries, with notes of citrus and coriander; and our own spicy South African curries brought over by Malay slaves and tamed by Danish palates -- there’s even a German currywurst.

In the United States curry is generally considered cold-weather food, but in hotter climates spicy food is eaten to cool you down -- the chilies make you sweat, and sweat is the body’s air-conditioner. So whether it’s a cool autumn day or a hot Indian summer, it’s the perfect time to curry a loved one’s favour by making this sauce.

Japanese-Style Pork Curry