Religion also has a major impact on regional food. Many Hindus are strict vegetarians although some eat fish and chicken. The cow is sacred to Hindus around the world. Moslems do not eat any pig products. As in regional cooking around the world, recipes depend on what is grown, caught or otherwise available locally.
Food is flavoured with spices such as chilli, coriander, ginger and tumeric.
Milk-based desserts, and gulab jamuns are popular. The earliest civilization was in the Indus valley. The major cities of this civilization were well planned and laid out with complex drainage and water systems. Although Alexander crossed the Indus and defeated an Indian king, he turned back without pressing on with his conquests. The first great Indian empire was that of the Mauryas which reached its peak around 260 BC under the Emperor Ashoka.