But curry itself is not just a spice. This small, ornamental tree grows wild in the foothills of the Himalayas and in Southern India and Sri Lanka. The plant grows 6 to 7 feet tall with small, fragrant green leaves that have a bitter taste and a sweet, pungent aroma, similar to lemon grass. It is cultivated in most Indian gardens, so that when fresh leaves are needed, they can just be snipped off. The classic blend of curry powder usually contains turmeric, red pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek seed, mustard seed and fresh curry leaves.
Some curries call for cardamom, ginger or chilies.
The spices are roasted and ground to a powder which is used then used to make curry dishes. Prepared curry powder was created largely for British expatriates. Once the British arrived on the southeast coast of India and settled, they became enamored with the flavors, aromas and colors of Indian cooking. As the British spread to other parts of India, new spices found their way into curry powder, but the name of the blend and the dishes which contained it remained the same. As the British returned home, they brought curry powder with them and introduced it to their culture, where it thrives to this day.