In the south, curries are mainly vegetable and inclined to be hotter. Coconut is a major ingredient of southern Indian cooking. One regional distinction is that, whereas in the south rice is the staple food, in the north this is supplemented and sometimes substituted by a wide range of flat breads, such as Pooris, Chapatis and Nan. Sweets are principally milk-based puddings, pastries and pancakes. Besides a splendid choice of sweets and sweetmeats, there is an abundance of fruit, both tropical mangoes, pomegranates and melons and temperate apricots, apples and strawberries.
Western confectionery is available in major centres.
It is common to finish the meal by chewing Pan as a digestive. Pan is a betel leaf in which are wrapped spices such as aniseed and cardamom. Besides the main dishes, there are also countless irresistible snacks available on every street corner, such as Samosa, Fritters, Dosa and Vada. For the more conservative visitor, Western cooking can always be found. Indeed, the best styles of cooking from throughout the world can be experienced in the major centres in India.