History has been written from many angles: Politics, wars, and migration, to name a few. But in recent years we have seen history narrated from a new perspective—food. Curry is the latest book to enter this young genre, joining the likes of Cod and Salt (both by Mark Kurlansky). This is popular history at its best, told through kitchens and markets, feasts and famines, and, in this case, curries.Curry traces the development of this ubiquitous Indian dish and its journey to Britain. It’s refreshing to read about colonialism in India through briyanis and chutneys rather than mutinies and slaves, and after several chapters one wonders if the British just spent their entire time in India wining and dining with the Indian upper classes. Not that this wasn’t hard work; Collingham describes in vivid detail the cultural clashes that ensured when the British and Indians tried to adapt to each other’s cuisine. Eventually this resulted in what Collingham describes as “mongrel” dishes like chicken tikka masala and the even more perfunctory chips and curry. As beautifully as Collingham writes though, there is only so much one can read about kormas and vindaloos. She is erudite but dry, and in places sounds like an academic trying to reach a wider audience. This is a fun book to dip in and out of, but not exactly bedside table material. Keep it on your bookshelf for moments of curiosity when you feel like filling your brain with lots of amusing and arcane trivia.