Widely regarded as an Indian delicacy par excellence, few people know that the samosa does not have an Indian origin. Yes, you read that right. The crispy, spicy packed delight that we thought belonged to India is actually a flavorful immigrant from Central Asia.
On April 21, 1526, the great Mughals arrived in India with a series of culinary techniques. But the samosa continued to be popular. The Mughal document from the 16th century, Ain-i-Akbari, confirms the presence of these timeless pastries during that era.
Ibn Battuta, the 14th-century Moroccan explorer, traveled to India through the high mountains of Afghanistan and enjoyed a meal at the court of the infamous and unpredictable Muhammad bin Tughluq.
Other historical accounts also mention the sanbusak, sanbusaq, and even sanbusaj as small-filled triangles filled with minced meat, which traveling merchants would eat around campfires and pack in their saddlebags as a snack for a long journey.
According to these stories, it was thanks to these traveling merchants that the filled triangles traveled from Central Asia to North Africa, East Asia, and South Asia.
The famous Sufi poet Amir Khusro (inventor of the tabla as a modified pakhawaj) observed how much the kings of the Delhi Sultanate loved this delicious dish.
The samosa is undoubtedly the brightest star in the constellation of Indian street food. When you bite into a magnificent, golden samosa, you taste a piece of India’s own history: a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, and culinary traditions.
