“Surat ka jaman aur Banaras ka maran” is a popular saying in Gujarati, which means dining at Surat and dying at Varanasi, is the way to heaven. One of the thrills of traveling to Gujarat is its cuisine. The people of Gujarat have perfected the art of vegetarian cooking and their cuisine is delectable and mouth watering. To taste the excellent vegetarian Gujarati cuisine, is to have a Thali Meal – the ultimate delightful vegetarian fare. The traditional Gujarati Thali is one of the best ways to know the Gujarati cuisine. Saurashtra’s typical seasonings – mustard seed, turmeric, pounded red chillies, cumin and coriander – flavour Gujarat’s distinctive vegetarian cuisine. 

There are also seasonal specialties – aamraas (mango pool) is commonly served in summer while undhiyu which has roast vegetables and muthias (veg kebabs) is characteristically had in January.

Besides vegetarian dishes, the Muslim community, the tribal groups like Bohras and Khojas offer special non-vegetarian cuisine. And also Saurashtra’s garlic spice mixture – a combination of garlic, red chillies and salt pounded together, is a must-try. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time.

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