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It is no secret that samosa is one of the most globalized snack foods worldwide. This timeless piece of edible history is a triangular pastry that wraps exquisite flavors. The crumbly, crispy turnover comes with savory and sweet fillings and is wrapped in many ways depending on the region’s prevalent food culture. 

Nowadays it is commonly known as a beloved Indian street food item. Still, a little research shows the history of samosa travels farther back than its birth in the Indian sub-continent. 

In this article, we explore the rich culinary history of the samosa, how far and wide it has traveled, and how seamlessly it has become part of different culinary sensibilities worldwide. So, let’s savor the crispy history, and irresistible cultural varieties of the samosa – one bite at a time!

Where did samosa originate?

While it may be the most popular traditional street food in the Indian subcontinent, available resources trace the origin of today’s samosa back to the food-loving Persians. The Central Asian “samsa”, Turk “somsa”, Arab “sambusak”, Indian “samosa”, and Persian “sambuseh”, all share their etymology with the Persian word “sambusag”, which means “triangular pastry”. 

Its oldest mentions are found in the works of the 9th-century Abbasid-era poet Ishaq al-Mawsili. The Persian historian Abu-al-Fazl Beyhaqi’s 11th-century writings talk of it as a delicacy served in the Ghaznavid royal courts. And, Arab cookbooks from the 10th to 13th century also mention it – for instance, the Kitab-al-Tabikh wherein we find recipes for savory and sweet varieties of the Arab sambusak.

The history of samosa in India 

The South Asian samosa we enjoy today shares roots with its cousins in Central Asia and the Middle East. Although exact records are not available, the mentions of it being served in Indian royal courts allow us to make a safe conclusion i.e. the concept of samosa reached the region in the 13th or 14th century. It was presumably brought over by the Middle Eastern chefs who came to cook for the court of the Delhi Sultanate. 

The 13th-century works of the royal poet and scholar Amir Khusrao confirm that princes and noblemen enjoyed the “samosa prepared from ghee, meat, and onion, etc.” The chronicles of the 14th-century Moroccan traveler and explorer Ibn Battuta also tell us about the sambusak served as an appetizer in the Tughlak dynasty’s court; he describes it as a small pie stuffed with minced meat, nuts, and spices. Later mentions of the samosa appear in a 15th-century Indian cookbook, Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi, and the 16th-century Ain-e-Akbari.   

With that said, in India, the samosa underwent a fusion of cultures, as it evolved from the protein-rich “meaty and nutty” royal delicacy into a local street food favorite. Unlike its counterparts in Central Asia and the Middle East, the Indian samosa was deep-fried.

And over time, it morphed from a tiny courtly tidbit into a larger wrap that could serve as hearty food for the common folk. After the Portuguese introduced potato cultivation to India in the early 17th century, its ‘aloo version’ gained mass popularity across the region. 

The many cultural types of samosa

The rich history of the samosa is not confined to West, Central, and South Asia. Arab immigrants introduced this glorious food item to the countries in the Horn of Africa and North America. In Spain, it arrived with the Moors. And, in East Europe trade and invasions alike, inspired the birth of more ‘samosa cousins’. 

Wherever the idea went, it inspired new variations under the influence of local food cultures. Everything from the dough sheets and wrapping styles to the spices and fillings was customized with local ingredients. Perhaps this was why it became such a popular snack food anywhere it traveled. 

Let us look at some of the many types of samosa we find around the world. 

The Middle East

In its birthplace, Persia, the sambuseh is rare except in the southern region. Traditionally it was made as qottab, a deep-fried sweet pastry with a filling of nuts, herbs, and spices. However, nowadays qottab is found in confectionary shops, while its savory version, the sambuseh, comes stuffed with meat, cheese, and vegetables. 

In the rest of the Middle East, from Lebanon and Palestine to Iraq and Syria, we see many variations of the Arab sambusak. They come with sweet and savory fillings, the pastry may depict a difference, and they may be deep-fried or baked. However, the most popular filling is that of minced meat, onions, nuts, and spices. Its veggie and sweet versions are also found in Iraq. 

Central Asia 

The Central Asian samsa is a familiar street food treat sold as a hot snack at kiosks and fast food joints. While it shares its roots with its Indian cousin, it is different in that it may use a simple bread or layered pastry dough, and is baked in a clay oven rather than deep-fried. The samsa fillings are often meat-based, but cheese and vegetable-based varieties are also found. 

South Asia

India 

The Indian samosa boasts many flavorful variations inspired by the local food culture. 

The East Indian version is the flaky singara or shingra, which is smaller and wraps a filling of potatoes, peanuts, and raisins. The variation of samosa popular in the South is heavily inspired by its Portuguese counterpart. It is a different style of pastry that is wrapped differently too. It varies in size and fillings based on local preferences, and both vegetarian and meat-based options are available. Lukhmi is Hyderabad’s take on samosa – a thick-crust pastry that wraps a meat or onion-based filling. 

However, the most ubiquitous favorite is the one stuffed with a potato-based spicy filling that may also include onions, lentils, green peas, green chili, and ginger. 

Pakistan

The Punjabi samosa with its spicy potato-based filling in a thick crumbly wrapper is a common favorite across the country. The Lahori Chicken Samosa is a popular meat-based variation. 

In the colder northwestern regions, these samosas get less spicy and are stuffed with chicken, beef, or lamb for a more hearty snack. 

The Kaghzi samosa from the southern city of Karachi is characterized by a paper-thin crispy wrapper that rolls in meat, veggies, or eggs.

Bangladesh

The East Indian shingras are a popular Bengali snack. As in India, they are usually filled with potatoes, vegetables, and nuts, but beef liver filling is also enjoyed in some parts of the country. The flat somosa or somucha, filled with meat and onions is the other variation of samosa we find in Bangladesh.

Nepal & Maldives

Known as singada in the eastern cities, the samosa retains its Indian identity in the rest of Nepal and is prepared pretty much the same way. 

Maldives’ take on samosa, is called ‘bajiya’, and introduces a unique variety of filling which is tuna-based. 

Southeast Asia

The Burmese version of samosa is often smaller in size and is served more like the Lahori samosa chat – as a salad of samosa pieces in a dressing made of cabbage, onions, fresh mint, potato & chickpea curry broth, lime and spices. 

In Indonesia, the samosa remains a triangular pastry but takes a rather long cone-like shape. The fillings are potato-based, and also include rousong, cheese, curry, and noodles, depending on the local food preferences. 

Africa

Samosa is a staple snack in Africa – from the east to the west of the continent, and also in South Africa. The African samosa can be smaller relative to its Indian counterpart and is available in meat and vegetable-based fillings. 

Wrapping up the samosa

The history of the samosa is an exciting tale, and so is the story of its evolution over the years and how it inspired so many cultural varieties. For a humble food item to travel the world, and become as popular and accessible, is a tribute to the many culinary traditions that have lent it uniqueness and shaped it into a truly global snack food item. 

If you find yourself craving an authentic ‘samosa experience’, Kaiser’s frozen samosas are more than worth a try. Choose your favorite from our vegetable samosa variety, or go for zabiha halal meat-based options like the Lahori Chicken Samosa, Mini Beef Samosa, or the Mediterranean-style Lamb Samosa

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