- Title: UK: Battle of the Balti - Birmingham wants to legally own the curry name
- Date: 26th July 2009
- Summary: BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 23, 2009) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING ON LADYPOOL ROAD, PART OF THE "BALTI TRIANGLE" AREA OF BIRMINGHAM, POPULATED WITH PAKISTANI-BRITONS / PAN TO FRUIT AND VEG SHOP PAKISTANI-BRITONS AT FRUIT AND VEG SHOP SIGN FOR BALTI RESTAURANT READING "ORIGINATORS OF BIRMINGHAM'S BALTI TRIANGLE" ANOTHER SIGN FOR A BALTI RESTAURANT WIDE OF IMRANS RESTAURANT CLOSE UP OF IMRANS SIGN OWNER OF IMRANS RESTAURANT, IMRAN BUTT, IN KITCHEN (ON FAR RIGHT) IMRAN BUTT TALKING TO CHEF, K.P. SAPKOTA CHEF SHOWING THE SPICES HE USES (CARDOMAN, CINNAMON, BLACK PEPPER AND CLOVES) IN PALM OF HIS HAND / PUTS THEM INTO FRYING PAN CHEF FRYING ONIONS, FLAMES RISING FROM PAN CLOSE UP OF ONIONS AND SPICES FRYING IN PAN ONION BEING CHOPPED CHEF CHOPPING ONION CHEF SPOONING CURRY POWDER AND TURMERIC INTO PAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEF K.P. SAPKOTA PUTTING CORIANDER INTO PAN SAYING: "And if you want to taste any more, you can put ginger and coriander. In the Balti dish very important... coriander, ginger, green chillies." CLOSE UP OF CHICKEN BALTI BUBBLING IN PAN CHEF STIRRING PAN AND THEN SPOONING IT INTO A BALTI DISH (LITERALLY MEANING BOWL OR BUCKET) SIGN FOR "NEW IMRAN RESTAURANT" INSIDE RESTAURANT / OWNER IMRAN BUTT WALKING BY BUTT LAYING TABLE CLOSE UP OF BUTT LAYING TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IMRAN BUTT, OWNER OF IMRANS RESTAURANT, SAYING: "The early migrants from Pakistan, Kashmir, Punjab and other areas, came into the country and started the Balti dish within the restaurants. It was originally done just for the population that was already here and then obviously it got popular and popular and a lot of the locals decided to come along and then it just got popular from there." BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN, SIMON HOULTBY, WALKING ON STREET IN BALTI TRIANGLE AREA OF THE CITY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIMON HOULTBY, BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "Certainly the Balti originated in Birmingham before spreading around the UK, so we think if anyone has got the right to do it, it is certainly Birmingham and we are interested in looking at whether or not it is possible." CHEF STRETCHING DOUGH TO MAKE NAAN BREAD CLOSE UP OF CHEF STRETCHING DOUGH / PLACING IT ON SPECIAL PILLOW FOR COOKING PILLOW AND DOUGH BEING PLACED INTO HOT DRUM FOR COOKING CHEF LOOKING AT DRUM COOKED NAAN BREAD COMING OUT OF DRUM / PLACED ON TRAY CHEF PLACING NAAN AND CHICKEN BALTI DISH ONTO TRAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) IMRAN BUTT, OWNER OF IMRANS RESTAURANT, SAYING: "If Balti was to be trademarked, it would have its rightful ownership with Birmingham, purely because if you look at the rise of the term Balti or the rise of the Balti popularity it has originally come from Birmingham." THREE MEN EATING LUNCH IN RESTAURANT MORE OF MEN EATING LUNCH LUNCH BEING SERVED TO JOHN GAYNOR, DINING IN RESTAURANT (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN GAYNOR, DINNER, SAYING: "It can only be in Birmingham, the Balti. That's where it originated from and I think it started in 1977 and it can't go anywhere else." WIDE OF LADYPOOL ROAD, IN BIRMINGHAM'S BALTI TRIANGLE DISTRICT, FOOD SHOP CALLED "LAHORE" CLOSE UP OF "LAHORE" SHOP SIGN
- Embargoed: 10th August 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Industry,Lifestyle
- Reuters ID: LVAEQ1IM5POOZPU9XKYGIHHIR4HG
- Story Text: The Balti Triangle area of Birmingham in England wants to legally own the name of the popular curry dish, the Balti.
The city council and prominent Balti Triangle restaurant owners say they have the right to trademark the name because the dish was invented in Birmingham by the first wave of Pakistani migrants.
The exact beginnings of the Balti are unclear, but most believe it began life at some point in the late 1960's or 1970's. It is named after the flat-bottomed wok it was originally cooked in, which means "bucket" in Indian languages.
It is now served in practically every curry house across the U.K and the taste varies widely.
"The early migrants from Pakistan, Kashmir, Punjab and other areas, came into the country and started the Balti dish within the restaurants. It was originally done just for the population that was already here and then obviously it got popular and popular and a lot of the locals decided to come along and then it just got popular from there," said Imran Butt, owner of "Imrans" restaurant.
All Balti dishes contain onion, garlic and tomato and are fast-cooked over an intense flame. Imran's chef, K.P. Sapkota demonstrates how he makes his. Sapkota's secret is in the blend of freshly fried spices, finely chopped onion, dollops of tomato paste and in the garam masala and coriander thrown into the sizzling pan just before serving.
Traditionally Balti is always served with naan bread instead of rice, but anything goes these days.
There is a growing trend in the UK to seek geographically protected status for food and Birmingham wants to be part of that. The city council wants the name Balti protected in the same way that English Stilton cheese, French Champagne and Greek Feta cheese is.
"Certainly the Balti originated in Birmingham before spreading around the UK, so we think if anyone has got the right to do it, it is certainly Birmingham and we are interested in looking at whether or not it is possible," said Simon Houltby spokesman for the council.
Local enthusiasm for the idea is as fiery as a vindaloo.
Owner of a shop on Ladypool Road, in the heart of the Balti Triangle, Nisar Ahmed exclaimed in his heavy Pakistani accent: "I say to everyone who likes the Balti, 'Just come, once time, to the Ladypool Road' and they will come again, again, again again!"
But the plan is failing to curry favour with South East Asians running restaurants in other UK cities.
In London's Brick Lane, famous for its colourful Indian and Pakistani eateries, there was no appetite for Birmingham's claim on the name.
Azmal Hussain, owner of Preem and Prithi Restaurant, said it is impossible to trademark a way of cooking. He also said each chef has their own way of making the Balti and nobody is really sure what exactly was in the very first Balti cooked.
"Tell me what is the original recipe? And I'll tell you 'Yes, you can have it'" he said of the name Balti, adding, "But nobody knows the recipe. My restaurant's Balti, is not similar to next door's...it is a cuisine and it should be a cuisine and everybody has a right to use that name."
Birmingham City Council acknowledges it will have a long fight on its hands the legal plans do go ahead and that winning the case is an even longer shot. Similar cases fought in the courts have taken around ten years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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