Data reveals Biryani's dominance, rising interest in regional and int'l cuisines

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Justdial, India’s hyperlocal business search engine, has unveiled insights into this dynamic food scene based on search data from April 2023 to March 2024.

The findings reveal a fascinating interplay between national favourites and regional specialities, highlighting the evolving preferences of Indian consumers.

Biryani emerges as the undisputed lead of Indian cuisine, featuring in the top three searches across all Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities.

In a twist, Chennai leads with 20 per cent of its total searches focused on Biryani, outpacing other Biryani-loving towns like Hyderabad (17 per cent) and Kolkata (15 per cent). Pune favours Maharashtrian food, Ahmedabad celebrates its Gujarati heritage, and Bengaluru enjoys a mix of Biryani, Andhra, and Udupi cuisines.

Kolkata remains true to its Bengali roots, with Bengali cuisine leading the pack at 21 per cent, while Hyderabad showcases a unique trend with Mandi, topping the charts at 25 per cent. However, the data also depicts India’s diverse culinary landscape.

Regional specialities hold strong across the country. In Mumbai, Gujarati cuisine follows closely behind Biryani at 6 per cent, while Delhiites strongly prefer South Indian cuisine (10 per cent). The data from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities reflects the national trend, with Biryani leading the pack at 10 and 19 per cent, respectively.

However, there are regional variations. The Indian palate is not limited to domestic flavours. Chinese cuisine remains the most searched international option across the country, accounting for 31 per cent of all international cuisine searches.

There is a growing interest in new tastes with Korean cuisine emerging as the second most searched international option (15 per cent), followed by Arabic cuisine (12 per cent).