Catch a Fire Authentic Jamaican Gourmet brings you Norman’s special Curry Powder. Curry powder is a spice mix of widely varying composition based on South Asian cuisine. Curry powder and the contemporary English use of the word “curry” are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific South Asian food, though a similar mixture of spices used in north South Asia is called garam masala. The word “curry” is derived from the Tamil word kari meaning “sauce, relish for rice”. However, use of curry was prevalent in South Asia much before the advent of Europeans in India. In fact, almost 4000 years prior to the advent of Europeans, curry with key ingredients of ginger, garlic, and turmeric was used in the Indus Valley Civilization. However, chili peppers, today a vital ingredient in both European and South Asian curry, was brought to South Asia from the Americas through the Columbian Exchange in the 16th century.