Indian cuisine in introducing certain foods to this country. For instance, potato, a staple of the diet in some regions of India, was brought to India by the Portuguese, who also introduced chillies and breadfruit. Indian cuisine has shaped the history of international relations; the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for Europe's Age of Discovery. Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. Indian cuisine has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the British Isles, Fiji, and the Caribbean. Indian cuisine
South Indian cuisine mildest in terms of spice content among the cuisines of the five south Indian states, the traditional cuisine of Karnataka is known for its generous use of jaggery, palm sugar and limited use of chili powder; however, Northern Karnataka cuisine, which can be extremely hot in taste, is an exception. Since the percentage of vegetarians in Karnataka is higher than that of other southern states, vegetarian food enjoys widespread popularity. In North Karnataka, the staple grains are sorghum and pearl millet, along with rice. Rotis made out of these two grains, along with side dishes made of eggplant, fresh spiced