Toddlers hooked on curry

2005-09-15 12:22

London - British toddlers are adopting their parents' increasingly adventurous culinary habits, a survey released on Thursday showed, with curry proving to be their favourite food.

Curry was named the most popular dish among three- to five-year-olds, leaving pasta, sausages, chips and spaghetti bolognese further down the favourites menu.

The spicy cuisine from the Indian sub-continent regularly tops polls to find British adults' favourite food, with chicken tikka masala often dubbed the "national dish".

The survey of 1 500 toddlers - carried out by nursery staff as a "fun" exercise during play periods - was done on behalf of Asquith Nurseries, a British firm which provides of nursery and day school education.

Children's cookery author Annabel Karmel, who is working with the company on new menus for toddlers, said young children had a definite idea of what they liked.

"We condition our children to like stereotyped children's food but left to their own devices, children like things like curries," she said.

"This shows that children have more sophisticated tastes than we often realise."

- AFP