Kababs and biryani losing out to pastas and pizzas in India: Google Search trends

With changing times and the entry of major food chains popularising western food options, Indian preferences for pizza, pasta, hamburger and other related foods have been on the rise.

Google Search trends reveal that while old world delicacies such as biryani and kababs are being searched from overseas, they seem to be losing out in popularity to contemporary food options from the west.

Biryani is the only local food (Indo-Mughal) option from Indian cuisine that still holds its turf against western offerings, although it's a distant second to the pizza.

In 2014, web searches for pizza outstripped those for biryani and kababs – testimony to an increased focus on convenient takeaways.

Interestingly though, while the pizza tops the list, pastas and hamburgers emerge as a distant fourth and fifth.

It's not just India, the pizza revolution is seen across the south Asian neighbourhood; pizza emerges as the most preferred option even in Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and Bangladesh with the biryani eating humble pie.

Interestingly Biryani takes the lead when cooking at home. The preference for Biryani as the preferred recipe for home and get together has been driving major searches on Google.

Fast food consumption among Indians has evolved with the changing lifestyles of young Indians.

What Indians eat varies from region to religion. India, Asia's second-largest country after China, occupies the largest part of the south Asian subcontinent, which it shares with Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.