Foreign investors show a growing appetite for Indian biryani

When Indian diners order biryani online from Rebel Foods they’re greeted with a culinary history of the fragrant, slow-cooked rice dish. “The recipe was lost forever when King Cyrus laid siege to Behrouz until it was discovered amongst the ruins," the story reads in part. “With this Biryani, we have brought back to life this lost recipe." Diners are invited to read the entire account, which extends to 14 chapters and describes a protracted war between two ancient Persian kingdoms.

The whole thing is made up—a canny exercise in myth-making that has helped turn the meal (named Behrouz after the fictional conflict) into a top-seller and the first branded version of India’s unofficial national dish.

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