A Masterchef Australia judge caused a huge stir in India this week when he revealed that Chicken Tikka Masala was actually invented in Glasgow.
Glasgow-born former chef Jock Zonfrillo had been opening up on his love for the country's cuisine in an interview with India Today - which has over 12 million Facebook followers.
Jock, a TV star down under, had been asked about his favourite Indian dish, and admitted that his top choice was actually thought here in Scotland in "the early 70s", as writes Glasgow Live.
Though not huge news to many Scots, his bombshell caught the attention of the masses after the news site published the interview with the headline 'MasterChef's Jock Zonfrillo reveals Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Glasgow. Wait, what?'.
Jock said: "For me, I grew up eating (Chicken) Tikka Masala. I think it was invented in Glasgow in the early 70s. Obviously, its origins are derived from India, but it's definitely a favourite as I grew up eating it. Also, Bengali food is really really big in Glasgow.
"I don't fully understand the cultural settlement of Indian people in Glasgow, but in terms of cuisines, there was a lot of Kashmiri, Punjabi and Bengali food predominance in Glasgow. So, those are the ones I was drawn to more."
Soon the news was circulating on social media, with many restaurants across the globe getting involved in the debate.
Vancouver restaurant Vaades took to Twitter to support Jock's statement.
They tweeted: "Did You Know? One of our most favoured dishes, Chicken Tikka Masala, although Indian at heart, is not actually an Indian dish! It originated in a restaurant in Glasgow, Scotland by a British Pakistani chef who improvised a sauce from yoghurt, cream, and various spices."
And website Delecious Food joined suit, tweeting: "MasterChef’s Jock Zonfrillo reveals that Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Glasgow. Wait a minute?"
Chicken Tikka Masala is believed to have been invented by Glasgow restaurant Shish Mahal, which still going strong in the west end of the city.
Legend has it that a customer in the 70s complained his meat was too dry, prompting then-owner, Ali Ahmed Aslam, to throw together a concoction of spices and tinned tomato soup, which he had been eating while recovering from a stomach ulcer.
Whether it’s true or not is always up for debate but still, Lonely Planet named the Shish Mahal as the best place of earth to try the dish in its book 'The World’s Best Spicy Food'.
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