On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 19:43:16 +0100, "Christophe Bachmann"
> wrote:

wrote :
>
>> so, if they're not looking for the word "tikka" they are looking at
>> the word masala???????
>>
>AFAIK they are looking not for tikka alone, not for masala alone, but the
>group 'tikka masala' together.
>
>> masala is a sanskrit word you can find in the RAMAYANA and it means
>> the ingredients used to make a sauce or powder used in a particular
>> dish...such as garam masala is a combination of powdered ingredients
>> combined to make a 'whole' which can be used in dishes.
>>
>> i'd say the word 'masala' is about as ancient as a cooking term can
>> be!!
>>
>>
>>
>>> From: Richard Wright >
>>> Organization: Ihug Limited
>>> Newsgroups: rec.food.historic
>>> Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 09:20:44 +1100
>>> Subject: earliest use tikka masala
>>>
>>> The OED newsletter is asking for information about the published use
>>> in English of the phrase tikka masala. They are looking for its use
>>> before 1975.
>>>
>>> It is not the use of the word tikka on its own that they are looking
>>> for.
>>>
>>> If anyone can cite a use before 1975 then I can pass it on to the
>>> editors of the newsletter.
>

As I said in my original post, they are looking for the earliest
published use of the *phrase in English*.