World Samosa Day Date in the current year: September 5, 2024

The samosa is a stuffed savory pastry that is deep fried or sometimes baked. It can have different shapes, but the most common shape is triangular. Although the word “samosa” is Hindi and the dish is primarily associated with Indian cuisine, the samosa originated in Central Asia. The pastry was introduced to the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th or 14th century and spread across the Indian subcontinent from there.

The Indian samosa is made with all-purpose flour and can have various fillings. Popular fillings include boiled potatoes, lentils, green peas, cabbage, carrots, minced meat, and cheese. The filling is usually flavored with onions, chili peppers, and various spices. The samosa is deep-fried in oil or ghee (clarified butter) until golden brown and served hot with fresh chutney, yogurt, and/or sauce.

Samosas also are a popular snack in other countries of the Indian subcontinent such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Maldives. Although samosas in these countries are generally similar to their Indian counterparts, each cuisine also has its own samosa varieties. In Pakistan, for example, meat samosas can contain minced beef, whereas Hindus do not eat beef, and Maldivian samosas can be filled with tuna.

Outside the Indian subcontinent, samosas are a popular snack in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines. The Ethiopian samosa, known as sambusa, is filled with lentils. Since lentil sambusas are vegan, Ethiopians often consume them during fasting days, of which there are 180 in the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar.

There are foods similar to samosas in many other cuisines. For example, the samsa is a meat-stuffed bun in Central Asian cuisines (Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uygur, Uzbek). In contrast to the samosa that is typically deep fried, the samsa is typically baked in the tandoor (a traditional clay oven).

Samosa-like pastries are also popular in Burma, Indonesia, East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Somalia and Somaliland), South Africa, West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria), Mauritius, Réunion, Arab countries, Iran, Israel, Portugal and former Portuguese colonies (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe). They have also become a popular snack/street food in Western countries with a large immigrant population, where they are usually sold by Desi vendors.

The origin of World Samosa Day is unclear, but don’t let that stop your from celebrating. On September 5, go out to your favorite Indian place that serves samosas, discover a new restaurant, or make samosas yourself. You can also hold a friendly samosa cook-off for your friends and family or sign up for an Indian cooking class. Try as many samosa fillings as you can and don’t forget to take a picture of your food before diving in and share it on social media with the hashtag #WorldSamosaDay.