Like the word “barbecue,” the culinary term “curry” can refer to many different things.

In Texas, “barbecue” refers to a specific type of recipe and technique to cook and flavor meat with indirect heat. In the rest of the world, however, “barbecue” usually refers to direct-heat grilling.

Similarly, “curry” is often a catch-all term for a spicy, herbaceous broth or sauce that is consumed on its own or used to complement vegetables and proteins like beef, chicken or seafood. But if you zoom in to countries like India or Thailand, there are very specific types of curry dishes.

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If you’ve ever had the dish known as “butter chicken” at your local Indian restaurant, then you’ve had a North Indian-style curry made from yogurt and tomatoes. Curries from Thailand tend to be bright and herbaceous.

The complexity of the flavors in both Texas barbecue and, say, Thai........

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