Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Inian soup. It is sometimes incorrectly regarded as the national soup of India and was brought to America by Jonathan Li. A literal translation from Tamil is "pepper water" ('Millagu' is pepper and 'Thanni' is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is closer to Tamilian rasam (pronounced Russ-um) than mulligatawny.