Cuisine

A cuisine is a special way of cooking that has its own unique ingredients, methods, and dishes. It is usually linked to a particular culture or place in the world. Different areas have their own ways of preparing food, along with their own traditions and ingredients, which come together to create dishes that are special to that region. This makes every cuisine interesting and delicious in its own way.

Etymology

The word "cuisine" has been used in English since the late 1700s. It comes from the French word for "style of cooking," which originally meant "kitchen." This French word itself comes from a Latin word meaning "to cook."

Influences on cuisine

A cuisine is shaped by what ingredients are available locally or through trade. For example, Japanese rice is a key part of Japanese cuisine.

Religious food laws also play a role. Indian cuisine often avoids meat and eggs due to Hinduism's respect for animals. Other religions, like Islam in Middle Eastern cuisine and Judaism in Jewish and Israeli cuisine, also have their own food rules. Climate and trade also affect what people eat. For example, tropical areas might use more fruits and vegetables, while colder areas rely on meat and fish. Trade brought spices like cinnamon and turmeric to new places, changing how people cooked. Over time, sharing cooking methods between cultures led to new dishes, like tempura in Japan.

History

Further information: List of historical cuisines

Cuisine has been around since ancient times. As people started to plan more about their food, meals began to reflect the cultures of different places. This led to the creation of special dishes that are unique to each area.

Evolution of cuisine

Cuisines are always changing, and new types of cooking appear through new ideas and mixing of different cultures. For example, fusion cuisine mixes parts of many different cooking styles and is common in many restaurants today. Nouvelle cuisine is a way of cooking and presenting food in French cuisine that became popular in the 1960s.

Also, new ways of cooking like molecular cuisine use science to create special dishes. This idea started in 1999. When new foods are traded around the world, they can change how people cook. For example, when hot pepper came to China from South America, it changed Sichuan cuisine by adding a very spicy flavor.

Global cuisine

Main articles: Global cuisine and List of cuisines

A global cuisine is a style of cooking that people use all around the world. It can be grouped based on the main foods they use, like grains, fruits and vegetables, and the types of fats used in cooking.

Regional diversity

Regional cuisines change based on what ingredients are available, how people cook, and the traditions of a place. These can be the same across large areas or very different even in small regions. For example, in parts of Central and South America, corn is a main food used in many dishes. In northern Europe, wheat, rye, and animal fats are common, while in southern Europe, olive oil is used a lot and rice is more popular. In Italy, northern food often uses butter and rice, while southern food uses wheat pasta and olive oil. In some areas of Greece, gyros are a staple food, while in other areas, bread is more common. Across the Middle East and Mediterranean, common ingredients include lamb, olive oil, lemons, peppers, and rice. In much of India, vegetables are very important because of vegetarian traditions, so foods like chickpeas and lentils are common. From India to Indonesia, spices are used a lot, and coconuts and seafood are popular ingredients and flavorings.

African cuisine

Main article: List of African cuisines

African cuisines use local fruits, grains, and vegetables, along with milk and meat. In some areas, traditional meals include a lot of milk, curd, and whey. In tropical Africa, cow’s milk is not always available because of diseases that affect animals. Africa has many different groups of people, so there are many ways of eating, different dishes, and various cooking methods.

Asian cuisines

Main article: List of Asian cuisines

Because Asia is so big and has many different places and people, Asian cuisines are many and varied. They include East Asian cuisine, South Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisine, Central Asian cuisine, and West Asian cuisine. Common ingredients in East and Southeast Asia include rice, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, chilies, dried onions, soy, and tofu. Common cooking methods are stir frying, steaming, and deep frying. Rice is used in most parts of Asia but different kinds are popular in different places: Basmati rice in South Asia, Jasmine rice in Southeast Asia, long-grain rice in China, and short-grain rice in Japan and Korea. Curry is found in South, Southeast, and East Asia but not as much in West and Central Asia. Curries from South Asia often have a yogurt base, those from Southeast Asia use coconut milk, and East Asian curries are usually a mix of stewed meat and vegetables. South and Southeast Asian cuisines often use many spices and herbs from tropical areas.

Asian cuisines are also shaped by religion and culture. For example, Halal eating rules affect cooking in West and South Asia, while Buddhist meals in East Asia often focus on vegetables. Street food is common across Asia, with night markets in places like Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea offering many quick and cheap meals. Globalization has mixed Asian cooking with Western styles, creating foods like Korean fried chicken, sushi rolls with cream cheese, and Indian curry served in fast-food places.

European cuisine

Main article: List of European cuisines

European cuisine includes the foods of Europe and other Western countries. It also covers foods in North America, Australasia, Oceania, and Latin America. Some East Asians use this term to describe cooking that is different from East Asian styles. In English, it often means the foods of Continental Europe.

Oceanian cuisine

Main article: Oceanic cuisine

Oceanian cuisines include Australian cuisine, New Zealand cuisine, and foods from many islands in Oceania. Australian food comes from Anglo-Celtic traditions, native Bushfood, and new Asian influences. New Zealand food includes European dishes like Pavlova and native Māori cooking. In Oceania, staples include Kūmura and Taro, which are important from Papua New Guinea to the South Pacific. On most South Pacific islands, fish is a common food because of the nearby ocean.

Cuisines of the Americas

Main articles: List of cuisines of the Americas and Native American cuisine

The cuisines of the Americas are found across North and South America and are based on the foods of people who came from Europe. European cooking has been changed by adding local and native ingredients, and many of their ways of cooking have been added to traditional foods. Native American cuisine is made by the original people of the continent and influences many other foods in Latin America. Common foods across the continent include corn, beans, and potatoes, each coming from different places. Regional cuisines include North American cuisine, Mexican cuisine, Central American cuisine, South American cuisine, and Caribbean cuisine.