World Gastronomy I and Cuisines of the World
World Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art of selecting, preparing, serving, and enjoying food.
It's based on the relationships between a country's food, culture, and tradition.
The world is divided into distinctive cuisines that offer and use different ingredients endemic to them.
Cuisines of the World
Cuisine refers to the food and method of preparation traditionally used in a region or population.
Factors shaping cuisines include:
Religious laws prohibiting certain food items.
Economic conditions regulating trade in delicacies and imported ingredients.
Climate determining available cooking ingredients.
Cuisines of the Americas
The Americas are home to some of the oldest cultural cuisines and the world’s first global fusion cuisines.
Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas introduced ingredients from America to Europe and Asia and vice versa, leading to their incorporation into other cuisines.
Caribbean Cuisine
Caribbean cuisine is diverse due to the convergence of European, African, and Asian gastronomies.
The cultural philosophy revolves around using available resources, stemming from the slave trade and Asian immigration era when access to food was limited.
Famous Caribbean dishes:
Crack Conch: conch meat
A Bahamian dish made from conch meat (a large sea snail).
The conch meat is pounded to tenderize, breaded, and deep-fried until golden and crispy.
Ropa Vieja: stewed beef
A Cuban dish made from stewed, shredded beef.
Topped with tomatoes and a sofrito base (puree of tomato, pepper, cilantro, onions, and garlic).
Served with rice and black beans.
Translated as “old clothes,” traditionally made from leftover food.
Griyo/Griot (Baked Pork Shoulder): pork shoulder
A popular dish in Haiti.
Pork shoulder is marinated in citrus juices, garlic, Scotch bonnet peppers, and aromatic spices (thyme, cloves, parsley).
Deep-fried until crispy golden-brown.
Served with pikliz (thinly sliced cabbage, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and Scotch bonnet peppers pickled in vinegar brine).
Asopao: soupy consistency
A Puerto Rican rice dish cooked to a soupy consistency.
Main protein can be beef, poultry, pork, or seafood.
Cooked with ham, onions, peppers, tomatoes, sausages, and olives.
Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated
A popular dish in Jamaica.
Chicken marinated or dry rubbed with a combination of spices (green onions, garlic, ginger, habaneros, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, thyme, and spices).
Grilled or baked.
First cooked by laborers who escaped into the wilderness, cooking meat on wood fires.
Mexican Cuisine
Mexico has been home to several great civilizations, such as the Toltec, Maya, and Aztecs, who contribute to the country's development, including their cuisine.
Native cultures did not have a written language, so specifics are unknown, but they contributed to the foundation of Mexican cuisine.
The arrival of the Spanish led to cheese-making, sausage-making, stew preparation, the use of fats for searing and sauteing, and pastry and bread making.
The French invasion led to the refinement of rich sauces and structured classification of food and menus.
Popular Mexican Dishes:
Chilaquiles: corn tortillas
A common breakfast in Mexico.
Consists of quartered, fried corn tortillas topped with salsa.
Enmolada: shredded chicken with black mole sauce
Shredded chicken and cotija cheese (aged Mexican cheese) wrapped in corn tortillas.
Doused with black mole sauce (made from Mexican chocolate, herbs, and spices).
Topped with sesame seeds and more cheese.
Elote: ‘ boiled corn
popular street food.
Boiled corn seasoned with salt, chili powder, sour cream butter, lime, mayonnaise, and cheese.
Served on a stick or sliced off the cob in a cup.
Chongos Zamoranos: dessert/ raw milk
A dessert prepared using raw milk, sugar, cinnamon, and rennet tablets (an enzyme used for coagulating milk).
Has a sweet taste and cheese-like consistency.
Escamoles (Mexican Caviar): larvae and pupae
Edible larvae and pupae of ants.
Have a nutty and buttery flavor and become crunchy after being fried.
Usually consumed with tacos, omelets, or salsa and served with tortillas.
South American Cuisine
South American indigenous tribes (Incas, Quechua, and other Native Americans) developed irrigation systems and terraced mountains for growing corn, lima beans, and chili peppers.
Europeans brought livestock and ingredients, such as pigs, chickens, goats, citrus, and wheat.
The combination of indigenous tribes and European influences resulted in South American cuisine.
Popular South American Dishes:
Churrasco: beef (Sirloin cap)
Fresh cut of beef (sirloin cap) called picanha, grilled, sliced, and put on a skewer.
Popular in Brazil.
A tender, juicy steak served with chimichurri sauce (olive oil, onion, garlic, spices and herbs, and red wine vinegar).
Pan de Bono: bread / bagels
Traditional Colombian bread shaped into bagels or balls.
Made up of cassava starch, corn flour, queso fresco (cow and goat milk), sugar, and eggs.
Served warm with hot chocolate.
Leche de Tigre:. Peruvian beverage
A Peruvian beverage made from ceviche (fish marinated in citrus and seasonings) juice.
Can be made with fish stock, pureed fish, or milk to balance acidity.
Pastel de Choclo: casserole Pie with ground beef
A creamy, soft casserole-like pie famous in Chile.
Consists of ground beef, chicken, onions, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, and dough from freshly ground corn, called choclo.
Locro de Papa: Ecuadorian soup
A classic Ecuadorian soup made from onions, potatoes, garlic, annatto, milk, cumin, and queso fresco.
Simmered until fully cooked; cheese is mixed until it melts.
Served hot, topped with chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and hot sauce.
Cuisines of Europe
European cuisine is distinct because of the use of a wide array of sauces and many vegetable dishes.
The cuisine focuses on naturality and lightness, using less seasoning and spices to preserve the natural tastes of the food products.
Cuisine of the British Isles
The British Isles includes England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
British cuisine has been heavily influenced by foreign invaders, such as the Vikings (smoking technique) and Romans (cherries, cabbages, and wines).
Overseas trade helped in the adoption and arrival of spices (saffron, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, and sugar) from the Americas.
A typical British cuisine consists of meat and vegetable dishes, but traditional meals still include bread and cheese, meat and game pies, boiled vegetables and soups, and roasted and stewed meats.
Famous British Dishes:
Sunday Roast: roasted meat
Traditionally eaten every Sunday.
Roasted meat (beef, lamb, duck, chicken, or pork), assorted potatoes, and other vegetables served with gravy.
Scone: cake
A cake made of flour, milk, and butter.
Halved and eaten with butter and jam, sometimes contains raisins.
Steak and Kidney Pie: Savory pie with diced beef
A savory pie filled with diced beef, kidney (ox, pork, or lamb), fried onion, and brown gravy.
The gravy consists of salted beef broth flavored with Worcestershire sauce and black pepper thickened with flour.
Fish and Chips: fried fish and French fries
Battered and deep-fried fish (cod or haddock) and French fries.
Was not subjected to rationing during World War II because it was believed to boost morale and contribute to defeating Nazi Germany.
Cornish Pastry: baked pastry
A baked pastry made by placing a filling of vegetables and meat on a flat pastry circle, folding it to wrap the filling, and crimping its edge to seal it before placing it in the oven.
French Cuisine
French cuisine has been celebrated as the Western world’s finest cuisine.
Two types:
Haute Cuisine: Traditional style where recipes are meats and fish prepared with sauces containing cream, egg yolks, brandy, sugar, and other starches.
Nouvelle Cuisine: Emphasizes lighter, subtler tastes that require the best and freshest raw ingredients.
Popular French Dishes:
Quiche Lorraine: big tart
A big tart containing bacon or grilled ham, eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper.
The top is baked until lightly browned to give it a smokey taste.
Cassoulet: casserole
A casserole made with white beans and various types of meat: different parts of pork, sausage, and duck legs.
All ingredients are slowly braised together for hours in a glazed terracotta pot until the hardest piece of meat gets tender.
Pot Au Feu: stewed meat with mixed vegetables
A national dish and the most celebrated dish in France by poor and affluent families.
A classic French comfort food, it is stewed meat with mixed vegetables.
Coq Au Vin: chicken braised “rooster in red wine”
Means “rooster in red wine.”
Chicken braised with red wine, mushrooms, and garlic.
Foie Gras: buttery pate
A soft buttery pâté (a mixture of seasoned ground food) made with duck liver with a texture similar to ice cream.
Spread on a toast of crispy, warm bread and is mostly used for extravagant parties and ceremonies.
Scandinavian Cuisine
Scandinavia covers Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark.
Cooking methods revolve around a stove or fire for baking, roasting, pan-frying, stewing, or sauteing due to the region's cold climate.
Climate challenges led to food preservation techniques: salting, pickling, smoking, and drying.
Popular Scandinavian Dishes:
Kladdkaka: chocolate cake
A rich chocolate cake famous in Sweden made from eggs, cocoa or chocolate, butter, flour, and sugar.
It results in a dense and luscious dessert with a moist center and a thin and crunchy outer layer.
Danish Pastry: laminated dough
Made with laminated dough (repeatedly covered with butter and folded over itself) shaped into different forms, such as pinwheels.
They are filled with flavorful and creamy fruit fillings.
Köttbullar: meatballs
Famous Swedish meatballs consisting of ground beef mixed with pork or veal and typically seasoned with onions, salt, pepper, and allspice.
The rounded meatballs are browned in hot butter until their exterior is crispy brown but with a light, airy, and tender texture on the interior.
Pinnekjøtt: rack of lamb
A rack of lamb or mutton that is brined and air-dried/smoked before being sliced into individual ribs.
Cooked on birch branches (thin-leaved tree) and steamed until all the water evaporates so the meat becomes juicy and tender.
Usually served with mashed potatoes, pureed turnips, and various salads.
Brunede Kartofler: caramelized glace
Made from cooked and peeled potatoes simmered in a mixture of butter and sugar until completely coated in the caramelized glace.
Mediterranean Cuisine
The Mediterranean includes Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Greece, Spain, Malta, and Portugal.
Mediterranean cuisine focuses on fresh, minimal-processed ingredients, pronounced flavors, and simple recipes with varieties.
Basic ingredients include olives, wheat, and grapes, where olive oil, bread, and wine can be produced, respectively.
Considered one of the healthiest and most delicious because it widely uses olive-based products and unrefined grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Famous Mediterranean Dishes:
Paella: Dish for agricultural workers
One of Spain’s most popular dishes.
Originally a dish for agricultural workers made with short-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, beans, saffron, chicken, and seafood.
Traditionally eaten straight from a massive pan, each person using a wooden spoon.
Falafel: street food/ ground chickpeas
Mostly a street food in Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel.
A tasty combination of ground chickpeas with fresh herbs and spices shaped into small patties and sometimes served between slices of pita bread.
Hummus: dipping sauce
A dipping sauce made by blending chickpeas (garbanzos) with tahini (sesame paste), citrus, and garlic.
Batons of fresh vegetables, such as carrots and celery, or warm pita bread are the common food items where the hummus is used as a dipping sauce.
Moussaka: baked dish
A popular baked dish from Greece made from fried eggplants, potatoes, beef, or lamb mince sauce and finished with a bechamel sauce.
It is similar to a lasagna, except this dish is made with layers of vegetables.
Stuffat Tal-Fenek: rabbit stew
A traditional rabbit stew from Malta that is slow-cooked in a rich tomato, garlic, and red wine sauce until the meat becomes tender.
Cuisines of Asia
Asia is the largest continent globally in terms of both land area and population.
It is home to various ethnicities and food habits.
Asian food blends sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter tastes.
Asian cuisine focuses on a combination of flavors and textures.
North Asian Cuisine
The North Asian region includes the bulk of Siberia of Russia and the northeastern edges of the Asian continent.
Most of North Asia is under the government of the Russian Federation.
Russia heavily influences its cuisine.
Famous Dishes:
Blini: wheat pancake
A wheat pancake rolled with various fillings, such as jam, cheese, caviar, sour cream, onions, or chocolate syrup.
It is the equivalent of a crepe in Russia.
Pashka: cheesecake/festive dessert
A festive dessert made commonly during Easter.
This sweetened cheesecake dessert is decorated with Christian symbols for the holiday feast.
Pelmeni: Pastry dumplings
Pastry dumplings filled with minced meat and wrapped in a thin pasta-liked dough.
They are usually served alone, pan-fried in butter, topped with sour cream, or in a soup broth.
Shchi: cabbage soup
A cabbage soup made from fresh or fermented cabbage and contains potatoes, onions, carrots, and chicken.
Solyanka: thick soup
A thick soup made with various types of smoked meat, including sausage, ham, bacon, beef, and vegetables, such as carrots, onions, cabbage, and potatoes.
Central Asian Cuisine
Central Asia covers Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
The region uses various spices, but its cuisine is not too spicy.
Central Asian cuisine is commonly mild and uses fresh ingredients from nearby regions.
Commonly used ingredients are lamb, beef, bread, baked pies, and handmade noodles.
Famous dishes:
Boorsoks: little fried dough
Little fried dough for special events and served as restaurant appetizers.
Kumis: fermented horse milk
Fermented horse milk popular in North and Central Asia.
Manty: dumpling-meat, fat and onions.
A dumpling filled with minced meat, fat, and onions.
It is steamed and served with ketchup, vinegar, or sour cream.
Pirozhki: fried or baked dough
A fried or baked dough filled with mashed potatoes or cabbage.
Shorpo: meat broth soup
A meat broth soup with big pieces of fatty mutton meat.
South Asian Cuisine
The South Asian region includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
South Asian cuisine is unique because of the prevalence of vegetarian food (grains and legumes) and the use of spices.
Long-grain rice is the most commonly consumed grain.
Masalas are mixtures of spices and herbs that can be fresh and “wet” or dried and powdered.
Islamic dietary laws are prevalent across Bangladesh.
Halal food includes food items Muslims can eat and drink under Islamic dietary guidelines.
Cultured milk (yogurt) is typically used as a condiment and an ingredient in most South Asian dishes.
Popular dishes:
Kadhi: curry
A curry made with yogurt and chickpea or garbanzo bean flour.
Khichri: vegetables sautéed
Combines vegetables sautéed with rice and dal (a collective term for dried lentils, peas, and beans) in ample ghee (a type of clarified butter).
Khichri is usually served with kadhi.
Samosa: angular
An angular, deep-fried turnover with spicy potatoes, vegetables, cheese, or meat stuffing served with chutney (a condiment made from a combination of chopped fruits, vinegar, spices, and sugar with a thick consistency).
Biryani: rice dish cooked in clay pot
A mixed rice dish made from Indian spices, such as pepper, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, meat, cheese, egg, or fish.
It is often cooked in a clay pot, sealed with dough, and layered with herbs and yogurt.
Kottu: Sri Lanka/ paratha bread
A popular street food in Sri Lanka made of shredded bits of paratha bread (a flatbread in the South Asian region), then stir-fried with several spices and meat or vegetables.
It is frequently served with a spicy curry sauce.
East Asian Cuisine
East Asian region includes China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan.
Rice is essential in East Asian cuisine and is believed to have been introduced to the region from India.
Rice can also be made into a congee porridge for breakfast or as a late-night snack, with added vegetables, meat, or fish for flavor.
Common dishes in East Asia:
Dumplings: small steamed bundles
Small steamed bundles made with wontons filled with bits of shrimp, crab, and vegetables or bread-like versions filled with spiced pork, minced beef, or sweetened bean paste, then baked, steamed, or pan-fried.
Bibimbap: Korean dish
A Korean dish with rice, vegetables, beef, gochujang (hot chili paste), and a fried egg.
It is seasoned with soy sauce and sesame seeds.
Samgyeopsal: south korean delicacy
A South Korean delicacy consisting of pork belly cooked at a table in a special pan to let the fat run off the sides of it.
It became popular in the 1960s when the price of soju decreased, and people needed a dish to go with it since it was low-priced at that time.
Ramen: Staple in Japan/ noodles.
A staple in Japanese cuisine.
It is made with noodles and served with meat and vegetables in a broth.
Sashimi: thinly sliced raw food.
It refers to any thinly sliced raw food, including raw beef, chicken, and horse, but fish and seafood are the most popular.
Southeast Asian Cuisine
The countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand comprise the Southeast Asian region.
The region’s traditional emphasis is on lightly prepared food items and aromas using a delicate balance of quick stir-frying, steaming, and boiling with herbs, spices, and seasonings.
Southeast Asian cuisines have many ingredients in common, but the food preparation methods and meal patterns reflect the foreign cultures that have influenced each nation.
A meal is not considered complete unless rice is included.
Common Dishes of the Region:
Popiah: fresh spring roll
A fresh spring roll served fresh or fried, commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Nasi Lemak: fragrant rice
Made with fragrant rice, peanuts, spicy sambal, boiled egg, and dried anchovies wrapped in a banana leaf parcel.
Pad Thai: fried noodle dish
A fried noodle dish with a sweet and sour taste, usually made with shrimp or chicken, crunchy bean sprouts, eggs, onion, and finely grated peanuts.
Pho: Vietnamese soup
A traditional Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, noodles, chicken or beef, and fresh herbs.
It is traditionally eaten for breakfast and favored by the locals and travelers.
Laap/Lahp/Larb: minced meat salad
A minced meat salad in Laos made with chicken, beef, duck, fish, or pork, usually seasoned with fish sauce, fermented fish juice, lime juice, rice noodles, and fresh herbs.
West Asian Cuisine
West Asia includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Most of the region is often referred to as the Middle East.
Pork is banned in Islam and Judaism, so
it is hardly consumed in the region.
Eating naan (bread), along with mutton and kebabs, hot peppers, black pepper, cloves, and other strong spices, became widespread.
In addition to rice, chapati made from wheat or barley is also a diet staple, and beans play an essential role in meals.
Famous food items of the region:
Tabouleh: blending bulgar
Made by blending bulgur (cracked wheat), finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, garlic, olive oil, onion, lemon juice, and sour pomegranate syrup.
It can be served with a side of pita and romaine lettuce leaves, which act as wraps for the salad.
Shawarma: dish with sliced meat
A dish comprising sliced meat (chicken, beef, lamb, or turkey) wrapped in a warm pita and dressed with garlic sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and tahini sauce (a combination of sesame seed paste, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice).
Kebab: skewered meat
A skewered meat, such as lamb or beef, with vegetables and then grilled.
The meat is typically sliced into bite-size cubes and marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and various spices.
Kabsa: long grain rice with lentils.
A rice (usually long grain rice) dish with meat, lentils, fish, lamb, and spices with a distinct mild, lemony flavor.
It is served on almost every occasion, including weddings.
Thareed: red meat chunks
A dish of red meat chunks with vegetables and a thick sauce from fresh tomatoes and tomato paste.
It is served over flatbread.
It is a popular dish during Ramadan as a main meal after the soup during the fasting break.