International Cuisines -how do you differentiate?!
Can you please tell me how to differentiate between the different international cuisines? In the first place, what are the various kinds of cuisines?
Answers: I have heard people saying that they love a particular cuisine (Continental, oriental, etc). When there are corporate lunches/dinners and I am asked for my preferences, I am really in a soup as I really dont understand which kind of food falls into which category. And it really gets embarassing, when I am served with something which I 'thought' to have been something else!
Can you please tell me how to differentiate between the different international cuisines? In the first place, what are the various kinds of cuisines?
People worldwide share a love of food. But the ingredients, flavorings, seasonings and cooking methods they use are quite varied. Whether defined by geography, history, ethnicity, politics or religion, various societies eat different foods seasoned and prepared in distinctive manners. These differences shape and define their particular cuisine.
One popular way of studying various ethnic cusines is to look at several components that, when properly combined, give a cuisine its distinctive flavor profile. Each ethnic cuisine is distinctive because an identifiable combination of flavors pervades the entire food system.
For any cuisine some of the components may be:
Herbs and Seasonings—fresh herbs, chilies, warm spices, citrus, onions
? Liquids—stock, wine, soy sauce, vinegar
? Fats—butter, olive oil, peanut oil, lard
? Fuel (cooking techniques)—slow braising, stir-frying, roasting, grilling
? Starches—rice, corn, wheat, barley, potatoes
The seasoning and flavoring ingredients used in a cuisine are generally determined by local availability, which is in turn defined by geography. If grazing land is available and cattle are plentiful, dairy products and butter will be used; if the climate is just right and olive trees are abundant, olive oil will be the preferred fat. If an area experiences long, cold winters then dried, salted or cured meats and vegetables will be used. Climate, topography and historic trade patterns determine the basic structure of all cuisines.
The globalization of cuisine is a popular topic in food circles. The rapid movement of people, ingredients and technology during the last half of the 20th century had a dramatic influence on the exploration and acceptance of ethnic cuisines within the countries of the world.
And here is the list of cuisines world-wide:
Afghan - African - American
Argentinian - Armenian - Australian
Austrian
Bahamian - Balinese - Bavarian
Belgian - Brazilian - British
Burmese
Cajun - Californian - Caribbean
Caymanian - Chilean - Chinese
Creole: Traditional - Cuban - Cyprus
Dim Sum
Egyptian - Ethiopian
Filipino - Finnish - French
French: Regional - Fusion
German - Greek - Guatemalan
Hungarian
Icelandic - Indian - Indonesian
Iranian - Irish - Italian
Italian: Tuscany
Jamaican - Japanese - Jewish
Korean
Laotian - Lebanese
Malaysian - Mexican - Mongolian
Moroccan - Myanmar
Nepalese - Norwegian
Pakistani - Philippine - Polish
Portuguese
Roman - Romanian - Russian
Scottish - Singaporean - Soul
South African - Southern - Spanish
Sri Lankan - Swiss - Szechwan
Taiwanese - Tapas - Tex-Mex
Thai - Tibetan - Turkish
Ukrainian
Viennese - Vietnamese
You may be able to find the details of each of these cuisines at the following web site. You would understand, why I did not detail out the cuisines here - since the topic of each cuisine detailed is almost a page or so.
Wish you a delectable sumptuous exploration.
Cuisines of North East India
Assamese Cuisine
Assamese food is mainly based on rice and fish. For dessert, or for those with a sweet tooth, there is a wide range in "pithas" (cakes).
Rice is the staple diet in Assam and is eaten in various forms throughout the day. The Assamese eat a huge variety of rice-based breakfast cereals with milk, yoghurt or thick cream-akhoi (puffed rice), chira (chura), muri, komal chaul (a specially processed rice which doesn’t require cooking but just an hour’s soak in cold water) and hurum to name but a few. Normally jaggery or sugar is added but for those who prefer savoury items, salt can be added. Also there are the various kinds of pitha that are prepared from rice powder.
Authentic Assamese cuisine is bland and yet very delicious. Very little oil is used and practically no spices. All Assamese people are non-vegetarian. Chicken is taboo in orthodox families and there are some, who may not eat meat. But it’s difficult to find anyone who does not eat fish and duck’s eggs. Mustard oil is used for cooking and occasionally clarified butter or ghee.
Book a tour to North East India
Arunachali Cuisine
Traditional north-east delicacies, Chinese food and local food are available here. Poeple here generally take non-vegetarian diets. Most of their cuisines include non-vegetarian meals. Apong (local drinks made from rice or millet) is also take by the people here.
Manipuri Cuisine
The traditional Manipuri fine dining was a literally 'sit-down' affair with banana-leaf plates. Their love for rice can be seen in every household here. Some take rice with meat, and some others prefer a fish delicacy along with the main dish. In fact Kabok, a traditional speciality, is mostly fried rice with a world of vegetables added in. The Iromba, an eclectic combination of fish, vegetables and bamboo shoots is served fermented.
Meghalayan Cuisine
The Meghalayan cuisine is heavily tilted in favour of meat, particularly pork. Jadoh - a spicy dish of rice and pork is eaten almost any time. Besides, the local pork delicacies cooked Khasi-style, Shillong is also the Mecca of authentic Chinese food. Kyat, the local brew made from rice, adds zing to all the local celebrations. You can taste it at any of the bars spread all over Shillong Meghalaya.
Book a tour to North East India
Mizoram Cuisine
The people of Mizoram are basically non-vegetarian and love meat. The food is not spicy and is cooked in such a way that the nutritive value is actually retained. The locally made wine is a great favourite. "Zu" (tea) is a popular drink. Both men and women are fond of smoking.
Sikkimese Cuisine
Sikkim has its own unique dietary culture with specific cuisine and food recipes. You can get a variety of food in Sikkim, but specialities like the Tibetan Thupka and Momos are very popular here. A beverage to be sampled is the local 'Tchang', a beer made of millet and served in a bamboo mug. You can find this at small restaurants serving Sikkimese cuisine.
Sikkimese are essentially rice-eaters. Alcoholic drinks are popular both amongst men and women. Various traditional fermented foods and beverages is very common. Beef eating is common amongst the Bhutias. Some of the common traditional cuisine with their food recipes are - Momos, Gya Thuk or Thukpa, Ningro with Churpi, Gundruk, Phagshapa, Sael Roti.
Tripuri Cuisine
The large Bengali community in Tripura makes for a non-vegetarian favoured cuisine, with fish being an integral part of the menu. Most of the household here serves authentic Bengali delicacies.
RECREATIONAL COURSES - INTERNATIONAL AND ETHNIC CUISINES
The world is divided into different regions and cultures. As there are diverse regions and cultures existing in our world, there are different cooking patterns and people cook different types of ethnic and international cuisines. International and Ethnic cuisines have various types of ingredients and recipes. There are various types of recreational cooking courses undertaken in international and ethnic cooking at culinary schools such as French Cooking, Italian Cooking, Mexican Cooking, Thai Cooking, Vegetarian Cooking to name a few. The course also includes techniques of cooking, methods & flavors, knife skills, other foreign flavors, pastry & baking, wine and beverage.
1. French Cooking: French cuisine is an extremely refined form of cooking as it has been evolved and perfected over the years. Classical French techniques are blended with cutting edge American technology to educate the students in French cooking. The foundation of French cuisine is basic pastries, French sauces recipes, pastry dough, seafood and vegetables. French cooking requires profound understanding of each ingredient. Western cuisines are greatly influenced by french cooking techniques. Culinary schools use French cooking as the base foundation for western cuisines.
2. Italian Cooking: Italian cooking is a mixture of pasta, grains, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, veal, fish, meats, wines and olive oil. Italian cooking course educates students in Italian cuisine using all these ingredients. Students also learn the world famous Italian pizza toppings & more in Italian cooking courses.
3. Mexican Cooking: Mexican cuisine comprises of a variety of spices, beans, squash, tomatoes, corn, papaya, vanilla, guava and chili peppers. Students are acquainted with a different variety of chili peppers. Mexican cooking courses educate students in the techniques and style of Mexican cuisine. Students also learn the essential flavorings and spices of Mexican food. Culinary students are also trained in Mexican salsa and traditional mexican beverages like tequila, margaritas and mescal.
4. Thai Cooking: Thai cuisine is a combination of many of the eastern cuisines such as sauces, flavors which are rustic and bitter, coconut, stir-fried dishes, sticky rice. Students learn to prepare Thai cuisine using all these ingredients.
5. Vegetarian Cooking: If you enjoy cooking vegetarian dishes then you should join vegetarian cooking courses whose curriculum includes a wide section on cooking vegetarian food. Vegetarian cooking has wide variety of spices, flavors, ingredients and dishes to choose. Vegetarian cooking students learn the basics in vegetarian cooking and lot more.
6. Wine and Beverages: The program concentrates on beverages, wine processes, spirits and how they are supplied to hotels, banquet facilities, cruise ships, restaurants. Wine and beverages program also trains you in management, leadership, marketing, communications, financial management, employee relationships and accounting.
unlike the others.. i cant write a LOOOOOONG list..
you can differenciate them by taste and ingredients..
When someone mentions they love a cuisine, ask where their favorite restaurant is that serves that type of cuisine. You can also ask what their favorite dish is.
I'll give you the link rather than trying to give an explanation
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterrane...
2) continental cuisine– Style of cooking that includes the better-known dishes of various western European countries.
3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_cu...
4) Oriental cuisine, especially means Chinese, and especially of the spicier varieties such as Szechuan and Hunan.
Google search for continental ,internatinal dishes you will find all catagories