The Art of World Cuisines

You only have to take a look around the famous art galleries of the world and you can see how food has influenced and inspired the creation of beautiful, fascinating and extraordinary artwork. Chefs from every nation also view cuisine as an art form and express this through the preparation, use of ingredients and the presentation of the dishes they design.

The definition of cuisine is ‘a characteristic manner or style of preparing food’. Cooking is diverse in its flavors and tastes, not only does each country have its own national cuisine, so does every region within that country, and even families are known to have a special recipe that has been passed down through the generations.

As travel to foreign countries becomes more accessible, part of the fun of travelling is to find out about other cultures and explore the regions cuisine, delighting in tastes and flavors never experienced before can help you to understand the country and its people. Travel also enables our taste buds to change, there was a time when eating pasta, Indian or Mexican food would be only for the adventuress, now it is easily accessible to most people.

Cuisines are influenced by the ingredients and traditions afforded to them. They have evolved not only from the produce and spices that are grown locally, but also the way the food is prepared, the cooking utensils used, and traditions and customs, even trade routes and religion have had an impact on a particular cuisine.

In most cities these days it is easy to find international restaurants selling a variety of cuisines from all over the world. We now not only have access to our own traditional food but also can choose to eat Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian or Greek just as easily. New cuisines are introduced all the time as a generation of original chefs comes up with new ideas and recipes.

Indian food has been influenced, and influenced, many cuisines. Mongolians brought India their hot pot cooking, Persian rulers brought their own ingredients and style of cooking with them, the Chinese came to trade and along the way introduced stir fry’s, and the Portuguese contributed tomato, chilli, and potato, basic ingredients of today's Indian cuisine. For simple Indian recipes try Tandoori chicken, just skin chicken drumsticks and make the paste by mixing together yogurt, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper and garam masala. Marinate for six hours and enjoy.

Greek cuisine has an abundance of delectable Greek foods prepared by using the ingredients found growing in the surrounding areas, found in almost every dish is olive oil as it grows freely and is in abundance throughout the region. Bread, wine, fish, and meats are a staple of Greek food, which is well-known for its healthy aspects. Typically Mediterranean, Greek recipes often have qualities akin to the cuisines of Southern France, Italy, Turkey and the Middle East. Favorites include Moussakas and baklavas, and Italian influenced dishes, such as pastitsio which is a layered baked dish. For authentic Greek recipes, try making Tzatziki, simply peel and seed cucumbers, then mash garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir in the cucumbers and yogurt and chill.

To learn the art of a particular style of cooking, such as Asian or Italian, is to study the culture of the region. You can’t expect to look up a recipe, and re-create it exactly the same as you would if it were produced in the country from which it originates. Each recipe requires modification and adapting to suit the tastes of the diner. If you want to re-create a particular dish but can’t find the exact ingredients in your local shop, either use a substitute or check online where you might find it can be ordered. Exotic and free recipes from different cultures can easily be found in magazines, books and on the Internet.

There are plenty of websites that let food lovers of all cooking levels to trade recipes and chat with people who share their passion for food and cooking. Connecting with others can result in shared information, a wider range of recipes and some top tips.

There are thousands of free recipes online for interesting, quick and easy meals. Find cooking recipes along with pictures, reviews, tips and ratings to help you plan your ideal meal. If you are searching for free international recipes check out recipes by cuisine, find Indian and Greek recipes amongst many others. Now there’s no longer the need to travel to another country to get a taste of the foods you love.