What a cuisine is
- A cuisine is a style of cooking linked to a country or region, with its own ingredients, cooking methods, equipment, eating patterns and presentation.
British cuisine
- Traditional dishes include roast dinners, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, Cornish pasties, and puddings such as crumble and trifle.
- Ingredients reflect the climate: root vegetables, potatoes, apples, lamb, beef and fish.
- Guernsey has its own traditions, such as bean jar (a slow-cooked stew of beans and pork) and Guernsey gâche (a fruit bread), and is famous for its Guernsey cow milk and butter.
International cuisines
- Italian: pasta, pizza, risotto, tomatoes, olive oil, basil and Parmesan; meals often have several courses.
- Indian: curries, dhal, rice and breads such as naan and chapatti; spices such as cumin, turmeric and garam masala; regional differences, with more vegetarian food in some areas.
- Chinese: stir-fries in a wok, rice and noodles, soy sauce, ginger and garlic; food cut small to cook quickly.
- Mexican: tortillas, beans, maize, chillies, avocado and lime.
- Japanese: rice, fish (including sushi), soy, miso and noodles; food presented carefully.
Why cuisines differ
- Climate, geography and local produce; history, trade and migration; religion and culture.
- Cuisines change as people move and share food, such as chicken tikka masala becoming popular in Britain.
Key terms
- Cuisine
- A style of cooking linked to a country or region.
- Traditional dish
- A dish that has been made in a place for generations.
- Staple food
- A food eaten regularly that provides much of the energy in a diet, such as rice.
- Wok
- A deep, curved pan used in Chinese cooking.
- Bean jar
- A traditional Guernsey stew of beans and pork, cooked slowly.
- Gâche
- A traditional Guernsey fruit bread.