For many people, stepping outside their comfort zone with food can be terrifying. But attempting new cuisines can be extremely rewarding for your stomach, mind, and soul.
International cuisine is the wide array of dishes and cooking styles that come from different regions around the world. This blog will cover the benefits of trying international cuisine, from culinary immersion to nutritional value and adventure.
1. Go Out With a Group
Trying new dishes is a great way to indulge your taste buds and learn about different cultures. However, it can be difficult for conservative eaters to expand their gustatory horizons, especially if they have dietary restrictions due to an underlying health condition or religious or personal beliefs.
One of the best ways to try new cuisines is to go out with a group and share dishes. This will allow you to taste various cuisines without committing to an entire meal, and it can also help you bond with your friends while exploring unique culinary traditions from around the world.
Another great way to try new foods is to attend food festivals and markets. This will give you the opportunity to sample a variety of dishes in smaller portions, so you can be more confident that you’ll enjoy the food before making a commitment. You can also ask locals for advice on which dishes are a good place to start.
2. Try Multi-Course Meals
Multi-course meals offer a break from the rushed pace of today’s lifestyles and provide an incredibly satisfying culinary experience. However, crafting a multi-course meal takes careful planning and skill. Culinary academy training can teach you the skills to succeed at multi-course dining.
When selecting dishes to include, think about a theme to create a logical sequence. Choosing an appetizer, main course and dessert that share a common ingredient or cooking method can make a cohesive menu. Additionally, varying textures and temperatures will help keep diners enthralled. For instance, acidic dishes like ceviche can balance rich, fatty courses such as potato gratins or butter chicken.
A multi-course meal typically includes an appetizer, a salad, a soup or stew and a main dish. It can also include sides, a cheese course and a dessert. The final course is usually a bite-sized treat known as mignardise. This could be a small piece of chocolate, a pastry or a slice of cake.
3. Go to Food Festivals and Markets
Food festivals can be an opportunity to reach a broad range of people, many more than the average customers who walk into your restaurant. They can also provide networking opportunities with other local businesses, such as bakeries and chocolate shops, who may be interested in working together.
Food festival visitors can also discover new cuisines that they might not find in their regular restaurants. For example, the Momo Crawl in September offers visitors a chance to try Jackson Heights’ best Tibetan and Nepalese restaurants, while the Feast of San Gennaro gives them a chance to chow down on all the cannolis and zeppole Little Italy has to offer.
According to Hall and Sharples, culinary tourism festivals can support sustainability by promoting local foods and highlighting cultural traditions in the region where the event takes place. This can satisfy tourists’ interest in responsibility in the food they eat and help them develop a sense of belonging to their destination.
4. Try Authentic Recipes
If you are really interested in getting to know a cuisine, it can be beneficial to try as many authentic recipes as possible. This can be difficult, but there are some ways to make it easier. For example, you can look for recipes that are made by chefs or restaurant owners of the same heritage as the cuisine. You can also search for recipes that have substitution ideas for ingredients that might be hard to find or not readily available in your area.