The regions side by side
This table compares the seven regions this guide covers. Each row is a broad summary, and each region page goes into the differences within it.
| Region | Flavor base | Staple starches | Cooking fats | Spices to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Asia | Garlic, ginger and scallion | Rice; wheat noodles and buns | Neutral oil, sesame oil to finish | Sichuan pepperStar aniseGochugaruSesame seedGinger |
| South Asia | Onion, ginger, garlic and chile | Wheat flatbreads; rice | Ghee, mustard oil, coconut oil | CuminCoriander seedTurmericGreen cardamomBlack mustard seedGaram masala |
| Southeast Asia | Shallot, garlic, chile and lemongrass pounded to a paste | Rice; rice noodles | Neutral oil, coconut milk | LemongrassMakrut lime leafTurmericCoriander seedStar anise |
| Middle East and North Africa | Onion, garlic, olive oil and lemon | Flatbreads, rice, bulgur and couscous | Olive oil, butter or samneh | SumacZa'atarRas el hanoutSaffronCuminCinnamon |
| Europe and the Mediterranean | Onion, carrot and celery; or onion, garlic, tomato and pepper | Bread, pasta, rice and potatoes | Olive oil in the south, butter in the north | SaffronSmoked paprikaDried oreganoBlack pepper |
| The Americas | Onion, garlic, chile; in Louisiana, onion, celery and bell pepper | Corn, rice, beans, potatoes and cassava | Lard, neutral oil, olive oil | Ancho chileAllspiceDried oreganoCuminCinnamon |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Tomato, onion and hot pepper blended smooth | Rice, cassava, yam, plantain, maize, teff | Palm oil, peanut oil, spiced butter | BerbereGingerBlack pepperCinnamon |
Region guides
East Asia
China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia
Rice and wheat, soy and fermented pastes, steaming and stir-frying, and close attention to texture.
South Asia
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal
Layered spice cooking, lentils and breads, rice and coconut in the south, and hundreds of regional traditions.
Southeast Asia
Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and neighbors
Fresh herbs, fish sauce, lime and chile, pounded pastes and a habit of balancing sweet, sour, salty and hot.
Middle East and North Africa
The Levant, Turkey, Iran, the Gulf, Egypt and the Maghreb
Mezze spreads, grilled meats, chickpeas and tahini, fragrant rice, slow tagines and spice blends that differ shop to shop.
Europe and the Mediterranean
Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, France and beyond
Olive oil in the south and butter in the north, slow-cooked flavor bases, bread, pasta and rice dishes with deep regional roots.
The Americas
Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the US South
Corn, beans, chiles and potatoes from Indigenous farming, layered with European, African and Asian influences.
Sub-Saharan Africa
West, East, Central and Southern Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea
Peanut and palm oil stews, pounded starches, tomato and pepper rice, spiced butter and fermented flatbreads.
What shapes a cuisine
Climate and soil
Cooking starts with what grows. Rice needs warmth and water, so it dominates in humid parts of Asia, while wheat does better in cooler, drier land, which helps explain why northern China leans toward noodles and dumplings. Olive trees thrive around the Mediterranean, so olive oil is the default fat there, while cooks in colder northern Europe have long relied on butter. Hot climates also favor ways to keep food without refrigeration, such as drying, salting, pickling and fermenting.
Trade
Spices have moved along trade routes for thousands of years. Black pepper from southern India, cinnamon from Sri Lanka and cloves from the Maluku Islands reached the Middle East and Europe long before modern shipping. Trade also explains surprising pairings, such as the cinnamon and allspice in some Caribbean and Middle Eastern savory dishes.
The Columbian Exchange
After 1492, foods crossed the Atlantic in both directions. Chiles, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peanuts and cassava all came from the Americas. Within a few centuries, chiles were central to cooking in India, Thailand, Korea and Sichuan, and peanuts and cassava became staples across much of Africa. Many dishes that feel ancient are built partly on ingredients that arrived in the last 500 years.
Empire, migration and religion
Colonial rule left traces such as the baguette in Vietnamese banh mi and the curries of the Caribbean, carried by indentured workers from India. Migration keeps moving dishes today. Religious rules shape menus too: many Hindu cooks avoid beef, Muslim and Jewish dietary laws exclude pork, and Buddhist temple cooking in East Asia is meat-free.
Patterns worth noticing
- A flavor base comes first. Almost every cuisine starts a dish by cooking aromatics in fat: soffritto in Italy, sofrito in Spain and Latin America, ginger, garlic and scallion in China, the onion, celery and pepper "holy trinity" in Louisiana.
- Something sour balances something rich. Lime in Thai food, tamarind in South Indian sambar, vinegar in Filipino adobo, preserved lemon in Moroccan tagine.
- A staple starch anchors the meal. Rice, flatbread, tortillas, injera or fufu do the job a fork does elsewhere, and in many places a meal without the staple does not count as a meal.
- Fermentation adds depth. Soy sauce, fish sauce, kimchi, injera and many cheeses all use microbes to build flavor that fresh ingredients cannot.
Region questions
Why is a region missing?
Seven regions is a starting map. Central Asia, the Pacific Islands and many other places have rich cuisines, and some of their dishes and ingredients come up on the existing pages. We would rather cover a few regions with care than many in a line each.
Are national cuisines a modern idea?
Partly. Cooking follows geography and community more than borders, and many borders are recent. Talking about Indian or Mexican food is useful shorthand, but cooks inside those countries often think first of their state, province or town.