The power of three
July 5, 2014 by DarcieWhat flavors define a cuisine? Given the nearly endless array of possible herbs, spices and other flavoring agents, one might think it impossible to distill the essentials of a cuisine to only a handful of ingredients. But as FoodBeast reports, the folks at DataDial have attempted to do just that. They’ve created an infographic that lists the three essential “spices” (the term is loosely applied) for 36 cuisines from across the globe.
Some of the combinations are uncontroversial. Greece, for example, gets lemon, olive oil, and oregano. Southern Italy is tagged with olive oil, tomato and parsley. Others aren’t as straightforward but are logical, such as the three flavors of the Midwest USA: parsley, mustard, and caraway. This makes sense because of the tremendous German and Scandinavian influences on that region.
Many of us may not be familiar with some cuisines, such as West African, which features chili, tomato and peanut as its top three. The Yucatan’s sour orange, garlic, and achiote might also be new to us. A few selections are a bit controversial. China’s three spices are fennel, cinnamon, and clove. Arguments for replacing the fennel with garlic have merit, but since China has several diverse regions it’s almost impossible to distill it down to a mere three ingredients.
It’s interesting to note that a few ingredients, like garlic and olive oil, are important to many cultures. Did you find any surprises on the chart?
Categories
- All Posts (6619)
- Antipasto (1988)
- Author Articles (241)
- Book News (918)
- Cookbook Giveaways (944)
- Cookbook Lovers (247)
- Cooking Tips (97)
- Culinary News (298)
- Food Biz People (538)
- Food Online (758)
- Holidays & Celebrations (257)
- New Cookbooks (140)
- Recipes (1442)
- Shelf Life With Susie (231)
- What's New on EYB (129)
Archives
Latest Comments
- GreenhouseCheryl on My Life in Recipes – Joan Nathan Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Flavorama Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Hot Sheet – Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Every Last Bite Cookbook Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Anything’s Pastable and Pasta Giveaway
- GreenhouseCheryl on Second Helpings – Cookbook Giveaway
- threefourpfeif on Food Gifts Cookbook and Gift Box Giveaway
- threefourpfeif on Anything’s Pastable and Pasta Giveaway
- christinezac on Ideas on how to make EYB work better for you (updated with EYB new features and helpful articles)
- hangryviking on Food Gifts Cookbook and Gift Box Giveaway