Ingredients are the building blocks of any cuisine. Whether you’re cooking Italian, Indian, or anything in between, there are staple ingredients that you need to know. As a beginning cook, familiarizing yourself with international ingredients can make cooking global dishes a little less intimidating. Here are must-know ingredients from around the world and how to use them.
Cereals and Staples
Grains often serve as the foundation for dishes. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, meals are built around rice, which might be served plain or flavored, fried, etc. In Europe, the Middle East and North America, wheat is a primary grain, found in everything from bread to pasta to pastry and flat breads. In much of Mexico and South America, corn is the star, often served as tortillas, in a dough called masa or as a warm porridge.
Legumes and Plant-Based Proteins
Legumes, such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas, are fundamental protein staples in many parts of the world, including India, the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean. They’re great because they’re cheap, nutritious, and can be boiled, stewed, fried, or mashed. That means they can go in soups, curries, dips, or side dishes. Studying how different cultures utilize legumes can help novice chefs prepare filling, flavorful meals with minimal ingredients.
11) Fresh and dried herbs, and spices like basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
A lot of the flavor and aroma of a nation’s food comes from their use of herbs and spices. Most countries use a lot of fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, and dill to give their dishes a pop of freshness. Other spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and cinnamon add depth and warmth. Different combinations of these herbs and spices are used in each nation to create the flavor profiles of their various dishes. Mastering the proportions and layers of seasonings will help you to master international cooking.
Oils and Cooking Fats.
The choice of cooking fat affects taste and cooking style. For example, olive oil is central to Mediterranean cuisine for its flavor and its health benefits, while butter is central to European cuisine. Coconut oil and coconut milk are central to cuisines of the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Animal fats such as lard and ghee are important in some cuisines.
VEGETABLES & AROMATICS
Vegetables provide the foundation of nearly every meal in every culture. Aromatics such as onions, garlic, ginger and chilies provide the flavor foundation for many dishes. Root vegetables, leafy greens and what’s in season help to round out the meal, depending on the country. Mastering the ways that various cultures cook vegetables — sautéing, roasting, fermenting, stewing — will give new cooks an arsenal of skills.
- Sauces, Condiments, and Fermented Ingredients
The sauces and condiments give the flavor and the character of the dish. Soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar and fermented pastes are frequently used to give umami and acid flavors. These are a must in many cuisines for flavor and food preservation. The choice of fermented foods is part of the cultural heritage and also the climate and gives both complex flavor and nutrition. Knowing which sauce or condiment to use and when, is essential in achieving authenticity and flavor balance in ethnic recipes.
Cheese, Eggs and Alternatives
Because yogurt, cheese, milk and cream are staples of many European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian diets, they appear in a lot of recipes — usually as marinades, in sauces, or soups. Cheese can range from creamy and mild to pungent and crumbly, depending on the region. Where dairy isn’t as prominent, coconut milk and ground nuts might be used in its place. This is good to know if you’re starting out and need to make some substitutions.
Meat, fish and seafood
In different cultures the type of protein used varies, based on what’s available and cultural background. For example, in coastal regions fish and seafood are prominent; in landlocked areas more meat and fowl is used. Before refrigeration, meat was dried, smoked, or cured to preserve it. Once you have a general idea of what types of proteins are used in different dishes, you can modify recipes to use whatever is available or what you prefer.
Introduction to Ingredient Selection and Substitution
If a specific ingredient is not found in your kitchen, being able to determine its function in a recipe means you can easily find a substitute. You can easily use one type of grain instead of another, or one type of spice in place of another, and the same with proteins. This kind of flexibility frees you up to experiment with new recipes and no longer feel the need to go out and search for a specific item. Cooking international recipes becomes more enjoyable when authenticity is not the ultimate goal.
Small corner markets and the Internet are the two best resources to use in the creation of a global pantry. Take the time to explore small ethnic markets in your area and speak with the owners. Most owners are more than happy to talk to customers about their products, offer suggestions and recommendations, and educate consumers about the different ingredients and how they are used in their culture. Use the Internet as a tool to research ingredients and recipes. Learning how ingredients are used in different cultures and dishes can help make shopping easier and less intimidating.
You can also start with a mini global larder and can create a lot of dishes from different cuisines. Having rice, dried beans, some basic spices, oils, and condiments will go a long way. Eventually, you can add a few more ingredients to explore more of a specific cuisine. With some pantry staples, global cooking is very accessible.