“Even a small amount of it in scrambled eggs, to sauté vegetables, or to finish off homemade sauces makes a world of difference to the flavor and texture.”
Cuisines from around the world are all different, yet they all rely on certain techniques and lessons that can be adopted and applied to your home cooking. So Redditor u/CreatureWarrior asked “What are some cool and useful things different cuisines have taught you?” Here’s what people said.
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(And I loved this question so much, I even threw in a few of my own responses.)
1.
“Cooking dishes from Indian cuisine really showed me that being vegetarian or introducing more plant-based dishes into your routine really doesn’t have to be that hard. Moreover, vegetarian dishes can be just as tasty as those containing meat. Indian cooking taught me that using ‘fake meats’ really isn’t necessary at all. I was so intrigued by some meatless Indian dishes like Punjabi Rajma Masala (kidney bean curry) that I realized I need to further explore the potential of veggies.”
2.
“Learning how to make the specific Italian dish cacio e pepe helped me understand the meaning of ‘less is more.’ This dish is just pasta, good olive oil, fresh black pepper, and Parmesan cheese, but these simple ingredients work together to create something so delicious.”
3.
“Thai cuisine really taught me how to balance strong flavors. Thai style salads (called ‘yum’) are so diverse, but they always share the same flavor profile: they are salty, spicy, sour, sweet and umami all at once. The way you achieve this complexity all comes down to learning how to balance ingredients rather than shy away from them or reduce them.”
4.
“Cooking Italian cuisine taught me the magic of anchovies and anchovy paste. These flavor-packed little fish get an unfair reputation. While on their own, they may be off-putting to some people, they add a salty depth of flavor to so many dishes, from aiolis and pastas to roasted vegetables and dressings. I cook with them all the time now.”
