How they do it in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, India and Japan?
The Mediterranean diet involves eating lots of vegetables, seafood, fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, cereal and grains. Animal fats such as cream, butter and lard are often excluded. It is widely acknowledged that Mediterraneans’ may live longer and healthier lives due to their diet.
Dinner in Mediterranean countries such as Italy or Greece is usually a big (and often noisy) affair! In some countries it is usual to start quite late in the evening. For example, in Greece, aperitifs often begin around 8 or 9pm with dinner at 10pm. In Italy, lunch is seen as the social meal of the day, as children do not go to school in the afternoon and small businesses close between midday and 4pm, therefore there is plenty of time to relax and enjoy the luxury of several courses.
Dining customs vary from country to country but there are some general similarities across the
Mediterranean:
- Arriving 15 to 30 minutes late is still considered punctual
- Although it is polite to finish everything on your plate, leaving a small amount is also acceptable.
- In some North African countries like Morocco, it is traditional to eat with the first three fingers on your right hand, meaning your thumb, index and middle fingers. Bread can also be used as a utensil. Wine is served with all Moroccan meals except breakfast.
- In Italy, meals are an occasion to be enjoyed and eating is broken down into four servings. The antipasto (before the meal), the primo piatto (the first plate – usually pasta) secondo piatto (second plate – usually fish or meat) and the contorno (cheeses or salad)
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Unlike other countries, the key to successful cuisine in India is not in the sophisticated cooking techniques one may use, but in the art of blending spices.
In India, many religions exist side by side and therefore have often influenced Indian cuisine. However, the most dominant religions to influence the cuisine are Hindu and Muslim. The Hindu tradition is largely vegetarian however, for those that do eat meat, it prohibits eating beef. The Muslim tradition is largely known for cooking meat dishes such as korma, biryani and rogan josh however; the Koran excludes Muslims from eating pork.
Common spices used in Indian cuisine include, cinnamon, safron, cumin seeds, peppercorn, curry leaves, bay leaves and coconut. In addition to spices the other main ingredients of Indian cooking are milk products such as ghee or curd as well as lentils or dals.
In India, the role of some fruits differs to how the western world may use them. Mangoes and papayas are cooked as vegetables and water chestnuts are eaten like sweets.
Cultural norms in India:
- No one should worry about making a mess
- There is no cutlery. However even if a fork and spoon are provided – it is correct to eat with the right hand.
- Bread is used as a utensil
- It is seen as good manners to pick food with the first three fingers of your right hand without dirtying them past the knuckles.
- Finishing all the food on your plate means that you are still hungry, leaving a small amount shows you are satisfied.
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Over the years, Caribbean cuisine has been influenced by a variety of cultures including British, French, Indian and Spanish. But it is the original key seasonings of Caribbean cooking, lemon and hot peppers, that still define the dishes today.
Traditionally, the Caribbean diet centred around fish, meat, fruit and yams. Chicken is the most popular meat as it is most economical and fruits include coconuts, mangoes and pineapples as well as more exotic ones such as plantains, guava and naseberry. Different islands have regional specialities.
Most would say Ackee and Saltfish is the staple dish of Jamaica.This involves frying ackee (a vegetable) and saltfish (salted cod) together with some chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers and chillis. Perfect for breakfast or for a quick snack. However Jerk, usually done with chicken or pork, is widely known in the Caribbean as the Jamaican way of preserving, seasoning and cooking meat.
For Barbados however, flying fish is their statement dish. The fish is stuffed with a paste of salt, onions, black pepper, hot red peppers and thyme and then either grilled, fried or steamed accordingly.
Cultural norms in the Caribbean:
- There will always be a pot of hot pepper sauce somewhere near by!
- Meals are often served buffet style so dig in
- It is believed courteous to try a bit of everything
- Like the Mediterannean, table manners are continental and although in the Caribbean they are relatively informal, you should always use cutlery to eat
- It is polite to finish everything on your plate.
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Japanese cuisine centres around rice, noodles, soy products and a variety of vegetables and fish – therefore it comes as no surprise that Japan is considered as one of the world’s healthiest nations.
Although in Japan, a meal can often consist of one simple dish such as a bowl of rice topped rich in vegetables, the kaiseki meal is the ultimate cuisine of traditional Japanese food and comprises several dishes including hors d’ouvres, a grilled dish, a main dish, miso soup and rice.
One of the most important elements of the Japanese cuisine is the Nattuo, the fermented soybean. It has always been a traditional part of the Japanese diet but more recently has become widely consumed in Japan due to its excellent health benefits and high nutritional value. Although Nattou was originally considered as part of the Japanese breakfast, it is now often seen as an alternative to Beef or Chicken. It contains almost double the amount of calcium of chicken contains, more fibre and next to no fat.
Japan is widely known for its tea ceremony, the Chado. This is a very formal, yet spiritual and relaxing ritual of the preparation and serving of powdered green tea, designed to bring aesthetic, intellectual and physical enjoyment, and peace of mind to the guests. Although the concept of this may sound quite simple, perfecting this art can take years to achieve. The important thing to remember is that although the ceremony may sound like it is carried out for the personal enjoyment of guests, the underlying reason for conducting the ceremony is to increase appreciation of the beauty of nature such as the sound of water and light. Therefore, drinking tea together symbolises intimacy, equality and tranquillity.
Cultural norms in Japan:
- Unlike other cultures where mealtimes are often loud social occasions, for the Japanese they are often quieter affairs.
- Common courtesy is to take off your shoes before you enter the house
- The Japanese often sit round low tables when dining. Generally, men sit crossed legged and women sit laying their knees to one side
- It is polite to eat every last morsel on the plate so as not to appear rude – that includes the very last grain of rice.
- Chopsticks are normally used. They should never be pointed at people or waved around and food should not be ‘pierced’ with them.
- In Japan, people tend to share a number of dishes rather than eating only from your own plate.
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