List of cuisines facts for kids

A cuisine is a special way of cooking and preparing food. It's often linked to a certain culture or region. Think of it as a unique style of eating that uses specific ingredients and cooking methods. A cuisine usually gets its name from where it started.

The ingredients available nearby or through trade mostly shape a cuisine. For example, if a place has lots of fish, its cuisine will likely feature many fish dishes. Sometimes, religious rules also play a big part in what people eat and how they cook.

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World Cuisines

A global cuisine is a type of food that is enjoyed all over the world. To become global, a local or national cuisine must spread far and wide. People everywhere then get to taste its unique dishes.

Regional cuisines are based on specific areas, countries, or even smaller local regions. These cuisines can be different due to what food is available. They also change based on the climate, local cooking traditions, and culture. A traditional cuisine is a cooking style that has developed over a long time in a certain place. It comes from the daily lives of people there.

African Cuisines

Africa has many different cuisines, each with its own special flavors.

Central African Food

Ndolé is a popular dish from Cameroon.

• Angolan cuisine
• Cameroonian cuisine
• Congolese cuisine
• Gabonese cuisine

East African Food

This meal shows injera bread with different kinds of wat (stew). It is common in Ethiopia.

• Ethiopian cuisine
• Kenyan cuisine
• Malagasy cuisine
• Somali cuisine
• Tanzanian cuisine

North African Food

Cooking tajine, a well-known North African dish.

• Algerian cuisine
• Egyptian cuisine
• Moroccan cuisine
• Tunisian cuisine

Southern African Food

• South African cuisine
• Namibian cuisine
• Botswana cuisine

West African Food

Jollof rice is a very famous dish in West Africa.

• Ghanaian cuisine
• Nigerian cuisine
• Senegalese cuisine
• Ivorian cuisine

Cuisines of the Americas

The Americas offer a huge variety of food, from spicy to sweet.

North American Food

Red pozole, a common Mexican stew, served with different toppings.

• Canadian cuisine
• Greenlandic cuisine
• Mexican cuisine

American Food

This meal is typical of soul food. It includes fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread.

• Midwestern American cuisine
• Southern American cuisine
  • Soul food
• Southwestern American cuisine
  • Tex-Mex cuisine
• Western American cuisine
  • Hawaiian cuisine

Central American Food

• Belizean cuisine
• Costa Rican cuisine
• Guatemalan cuisine
• Panamanian cuisine

South American Food

Ceviche is one of the most famous dishes from South America.

• Argentinian cuisine
• Brazilian cuisine
• Chilean cuisine
• Peruvian cuisine
• Venezuelan cuisine

Caribbean Food

Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica.

• Cuban cuisine
• Haitian cuisine
• Jamaican cuisine
• Puerto Rican cuisine
• Trinidad and Tobago cuisine

Asian Cuisines

Asia is a huge continent with many distinct food traditions.

Central Asian Food

• Kazakh cuisine
• Kyrgyz cuisine
• Uzbek cuisine

East Asian Food

A spread of various Korean banchan (side dishes).

• Japanese cuisine
• Korean cuisine
• Mongolian cuisine
• Taiwanese cuisine

Chinese Food

Hot and sour noodles are a popular street snack from Sichuan.

Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) served in a traditional steaming basket.

Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse. It has many regional styles.

• Northern Chinese Cuisine: Includes Beijing cuisine and Shandong cuisine.
• Central Chinese Cuisine: Features Shanghai cuisine and Jiangsu cuisine.
• South Western Chinese Cuisine: Known for spicy Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine.
• Southern Chinese Cuisine: Famous for Cantonese cuisine and Min cuisine.

Many Chinese dishes are also popular in other countries. These are called Overseas Chinese cuisines.

North Asian Food

Stroganina is an Asian Russian dish of raw, thinly sliced frozen fish.

• Russian cuisine

South Asian Food

• Afghan cuisine
• Bangladeshi cuisine
• Nepalese cuisine
• Sri Lankan cuisine

Indian Food

This thali (platter) from Uttar Pradesh includes naan bread, rice, and different curries.

Dosa, a South Indian flatbread, served with sambar and chutney.

Indian cuisine is known for its rich spices and diverse flavors.

• West Indian cuisine: Includes Goan cuisine and Gujarati cuisine.
• North Indian cuisine: Features Punjabi cuisine and Mughlai cuisine.
• South Indian cuisine: Known for Kerala cuisine and Tamil cuisine.
• East Indian cuisine: Includes Bengali cuisine and Odia cuisine.

Pakistani Food

A variety of Pakistani dinner dishes, including gobi aloo and seekh kebab.

• Punjabi cuisine
• Sindhi cuisine
• Pashtun cuisine

Southeast Asian Food

This region is divided into mainland and maritime areas.

Mainland Southeast Asian Food

Larb ped with duck, a dish from Laos.

• Burmese cuisine
• Cambodian cuisine
• Thai cuisine
• Vietnamese cuisine

Maritime Southeast Asian Food

• Filipino cuisine
• Malaysian cuisine
• Singaporean cuisine

Indonesian Food

Nasi goreng (fried rice) with shrimp and egg, a common Indonesian breakfast.

• Balinese cuisine
• Javanese cuisine
• Padang food

West Asian Food

A spread of various meze, which are small dishes common in Levantine cuisine.

• Armenian cuisine
• Iranian cuisine
• Turkish cuisine
• Levantine cuisine (includes Iraqi cuisine, Israeli cuisine, Lebanese cuisine, Syrian cuisine)

European Cuisines

Europe has many famous and delicious food traditions.

Central European Food

Bratwurst, a traditional German sausage.

• Austrian cuisine
• Czech cuisine
• German cuisine
• Hungarian cuisine
• Polish cuisine
• Swiss cuisine

Eastern European Food

Borscht, a common Eastern European soup, served with pampushky.

• Belarusian cuisine
• Russian cuisine
• Ukrainian cuisine

Northern European Food

A traditional Scottish meal: haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes).

• Danish cuisine
• Finnish cuisine
• Icelandic cuisine
• Norwegian cuisine
• Swedish cuisine
• British cuisine (includes English cuisine, Scottish cuisine, Welsh cuisine)
• Irish cuisine

Southern European Food

Tagliatelle al ragù, a typical Italian dish from the city of Bologna.

Seafood paella, one of the best-known Spanish dishes.

• Greek cuisine
• Italian cuisine
• Portuguese cuisine
• Spanish cuisine

Western European Food

Baguettes are a symbol of French cuisine and culture.

• Belgian cuisine
• Dutch cuisine
• French cuisine
• Luxembourgian cuisine

Oceanic Cuisines

The islands of Oceania have unique foods, often based on seafood and tropical fruits.

• Australian cuisine
• New Zealand cuisine
• Fijian cuisine
• Hawaiian cuisine
• Samoan cuisine

Cooking Styles

A beautiful nouvelle cuisine dish by chef Jacques Lameloise.

• Fast food: Quick and easy meals.
• Fusion cuisine: Mixing different culinary traditions.
• Haute cuisine: High-level, fancy cooking.
• Molecular gastronomy: Using science to create new food experiences.
• Vegan cuisine: Food made without any animal products.
• Vegetarian cuisine: Food made without meat.
• Street food: Ready-to-eat food sold in public places.

Religious Cuisines

A table set for Seder, a special Jewish feast.

Many religions have specific rules about food.

• Buddhist cuisine: Often vegetarian.
• Christian diet: Varies by denomination.
• Islamic diet: Follows halal rules.
• Jain diet: Strict vegetarianism, avoiding root vegetables.
• Jewish cuisine: Follows kosher rules.

Historical Cuisines

• Ancient Egyptian cuisine
• Ancient Roman cuisine
• Medieval cuisine
• Ottoman cuisine

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Gastronomías del mundo para niños