Food cultures around the world are unique. How many do you know?

Americas Mexican cuisine

"Traditional Mexican cuisine is a cultural model that encompasses agriculture, rituals, ancient skills, cooking techniques, and customs and etiquette handed down since ancient times. It covers the entire process from planting and harvesting to preparation and enjoyment, and the whole chain demonstrates the communal sharing nature of traditional cuisine." This is how UNESCO described traditional Mexican cuisine.

Mexican cuisine, with corn, beans and chili peppers as its main ingredients, is world-famous, and its ancient cooking methods and food-related traditional customs are equally distinctive. Roasted goat in Monterrey, tlayudas in Oaxaca, minced meat in Michoacan, mole in Puebla, sauces and tortillas seen everywhere... Behind the rich and varied dishes, the distinctive culinary culture is even more noteworthy.

Europe French cuisine

French cuisine is an indispensable part of French people's daily life. French cuisine is considered the most elegant food in the world, and experts point out that the rich cultural characteristics and unique dining etiquette revealed by French cuisine are important reasons for its successful UNESCO heritage listing.

Since 2011, the Fete de la Gastronomie has become an annual national festival event. Official data show that the festival is welcomed by people of all ages, and the number of participants and events has been increasing. Compared with 2012, this year's events related to French cuisine doubled, reaching 7,659, attracting about 230,000 French food industry professionals. In addition to more than 20 French regions and 2,000 cities in 4 overseas departments participating in related events, 86 events were held in 9 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, the United States, Finland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon and Lithuania.

At present, many places in France offer basic cooking courses or dessert baking courses, aiming to let young French people slow down and appreciate the cultural meaning behind French cuisine.

Turkey Wheat porridge

Wheat porridge is an indispensable traditional ceremonial dish on important occasions such as Turkish weddings and religious festivals. The wheat must be washed the day before in prayer, then placed in a large stone mortar and ground to the accompaniment of local traditional music.

Cooking wheat porridge usually takes place outdoors. On the day of the wedding or festival, men and women work together to add hulled wheat, pieces of meat and bone, onion, spices, water and oil to the pot and cook it for a day and a night. By noon the next day, the strongest young men in the village pound the wheat porridge with wooden mallets and distribute it for everyone to share. This combination of food and performance has become an indispensable part of local daily life.

Mediterranean diet

On December 6, 2013, the Mediterranean diet jointly nominated by Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Croatia was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage without suspense.

In its review and analysis, UNESCO believed that the Mediterranean diet is all-encompassing, covering not only culinary knowledge, table etiquette, fishing culture and pastoral culture, but also the techniques of food preparation, processing and storage, as well as the tradition of sharing food.

Due to its unique dietary structure, the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment and other diseases. Residents living along the Mediterranean coast of Europe have a low incidence of heart disease, generally live long lives, and rarely suffer from modern diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol.

Asia Japanese washoku

Washoku is the general term for traditional Japanese cuisine. This type of cuisine mainly uses rice, seafood and pickled vegetables. It has a unique flavor and is relatively time-consuming to prepare. The washoku dishes prepared by Japanese families on New Year's Eve are the most abundant and most representative.

More and more Japanese people have begun to prefer Western fast food and conveniently packaged foods, which mainly rely on imports. To a certain extent, the change in eating habits has increased the country's dependence on imported food. According to statistics, the total amount of food produced in Japan each year is only enough to supply 40% of its population, while this proportion reaches 70% and 120% in the United Kingdom and France.

South Korea Winter kimchi

"The culture of making winter kimchi in Korea has been passed down from generation to generation, carrying forward the spirit of sharing among neighbors and strengthening the sense of connection, identity and belonging among people. After the culture of making winter kimchi was inscribed on the list, dialogue among groups with similar dietary habits in and outside Korea will become more active." UNESCO gave this comment when announcing the selection result.

Kimchi may look unremarkable, but among the "food cultures" inscribed on the world intangible cultural heritage list, it is the item that most thoroughly embodies sharing and universal participation. Kimchi is an essential dish on Korean family dining tables, and the public's love for kimchi has almost reached the level of obsession.