Cuisine around the globe has always been multicultural, with geographical and historical factors being responsible for the substantial variation from one geographical location to the other. Geographical and historical influences gave rise to the multiculturalism of cuisines by influencing definitive cooking traditions and styles that vary from one culture, country or region to another . The methods of food production, processing, cooking, preservation and storage vary geographically and is defined by the level of technological advancement. There is still a distinctive pattern of global cuisine prepared in the contemporary society, just like in the medieval period. Each specific geographical region has a different cuisine related aspects such as cooking techniques, dishes, and ingredients. Geographical location also influenced the techniques of preparing food in the sense that every region had different tradition and customs unique to their cuisine.
The climate is the main geographical aspect that impact on the variation of cuisine. Climate varies geographically depending on the region, and it affects the type of cuisine’s raw materials growth and availability. To a significant degree, climatic condition of a given place influence the availability of native food. Climate as an aspect of geographic influence the economic conditions under which raw materials for making food and drinks are distributed, imported and exported. Fuel used in the cuisine preparation process is also a factor that is affected by climate. One of the common food preparation technique applied in the medieval Britain was the conservation of fuel through chopping of the foodstuff into small pieces and also to save time . It was an exercise common among the Romans. The other effect of climate was the need to preserve food for the winter season through the use of pickling, curing, and smoking of food. Such a practice remained noteworthy in the global cuisines, but faded after some time and were replaced by the modern food preservation techniques. Religion also varies geographically and influences the multicultural nature of the global food and drinks . Certain religious groups occupy a particular geographical region in large numbers, and their religious beliefs will influence the cuisines in that environment. For example, a geographical location with the majority of the residents as Muslims, like the Middle East, may see the production and preparation of cuisine from pork and related products being an abominable practice. In summary, geographical influences on cuisine can be explained regarding regional variation that depends on cultural differences, the difference in cooking practices and traditions, trade and availability of food. Regarding food availability, it is notable that in the old days, South and Central America was known to be associated with cuisines made from maize in fresh and dried form. On the other hand, there was a discrepancy in the cuisines of the Europe in that the Southern part had a prevalence of olive oil and rice, while the Northern part was characterized by cuisines made from wheat and rice. India holds the historical vegetarianism cuisine, culture since time immemorial.
In historical perspectives, the evolution of the multiculturalism of cuisines can be backtracked to Antiquity dates, where traditional cuisine characterized the Britain Empire culinary culture . The wealthy Roman’s medieval families were historically associated with the preparation and consumption of honey, meat, bread, cheese, and eggs. There was a continuous evolution of cuisines with the new ones being defined by cultural interaction and innovation in the food industry. An example of the most recent cuisine, believed to have originated from the medieval Great Britain, is the fusion cuisine that is described as a combination of numerous culinary traditions, ingredients, and styles of preparation. It is defined by most scholars as the 1970s' innovative cuisines. The mode of cooking is the French’s historical Nouvelle cuisine, taken to mean the then contemporary cuisine (LEO Network, 2010). It was a new and popular style of cooking in the 1960s among the French. In the contemporary cuisine around the world, the methods and styles of cooking food have not changed so much as scored with the old cuisine. It implies that cuisine history influences the multicultural nature of food and drinks in the global arena with the modern society emulating the styles used by their predecessors. Since the styles of cooking food and making drinks varied even a long time, the act of following the cultural, religious and regional cuisine, historical lineage will still be engrained in the aspects of the future cuisines.
Cuisines in early Britain
The traditional cuisine of Britain can be described to be wholesome and simple with the variation in the British region at the time being determined by the availability of food material, tastes, and traditions that varied depending on the region in the entire British Empire. The common traditional drink was tea that originated from Ceylon and also the presence of Indian-based, Kedgeree, chutney and soup that was known as mulligatawny and traces its origin to India . Multiculturalism in the British cuisine can be traced back to the early influence made by the French and Romans. The most historic event in the British cuisine history is the invasion of Frankish Normans who contributed to the existence and the start of the use of spices that was only applied in the east (LEO Network, 2010). He then introduced spicies in Britain, including ginger, pepper, nutmeg, ace, saffron and cinnamon. Regarding drinks, the initial introduction of sugar made it impossible to acquire by most people due to cost. However, the conception of cane sugars led to the fusion of sweeteners to the British cuisines in the form of fruit juices and tea.
The multiculturalism in the traditional Britain can be seen that the East, represented by China, led to the adoption of tea while the adoption of spicing in the form of curry was an idea imported from India in exchange of the tea. Worcestershire, mint and ketchup, sauces which are of Indian origin are embraced in Britain as a product of multiculturalism . Even today, it is notable that curry has become a British Empire dish. Some cuisines in the traditional Britain that had England origin were tied to religious concepts. For example, the adoption of Plum Pudding was to be used as Christmas cuisine, while Mothering Sunday saw the consumption of Simnel Cake and the food associated with Good Friday was the Hot Cross pastries and cakes.
Today’s British Cuisine
The traditional cuisine of Britain came to a halt in the 1980s when a new direction was discovered by chefs and nutritional specialists who felt that acquired cuisine, described as Nouvelle Cuisine was slowly losing nutritive value and thus became under-valued. The new look saw home as a source of inspiration, and the Chinese and Indian products became under-valued. The present day British cuisine is a composition of interesting and diverse ingredients. Meat occupied the central position in the British restaurant and homes as the key food product. Meat in its roasted form is currently Britain’s culinary pride with the related ingredients being vegetables, mustard, Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes. The modern British cuisine has the critical emphasis on fresh and fine ingredients. The UK is the most favorite market among the British individuals where fresh cuisine products from all parts of the world are availed. It is an agricultural hub where there are wild fowl meat, salmon, exotic fruits and other ingredients to choose (LEO Network, 2010). Regional specialties characterize the present-day cuisine in Britain. For example, England is the richest source of beef products such as meat, delicious cheese, butter, and cream. Beef and dairy animals in England are said to thrive well, thus promising a constant supply of respective products that adds to the presence of various Britain cuisines. The encounter between the new and traditional Britain is the reason for the multicultural and historical variation of the type of food consumed in the old and modern days. The geographical or regional specialties that have led to the presence of different kinds of cuisines to choose from can be seen to be a factor of geographical influence. The positioning of Britain as an example of an island that is surrounded by seas that form notable fishing hubs in the whole world is a geographical influence.
In conclusion, it is evident that people chose to eat what they eat based on religious, geographical and historical influences. The case study of Britain in medieval and modern period is proof that historical and geographical influences are imperative factors that contribute to cuisine multicultural, not only in Britain but also in global perspective.
References
D'Amico, J., & Drummond, K. (2005). The Science Chef Travels Around the World. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Kalman, B., & Hale, L. (2003). Historic Pioneer Recipes. Toronto, Canada: Crabtree Publishing Company.
LEONetwork. (2010). British Culture, British Customs, and British Traditions -. Retrieved from Learn English: http://www.learnenglish.de/culture/foodculture.html#sthash.XL1pcpoz.dpuf
Sokolov, R. (2002). Why We Eat What We Eat. New York: Summit Book.
