Module 1: Overview of International Cuisine
INTRODUCTION:
Most people have a routine set of foods that they like to eat that depends on where
they grew up in, and other influences in their environment. Some have travelled far, or know people
from different areas that exposed them to a far more diverse range of foods, dishes and cooking
styles from a particular culture. Even if you feel like you do not really know international cuisine,
you would be surprised to learn that many of the foods we eat every day actually have their roots in
countries much farther away.
Objectives:
After finishing the module, students should be able to achieve the following:
1. Explain the history, food preparations, and influences of culinary from the past to the
present.
2. Analyze the factors on how foods were adapted, and adopted into various cuisines.
3. Recognize the development of various cuisines
Motivation:
Have you ever wondered where pizza was invented? Ever heard of curry? Ever walked
down the “International” section or the grocery stores? What have you seen? Were you curious
about the products on the shelves?
CONTENT
Lesson 1 – History of Cuisine
Lesson 1 – History of Cuisine
Content:
International Cuisine refers to foods that are common in certain countries. It provides
comprehensive coverage of cuisines found throughout the world not only through recipes and
techniques but also through knowing its history, culture, geography, religion, and locally grown
ingredients that have influenced these various cuisines. Anyone entering the foodservice industry
today must be prepared to meet the growing demand in relation to globalization of the food market
as taste has truly gone global.
Cuisine is a style or method of cooking, especially as a characteristic of a particular
country, region, or establishment. It is a preparation of food for consumption and the oldest and
most essential of the arts and crafts. Cuisine involves a variety of primary techniques that include
the application of dry heat, immersion in or contact with heated liquids or fats, curing, smoking,
and/ or pickling. Secondary cookery techniques range from the simplest kitchen chores to the
elaborate decoration of ceremonial pastries.
THE TIMELINE OF THE CULINARY WORLD
The First Restaurant, 1765
Monsieur Boulanger opened the first free-
standing restaurant in Paris, contribution to the
food service industry was to serve a variety of
foods prepared on premises to customers whose
primary interest was dining
Ref: https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/history-of-restaurant-service-bb4894b8-7d66-
4b86-991d-1e7795007bb3
During the revolution, chefs that had worked for
The French Revolution, 1789-1799 the royalty needed to find new employment, and
a lot of the chefs have found work opening or
running restaurants. When the revolution was
over, and the country became empowered
economically, a new set of middle class now has
access to the restaurants where the chefs
worked at.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
Haute Cuisine-Traditional, Early 19th
century
Marie Antoine Careme (1783-1833) was a
French Chef who popularized the haute cuisine
type of cooking. “The king of chefs and the chef
of kings”, as a saucier, he standardized the use
of roux and devised a system to classify sauces.
As a Garde manger, he popularized cold cuisine.
Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935) “Father of
Modern French Culinary Arts” conceptualized the
so-called kitchen brigade systems wherein the
kitchen positions have different classifications,
Ref: https://www.escoffieronline.com/what-is-haute-cuisine/
simplified food preparation and dining
Haute Cuisine
High cuisine or grand cuisine that has developed
in the French hotels. This type of cuisine is now
referred to as classical French Cuisine.
Standard Haute Cuisine Meal:
• Start with small bites
• Appetizer
• Fish
• Main course
• Salad
• Cheese
• Dessert
Each course commonly were matched with a
drink such as wine.
Nouvelle Cuisine, Late 19th century
Nouvelle refers to “young” in French; this style of
cooking has become popular during the late 19th
century, wherein it was used to describe the
lighter style of cooking that focuses more on
quality ingredients, and less on heavy sauces.
Ref: https://www.gayot.com/restaurants/nouvelle-cuisine-the-true-story/
American Culinary Revolution
The United States is a melting pot of culture, and
various customs. The Europeans, and Native
Americans have notably influenced their cooking
techniques in the early years.
Charles Ranhofer, (1886-1899) the first
renowned chef of an American restaurant in New
York City, launched the New American Cuisine
Ref: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-americas-first-cookbook-says-about-
our-country-its-cuisine-180967809/
20th Century
Ferdinand Point (1897-1950), refined and
modernized classical cuisine and laid the
Ref: https://topaz-restaurant.com/fernand-point-salad-foie-gras-lobster-french-cuisine-fine- groundwork for Nouvelle Cuisine
dining-phnom-penh-michelin/
Gaston Lenotre (1920-2009), Father of modern
French Pastry, mastered the techniques in
freezing baked product. His novel techniques in
freezing during production, and including gelatin
to stabilize desserts such as mousses allowed
him to serve thousands at a time.
Ref: https://blog.daum.net/bily-kid/6041493
Fusion Cuisine Ingredients and preparation methods associated
with Ethnic or regional cuisines combined with
those of another
ü Ethnic cuisine - the cuisine of a group of
people having a common cultural
heritage, as opposed to the cuisine of a
group of people bound together by
geography or political factors
ü Regional cuisine - a set of recipes
based on local ingredients, traditions, and
practices; within a larger geographical,
political, cultural or social unit, regional
cuisines are often variations of one
Ref: https://www.escoffier.edu/blog/world-food-drink/whats-the-status-of-fusion-cuisine/ another that blend together to create a
national cuisine
AWARD-WINNING REAL-LIFE WORLD RENOWNED CHEFS
Wolfgang Puck
• An Austrian Chef who migrated to the
United States
• Owned several Michelin Star Restaurants
worldwide and proclaimed as the father
of modern Californian Cuisine
Ref: https://www.escoffier.edu/blog/world-food-drink/whats-the-status-of-fusion-cuisine/
Masaharu Morimoto
• A Japanese-born Chef and one of the
pioneer chefs who started Iron Chef in
Japan
• Also owns several restaurants around the
world carrying his brand name
• Popular for his ingenuity in combining
Asian ingredients with a Western twist
Ref: https://www.dallasnews.com/event/cGVnYXN1czpldmVudA-MjkzODQz-
TWprek9EUXo/Iron-Chef-Masaharu-Morimoto/
Mario Batali • An Italian chef with several restaurants
around the world
• Cookbook author and cooking show host
• Known for his Italian and Mediterranean
fusion foods
Ref: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/88172105174725845/
Bobby Flay
• One of the main proponent of
southwestern cuisine
• An award-winning Chef, a cookbook
writer and owns several top notch
restaurants in the United States serving
innovative American specialties
Ref: http://drinkfoodhome.com/2019/01/02/bobby-flay-pens-three-year-deal-with-food-
network/
