My international food project is taking a turn
This year marks the 25th anniversary of my international food project. For twenty five years, I’ve been exploring cuisines alphabetically. And yet, after such a long time I’ve only gotten through the K’s. As I enter my late 50’s, it’s clear that this project will never be finished – though perhaps my daughters one day will take it on themselves.
I am thus both celebrating the end of the “K’s,” while making a change in the project. From now on, I’ll prioritize national cuisines – in the hope of at least being able to get through those before I die. I’ll still cook regional, ethnic and historical dishes – but not as often. I’d already started doing just one dish from these non-national cuisines, and I’ll mostly continue on that vein.
As far as the K’s go, I explored 26 cuisines, including those of Kenya, Kasakhstan, Kiribati, Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait and Kyrgiztan.
I explored the regional cuisine of Kabardia in the Caucasus, of Khuzestan in Iran, of Karnataka, Kashmir and Kerala in India, of Kalimantan (Borneo) in Indonesia and Kelantan in Malaysia, of Kansai, Kanto and Kyushu in Japan and of Kansas, Kentucky and Kansas City in the US.
I also explored the cuisine of the Kachin people in the Burmese highlands, of Kashubian-Canadians and Korean-Americans and of the Kurdish people and Kurdistani Jews. Finally, I explored K-Mex cuisine, a fusion of Korean and Mexican that is having a moment in Southern California.
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