Italian

 In north Italy butter and cream are used copiously, whereas in the south, olive oil is favoured. Northerners eat more rice dishes, like risotto and polenta while southerners prefer pasta. Parmesan cheese feature in both cuisines. Italians serve their pasta tossed in olive oil or in a rich tomato or meat sauce. They also cook pasta in broth. The secret to cooking a good risotto is to add the water or stock and white wine a bit at a time, stirring till all the liquid is absorbed.

French

The key to French cooking is pure passion. Everything from the way the ingredients are cut to the way they are cooked and presented, not to forget how the food is matched to perfect wine. Perfection is what makes this cuisine different. You cannot cook the dish even a minute more than it should be. Butter and cream is used in the cooking of northern France, while olive oil is used is southern France. Goose liver, truffles, red currants, squab, snails and frog legs are all part of French cuisine.

Chinese

The Cantonese swear by the freshness of their veggies and use mild sauces. Dim sum with different fillings is the most recognised Cantonese dish worldwide. The more elaborate Peking cuisine uses lots of wheat and intricate garnishes. Shanghainese cuisine involves stewing and braising for intense flavour. Sichuan food is spicy hot with chillies, garlic and Sichuan peppercorns. The main ingredient in the Chinese food is the five spice which is a blend of star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns or ginger root, fennel and finally clove. In Chinese cuisine the main style of cooking is quick stir frying, braising and stewing, Stir frying retains the freshness of the ingredients while slow braising and stewing makes the dish rich.

Indian

With every region having it own distinct style, its hard to categorise. Rice is more popular in the south than the north and the varieties of rice used differ too. Wheat is the staple diet of north Indians. A range of bread such as roomali, naan, kulcha is eaten by the north Indians. Bread needs thicker gravy as an accompaniment whereas rice can absorb lighter gravy. Based on this, sauces or gravies have become thicker in the north and thinner in the south. Onions and garlic are more dominant in the north while tamarind and chillies are used in the south. Ghee is more popular in the north than south where coconut oil is used more commonly. The array of Indian spices is fascinating to anyone remotely interested in food. Turmeric, cumin seed, mustard, chillies, saffron, cinnamon, bay leaves, curry leaves the list is endless. The signature Indian cooking has to be tadka. Whether it is on dal or vegetables it defines the dish.

Mexican

The tacos, burritos and Caldiddo are the best known dishes. Cactus, prickly pear, stuffed chillies and the famous Mole Poblano is food from central México. Flint corn for tortillas, popcorn, yellow corn for kernels, white corn flour for dough, corn flour for baked products all are part of the Mexican cuisine. Pine nuts, sesame, pumpkin, pecans, almonds and walnuts are all widely used. There are more than 150 varieties of chillies used in Mexican cooking. Mexican and Indian style of cooking is very similar. Stews, soups, skewered meats, stuffed tortilla rolls, bread, rice and desserts are other type of Mexican food.