Dessert

Recently, my boyfriend told me about a potluck where the theme was dessert. As a result, the dishes were all full of fat and sugar, which was horrible because this monthly potluck occurred during lunch. Most Americans seem to think of desserts as cookies, cakes and pies; all of which have a lot of fat in them. However, desserts are not always overly sweet- if one delves into ethnic cuisines he/she will find a plethora of flavor and nutrients. Desserts such as mince pies from England consist mainly of spiced fruit, marscopone cheese desserts for Italy such as tiramisu, desserts which are not overly sweet such as baklava from Greece and Turkey, desserts with red bean from Japan, and ABC from Malaysia which incorporates red beans and corn.

Universal

We eat, we live. We don't eat, we die. Same for everyone. All cultures. All humanity throughout time and space.
The world has been shrinking at a faster and faster rate. This exponential increase in the interaction between ethnicities is why we have to learn about the food of different cultures, how to eat it, and manners at the table.
We have all developed different food cultures-drawing on the food that is available to us. However, when one studies the cuisines of various cultures, it becomes clear that people all around the globe have developed some of the same tastes. I was speaking with my relative about his growing up in Eastern Europe and business of Bucca de Beppo. He mentioned the astonishing similarities of meals around the globe. He experienced having polenta as a child in Eastern Europe and having the same basic ingredients in the food served in the chain. Rice and beans is popular in the American south and a different rice and bean dish is popular in Spain.