ABSTRACT
As in the age of colonial adventure, we are seeking new routes to find foods that provide the tastes we demand. As a result, our interest in tastes and flavors from faraway places is increasing. Cuisines once considered unusual from other countries are becoming commonplace. The foods and ingredients of the world-Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, and the Mediterranean-are more available than ever. Ingredients once considered “exotic” are infiltrating traditional North American foods through cross-cultural cooking and regional American fare, such as FrenchThai, Indian-Mexican, Pan-Pacific, New Californian, or Floribbean. New and diverse cooking styles and ingredients are not simply part of a passing fad. To the contrary, basic changes in who North Americans are, and their lifestyles, are driving these trends (Figure 1).
