What makes a dish great

There are many household staple dishes in the world but how did these dishes rise to their savory status? While analyzing CNN’s “The World’s 50 Best Foods” list, a few things stood out to me.

Most of the dishes are main courses:

Almost all the dishes (with a few exceptions on the list) are main courses and I wondered why that was. I came to the conclusion that the main course was a staple in every meal which would have led the dish blending well with society.

The ingredients are sourced locally:

The ingredients are all local from the area it is produced, for example, coastal places like Japan and Hawaii boast impressive seafood menus. I believe that the local ingredients help really define the identity of the people consuming the dish. This also causes the dishes from a specific region to have similar qualities like how Middle Eastern food comes loaded with butter and exotic spices.

Cultural significance:

But most importantly, the dishes are all on here because of their cultural significance. Take the unlikely #1 on the list, massaman curry. The other 4 on the list are exactly who you would expect. China’s peking duck take the #5 spot with sushi just a bit ahead. Chocolate takes the bronze medal while pizza is at number 2. But massaman is unique as being the father of all curry’s, the dish was the most influential in all of history. The dish originated as spices over rice, and it spread from the Muslim world to Asia and even making it to South Africa (who’s curry in a bowl bunny chow is holding the #19 spot). Through the different adaptations of curry shows the unification of 2 continents in a relatively ancient time which is more than enough for the father of all curry, the massaman curry, to take the crown on the number 1 spot.

(Massaman Curry, CNN) While it might be hard to come up with a dish that can appear on this list, the formula is right there infront of us. Perhaps in our local Rochester area, with lots of fruit orchards and cider mills, a fusion incorporating both elements could be our signature dish. And even though it may not be world famous, unlike the other foods on CNN’s list, my family’s peach apple cider has the personal history to cement it in my heart as my greatest dish.

Works Cited Jones, Jamie. “100 Food Memes That Will Keep You Laughing For Days.” BuzzFeed, 27 February 2018, https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamiejones/100-food-memes. Accessed 3 January 2025. “what’s for dinner, mom? : r/wholesomememes.” Reddit, 14 December 2021, https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/rgfk1t/whats_for_dinner_mom/. Accessed 19 November 2024. “The world’s 50 best foods.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-best-food-dishes/index.html. Accessed 19 November 2024.

What makes a dish great

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