Chilies originally come from Central America but have spread worldwide since the time of Columbus. The three major world cuisines – the maize-based cuisine of America, the wheat-based cuisine of the Middle East (Europe), and the rice-based cuisine of Asia – each have their unique recipes for chili pastes.
Some examples of chili pastes from these three cuisines are:
- Maize-based cuisine (Mexico)
2. Wheat-based cuisine
3. Rice-based cuisine
- Sempio Gochujang (Korea)
- Sambal Oelek (Indonesia)
- Black Thai Chili Paste
Today, there are an incredible number of varieties of chili pastes available, but they are often not region-specific. Additionally, thousands of different fresh and dried chili varieties are individually used directly in dishes – including regional dishes. Fusion cuisine arises when ingredients from the three world cuisines are mixed to create a new dish, which can result in some great food. Nonetheless, I find it exciting to serve original dishes from the three world cuisines separately: moles from Mexico, curry dishes from India, tom yam kung and pad thai from Thailand, wok dishes from China, etc.