History classes can be dreadful with overwhelming dates and events all listed in jumbled-up sections of your textbooks, but what about food history? How does it sound to know where the food you eat came from? There can be some very interesting facts in there as well, and that is what we call food origins. Did you know that French fries never came from France? Or does that Pizza come from Italy? Or that Biryani is a Pakistani dish? Kottu is a Sri Lankan cuisine? Falafels come from Lebanon. There is a good chance that you knew some of these and did not know some.

Getty images/Image Source/Alberto Bogo

Knowing where a particular dish comes from tells you where the best place to try it would be. You might only rarely find the taste of a traditional dish from India, in the hands of someone else. Of course, culinary schools have diversified the meals most chefs are capable of making but there is still some magic in the hands of people from specific cultures making their traditional meals.
Speaking of culture, the origins of food from certain places often tell you a lot about those places as well. Most food you find in the subcontinent is spicy flavor-filled meals. This would suggest a place rich in spices and experimentation with meals being a huge part of their culture.

Similarly, central Europe specializes in its baking. Be it pizza, bread, or some of the most delicious cakes and pastries, you find it all in central Europe. The Chinese are famous for their experimentation with rice and noodles. You find the most exquisite chow mein and rice in the Chinese markets. It is good to see the world turn into a global village, where cultures often overlap and people enjoy cuisines originating from far away lands, but sometimes trying a meal from the local chef brings all the mouthwatering differences to your experience.