Which Niche?

Image courtesy of Dipankar Basumatary at Pixabay

I wouldn’t be surprised if you are saying “What does this have to do with cooking?”. It doesn’t, at least not directly. A few months ago, a friend who is an expert in the culinary industry, advised me that I should focus on a particular cuisine, preferably a niche like Thai / Chinese fusion. I haven’t made a choice yet, primarily because I am conflicted.

Image courtesy of Mika Tan at Pixabay

 

When I was growing up, we had a wide variety of cuisines for dinner: after all, variety is the spice of life. This has become so ingrained in my approach to cooking that I am finding it very challenging to focus on a particular one.

Image courtesy of Karolina Kołodziejczak at Unsplash

What’s my rationale? First, having the same cuisine night after night gets boring in my opinion. I prefer not to eat the same dinner two nights in a row, no matter how good the leftovers are. This keeps my taste buds happy, enjoying the dance from one flavor profile to another.

Image courtesy of Sunday133 at Pixabay

  
Second, there are facets of the different cuisines that can enhance other cuisines. Examples include. Using fish sauce rather than soy sauce in Chinese dishes. I have taken to adding a bit of chocolate to my Chili recipe, inspired by Mole at the recommendation of a former caterer: more of a regional fusion than a different cuisine, but similar in spirit. By exploring the ingredients in different cuisines, we can find things that give improve the flavor profile of a dish that are from a very different part of the world.

 

Image courtesy of  Katharina Dolinski at Pixabay

I don’t want to do the disservice of pigeonholing my readers. The world has so many wonderful foods and tastes to offer that it would be a shame to get stuck on one. It also inhibits exploring other options and can, potentially, slow the learning process and impede your creativity.

 

Image courtesy of sorawith homsuwan at Pixabay

 However, I will not dismiss expert advice and continue my personal search for a niche. In the meantime, I will continue my eclectic approach.

What do you think? I would appreciate your input. Please comment and let me know what you’re enjoying the most or would like to see more of. It will be very helpful to glean others input. Most of all, thank you for taking this culinary journey with me, we exploring the world’s tastes.