Empire Shapes Cuisines

Cuisines are full cultural bundles—ideas about food, class, religion, and the state—not just recipes. Empires and governing ideologies spread, standardize, and redefine what counts as 'national' food (e.g., dumplings across Eurasia via Mongol networks, curry via the British Raj, 20th‑century 'bread debates'). — This reframes authenticity and national‑identity debates by tying everyday food to state power, religion, and geopolitical integration rather than local taste alone.