The Foundation Of Food - How To Cook International Cuisines

In French cooking, there is something known as mirepoix. This is a combination of two parts onion, one part carrots, and one part celery. This mixture of vegetables makes the base of most French soups, braises, and a lot of sauces. Growing up in a region of the world that takes most of its culinary traditions from England and France, it is easy to overlook similar culinary bases from other parts of the world. We simply don't grow up with them and aren't really taught them.

Jump to:

• Mirepoix (French)
• Soffritto (Italian)
• Sofrito (Spanish/Portuguese/Puerto Rican)
• Suppengruen (German)
• The Holy Trinity (Cajun)
• Chinese Aromatics
• Indian Base
• How to Use These Bases

The thing is that most regions of the world with a rich culinary history have some form of their own mirepoix. So, today I thought it would be interesting to look at some culinary bases from different parts of the world and different cuisines. The idea here is that knowing the foundation on which a culture's flavours are built allows you to create similar flavours. This gives you a much better understanding and starting point when creating or recreating food from these regions. Think of it like music. These combinations of ingredients are like the key in which a certain piece of music is played. Once you know the key you can figure out the scale, which would be the other ingredients from that region. And then finally, you can add your own embellishments and your own flair.

Mirepoix (French)

Onions, Carrots, Celery at a ratio of 2:1:1. As I said, in French cooking we have mirepoix. Start any soup by sauteeing some mirepoix and you pretty much can't go wrong. Similarly, when making chicken stock, beef stock, or whatever, use mirepoix to enrich and balance the flavour. It's the starting point for classics like beef stew and virtually every French soup and braise.

Soffritto (Italian)

Onions, Celery, Garlic, Parsley (and sometimes anchovy) at a ratio of 2:1:1:1. This base, similar to mirepoix, makes the foundation of a lot of Italian food. The anchovy is often added to the soffritto when a seafood dish is being prepared. If you want your Italian food to taste way more Italian, start with soffritto. This works just as well for meat sauces like Bolognese as it does for soups and braises. It's the secret behind the depth of flavour in dishes like a great lasagna.

Sofrito (Spanish/Portuguese/Puerto Rican)

Onion, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Garlic at a 2:2:2:1 ratio. Similar to the Italian soffritto, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Puerto Ricans use sofrito. The heavy presence of bell peppers and tomatoes gives dishes from these regions their distinctive character. Next time you're making paella, start it with sofrito and you will feel like you are in Spain.

Suppengruen (German)

Leek, Carrot, Celeriac (sometimes parsley, thyme, or onion) at a ratio of 2:1:1. Known as German for "soup greens," this combination is used to flavour soups of all things. As you can see, it is very close to the French version, using leeks rather than onion and celery root rather than celery. But for that authentic German flavour, suppengruen is your secret weapon.

The Holy Trinity (Cajun)

Onions, Bell Peppers, Celery at a ratio of 2:1:1. Do you like Cajun food? Well, the secret to the unique Cajun flavour is the Holy Trinity. In Cajun cooking, it is used more often than any of these other bases. It appears in the vast majority of dishes and is a big part of the signature Cajun flavour. Whether it's gumbo, jambalaya, or etouffee, the Holy Trinity is almost always where it starts.

Chinese Aromatics

Green Onion, Ginger, Garlic at an unsurprising ratio of 2:1:1. If the Chinese have a formal name for this base, as I'm sure they do, I am unaware of what it is. But in some regions of China this combination is used to create some very special flavours. I use this to flavour ground pork along with Chinese Five Spice to make kick-ass wontons or dumplings. This also makes a fantastic starting point for stir-fries or Chinese-influenced soups. Really, this combination will make almost anything taste vaguely Chinese.

Indian Base

Onions, Garlic, Chillies at a ratio of 2:1:1. Like the Chinese base, I'm not sure if there is a specific name for this Indian version, but this combination makes an incredible starting point for so much Indian food. I use this for most of my Indian dishes, and it is especially good when building a curry base from scratch. The key with this base is to cook the onions down until they are deeply golden before adding the garlic and chillies. That caramelization is what gives so many Indian dishes their rich, complex sweetness.

How to Use These Bases

You'll notice that most of these bases follow a similar pattern: a 2:1:1 ratio with an allium as the dominant ingredient. That's no coincidence. Onions, leeks, and green onions provide a sweet, savoury foundation that other aromatics build upon. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of any culinary base:

• Cut everything the same size -- uniform cuts ensure even cooking so nothing burns while other pieces are still raw.
• Low and slow -- these bases are meant to be sweated or gently sauteed, not blasted on high heat. The goal is to draw out sweetness and flavour, not to brown or caramelize (unless the recipe calls for it).
• Season early -- a pinch of salt added to the base while it cooks will help draw out moisture and intensify flavour.
• Be patient -- a properly cooked base takes 8-10 minutes at least. Rushing this step means less flavour in the finished dish.
• Adjust to the dish -- these ratios are starting points, not rigid rules. As you get more comfortable, tweak the proportions to suit the specific dish you're making.

These are just a few of the culinary bases that are out there in the world. Most of them aren't used in every dish from their respective regions, but if you want to make food from these places, starting with these bases will give you a great jumping-off point. Learning these foundations has genuinely changed the way I approach cooking from different cultures, and I think it will do the same for you.