Recipes as defined are list of ingredients and directions for making a particular dish or a method for achieving something. In the gourmet world that something would definitely be a perfectly delicious dish to serve our pallets deepest craving. But are recipes just all that?

When you say recipes, you touch a particular country or people’s history, traditions, language and even their customs. Every time you take a peek at a particular recipe, you also take a peek at that people’s rich heritage.

For example in a Spanish recipe, the cuisines presented in the recipes are reflective of the influences they carried on. Spain is a Mediterranean country but through its food you can see the traces of other cultures where their colonies where once located. (The use of ingredients like beans, potatoes et.al is evidence of these influences)

In a Chinese recipe, an interesting fact is that Chinese recipes show less changes compared to other cultures. This is due to Chinese having a high regard on their food habits linked within their culture. Chinese recipes/cookbooks are not only about the procedure but it also tackles about the nutrition content, which also shows something about the Chinese way of life.

These are only some of examples why recipes are not merely directions. To have a quick feel on a particular country why not take a look at their recipes? This thought should be a call to restaurateurs , whether for an Italian restaurant , a Chinese restaurant or restaurants offering a taste of every nation , translating the recipes for the customers will be nice  to let your customers have that “ feel “ . This would certainly be a good way to market your restaurant— translate the recipes and present it in a way that it will reflect the particular culture that you want to express.