Be Aware - there is no such thing as a "pure cuisine", save perhaps in a few remote areas where one's neighbor might appear on the menu.

Long distance trade had been conducted for thousands of years, but beginning in the 14th century Europeans developed a sailing ship technology of unprecedented sophistication. These ships were fast, carrying a large spread of canvas, were highly maneuverable and could sail against the wind. Their size enabled them to economically move large amounts of trade goods over long distances and allowed heavy armament to ward off pirates and impose their will on local populations.

Many new foods, particularly from Central and South America, were carried worldwide and rapidly adopted into local cuisine. Today it's hard to imagine a Thailand without chilis, a Germany without potatoes, or an Italy without tomatoes.

Now the ingredients and cuisines of the entire world are available to enrich our lives, so here's my division of regional cuisines. Eventually each will link to an article describing finer divisions and giving a lot more detail, but I can't do everything at once.

General Euro/American - The catch-all region for dishes of uncertain origin or regional authenticity but widely distributed in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and other European dominated areas.

Africa - sub-Saharan - This Africa is far removed from the predominantly Islamic / Near Eastern nature of north coastal Africa. From here came the African influences we see in the cuisines of the USA South and the Caribbean.

America - USA & Canada

• Northern - Everything above latitude 37° North, and below 60° North. The 37° North divide is a line drawn from just above Fresno California right through to the Atlantic Ocean. There are a few exceptions: Oklahoma is below the line but culturally north of it, and Kentucky and Virginia are above the line but culturally below it. The cuisine is largely of British extraction but some areas have strong German, French and Scandinavian influences. The European cuisines have all been modified by cheap availability of beef and pork as well as native ingredients such as corn and squash.
• Cajun & Creole - the two cuisines of Southern Louisiana are very different from the rest of the South, and as different from each other. Both have a heavy French influence, but while Creole , the cuisine of New Orleans, follows the French pattern, Cajun is the cuisine of the back woods, swamps and bayous - an inseparable blend of French, African and necessity.
• Pacific: - This region includes Southern California and Hawaii, both noted for a strong and rapidly growing Asian influence in their cuisine. This region represents a major fusion cuisine similar to that of Australia but also incorporating Mexican and South American influences. In Los Angeles Eurasian influences are also strong.
• The South: - An early "fusion cuisine", based on the British / Scottish with a hefty dose of African brought by slaves who worked on the plantations. This area below 37° North and east of Texas includes Kentucky and Virginia which are above the line but culturally south of it but excludes Oklahoma. Much of Louisiana is also excepted - see Cajun and Creole. Florida was once part of the South but is now part of the Caribbean.
• Southwest: - Below 37° north from the Pacific to the east border of Texas, but not including Oklahoma. Once firmly part of the Southwest, strong Asian influences have now given Southern California dual citizenship in the Southwest and Pacific regions.

Australia - A major new fusion cuisine combining European and Asian elements, similar to the cuisine of Southern California but without the strong Mexican influence.

Britain: England, Ireland, Scotland - Another cuisine going through a transition and trying to cast off a reputation for the worst food available in the known universe. Traditional dishes are served in both original and modernized versions while foreign influences are increasingly incorporated, particularly from India, Pakistan and France.

Caribbean & Florida - A new cuisine. The Caribbean islands have gone from slave plantations to tourist attractions so slave food just won't do now. It's all been skillfully dressed up and sophisticated but still based on traditional ingredients. Influences include the slave masters (Spanish, English and French), the slaves (Native Americans and Africans), and post-slavery indentured workers (India). Florida was once nominally part of the USA South but Miami is now often called "the capital of the Caribbean".

Central Asia: Persia and the "Stans" - A Persian / Islamic cuisine defines this area. As with other Islamic cuisines it is heavy on lamb and rice but incorporates a lot of fruits, nuts and melons as well.

China - Actually four related cuisines: Northern (Beijing - called "Mandarin" in the U.S. restaurant trade), Eastern (Shanghai), Southern (Cantonese) and Western (Sichuan). China is also famous for eating spiders, scorpions and other weird things as well as attributing to every rare and endangered species the power to enhance sexual prowess when eaten.

Eurasia: Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Armenia - A European region later occupied by tribes from Central Asia. Until World War I Turkey was commonly considered part of Europe, and probably will again be, after a few issues get settled and the Germans calm down.

Europe: - This region includes Germany, Belgium, Holland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. It is a cuisine undergoing change, particularly in Germany, where chefs strive to update dishes designed for hard working peasants to something more sophisticated and a lot less fattening for sedentary "information workers".

France - Originally French cuisine was identical to English, but influences from Italy and other southern countries changed it substantially. After the French Revolution highly skilled but now unemployed chefs invented the modern restaurant. To serve a new middle class anxious to experience the decadance of the (now headless) nobility, they invented a fast food system known as the "French High Cuisine". I except Provence and includ it under "Mediterranean".

India - A big subcontinent that hosts a number of very different cuisines. They range from the softly spiced Persian influenced lamb dishes of the northwest to the fiery chili-hot mostly vegetarian cuisines of the southern reaches. Throughout India dried spices are of great importance and are mixed in exacting proportion. Some herbs and leaves are also much used, particularly cilantro and curry leaves.

Japan - Once "Little China" Japan was drastically changed by Zen Buddhism and a period of rule by Samurai warriors. It is now a very distinct and refined cuisine where presentation is as important as flavor - and high price is often considered a flavor enhancer.

Korea / Mongolia - Korea's choice of beef over chicken and pig differentiates it from Chinese cuisines and demonstrates its Mongolian heritige. It is, however, more diverse. Korea's long coastline has resulted in incorporation of a lot of fish dishes and it has also been influenced by the proximity of Japan and China.

Mediterranean - The Christian Mediterranean including Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the French region of Provence. A cuisine strong in vegetables, seafood and olive oil now being held up as an example of a healthy diet.

Mexico & Central America - A cuisine based on Spanish and Native American cuisines from the region and incorporating many native ingredients. This cuisine has been a major influence in the USA Southwest and Pacific regions. It also provided the basis of what I call "Taco Bell" cuisine - not Mexican at all but a USA Southwest fast food invention now being exported worldwide.

Middle East / Israel / North Africa - The Islamic Mediterranean region represents a distinct cuisine which is considered to reach its highest points in Lebanon and Moroco. I include Iraq and Arabia in this region as well. Israel provides the local "fusion cuisine" where Jewish immigrants from Europe and Russia work with local ingredients and recipes.

Scandinavia - Notable for fermented fish concoctions that wouldn't be considered edible anywhere else (and increasingly so in Scandinavia itself). Outside the region it is most known for small open-faced sandwiches. A heavily fish and dairy oriented cuisine but using some spices and flavorings brought back by the Vikings from as far away as China and India.

Slavic: Poland, Russia, Ukrainia, Slovakia - Far from a "pure cuisine", there are strong influences from Germany, France, Turkey and Central Asia. This is particularly true of Poland, long a trade crossroads. Slavic cuisine is noted for large selections of appetizers.

South America - A big continent, but similar enough throughout to represent a single region. It's a mix of Spanish / Portuguese and pre-Columbian native cuisines adapting a large selection of native ingredients.

Southeast Asia - A vast tropical area characterized by long coastlines, large rivers and myriad islands extending well into the Pacific. The most sophisticated cuisine is that of Thailand, but the whole area incorporates strong influences from India, China, and Islamic countries, and Spain in the Philippines. Rice is the primary staple and fish are important along with chickens and buffalo, and pigs in non-Islamic areas.