In recent years, there has been a significant increase in multicultural dining. As society itself embraces different cultures, so too is it embracing different delicacies. Due to an increase in immigration, travel and digital platforms, the demand for cuisines from different cultures is constantly rising. In Ireland, where food traditionally consisted of some form of meat and usually potatoes, now, in Dublin especially, but even in more rural towns, you can see the mark of globalization, immigration and cultural differences. You can now avail of cuisines that go as far as Brazil! You can now get sushi, should you have a hankering and in most towns in Ireland, there are Indian restaurants and even Chinese! And as the urban centers grow, so too does the choice of different cuisines.
Global flavors are cropping up everywhere. People now want something different and unique – they want their events to be memorable (particularly in the case of weddings). They want exotic dishes – even in corporate catering. People want bold flavors, and since it’s always nice to try something different - why not make your event unforgettable? Why not have people gush “wow- that is delicious – who is the caterer?”
When it comes to catering - in global cuisine - respect and authenticity are paramount. You should balance honoring the dishes as well as being able to create new culinary experiences. Acknowledging the cultural significance of food and avoiding misrepresentation, is key. Creativity should not overshadow the core values and traditions of a culture.
In this article, we will be examining:
Food is not just something to be eaten – for some, it is an integral part of cultural heritage. Food plays such as huge role in some cultures; socially (meetings, gatherings, weddings), births (baptism etc.) and it even plays a role in death. Even in Ireland, it is customary to celebrate the death of a loved one afterwards at the pub with lots of pub grub. In fact, it is such a big part of some people’s culture, the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list has several dishes and food related customs on it such as:
Food culture and different multicultural cuisines has reached all the ends of the globe. For instance, let’s take a look at Italian food.
Do you know of any small town that doesn’t’ have a pizzeria? Do you yourself, often cook pasta once a week? More than that? That delicious food is all thanks to the Italians! Pizza and pasta – two of the most common dishes served in many countries (particularly the western nations) is all down to one country. In Italy, however, the food is not just for sharing but something more special. It is a way of bringing family together and celebrating different occasions.
As immigrants travel, they bring their customs and traditions with them. Not only eating food – but the family love, the enjoyment of creating dishes and sitting down together.
Some countries may have a signature dish. A dish that is known as being traditional to that country. For instance, the USA is most (debatable of course) associated with hamburgers, Spain with paella, Japan with sushi etc. It often has a long history and deep cultural significance.
Heritage cuisine (food recipes passed down through generations) provides a sense of belonging in the community and also serves as a link to the past. It keeps us connected to our great great grandmother who passed down that recipe for chocolate cake. Each dish tells a unique story and it just goes beyond satisfying hunger.
There are many benefits of culturally inspired menus. For events, culturally inspired menus can be very memorable. Sometimes, having different foods that people can try that they have never tasted before, is just the thing that will make your event stand out compared to others. It also caters to a lot of different types of guests - that maybe have different tastes than the traditionally served food. Also, because travelling all around the world is so common now, people may have higher standards of the type of food served.
Food is one way for people to experience other cultures; through tastes and giving them a culinary window into your background and culture.
Serving different cultures’ foods also promotes diversity and inclusivity.
Diversity on menus is key to a healthy lifestyle. Eating just pizza and chips is detrimental to people’s health, and ethnic food often includes fresh ingredients; meaning that they are a great alternative to processed foods (not that you can’t have pizza sometimes; everything in moderation!)
For example, some culture’s food (such as Mediterranean) includes healthy fats, sea food etc. Adopting this lifestyle may even prevent cardiovascular diseases. Eating diverse foods also promotes a healthy gut and has different nutritional values.
For food service, incorporating cultural diversity into your menu can also mean that you are widening your customer base. Choosing foods that resonate with many people can be key to boosting your clientele. For instance, hummus is claimed to have originated in many different Middle Eastern countries. The exact one cannot be decided on, but, it is mostly agreed, that it did come from the Middle East. Because of this, it is always present in Middle Eastern restaurants and is known to attract lots of people from this area, as well as people keen to taste the Middle East.
So what are the most popular international dishes in catering? Italian (big surprise) Japanese, Mexican, French, Thai – there are so many. And in terms of events, in particular weddings – the opting for an “international” event (or “international wedding) is becoming more and more popular.
The couples want different cuisines on that special day and try to choose which types of food best represent their relationship. For example, if the couple went travelling and ate sushi together for the first time – perhaps then they would serve sushi as one of their dishes – sharing with their guests what was a special moment for them as a couple.
It is important to work with a caterer that can do international cuisine, to articulate exactly what you want and to make sure that they can make whatever suggested changes or to adapt the dishes to your tastes. A tasting is a must – you need to be sure of what you are paying for! And presentation is also vital to create a memorable experience.
In Ireland, the most popular international cuisine is Italian scoring 37 per cent of the vote. This was followed by Thai food with 35 per cent and Indian cuisine coming in third place. 9/10 Irish people also believe that our tastes have become more diverse in recent years.
Adapting authentic recipes has also become common. Many people take recipes and modify them into something new. In a way, no recipe is unique. Each of them have different ingredient changes or they have changed the way its cooked – over years. Sometimes decades. Sometimes even longer.
But paying homage to the original recipe and/or culture that the dish originated from is still important. Thus, one has to walk the line between creativity and innovation and culinary disrespect.
If the event host doesn’t wish to use the exact traditional dish or make a brand new dish, they could add a unique twist to the dish. For instance, if they didn’t want to have pizzas – they could make pizza balls instead. If they didn’t want to serve sushi rolls – they could serve sushi bowls instead.
In terms of adapting recipes, part of the reason can often be unavailability of ingredients. For instance, in the USA they use graham crackers for a lot of dessert recipes. Here, in Ireland, graham crackers are not available but digestive biscuits are sometimes used to replace them. When people move to new countries they often want to take a bit of their culture with them and that often means trying to make meals that might not be as common in the new country. This is where adaptability can come in.
The way food is cooked can often change slightly if you do not have the proper equipment that the recipe calls for, and it isn’t in your best interest (or budget) to buy the equipment just for that one recipe.
Flavor profiles mean the combination of aromas and textures etc. that make up the impression of food. For instance: sweet, salty, bitter, spicy etc. You use these to make your dish. Certain aromas can remind you of certain places and may hold a sentimental meaning for you. For instance, if you are from a certain part of India and there is food that is made that has spices that are specific to the area you are from, you may want to include this in your event. This is true especially in weddings where the couple may want aromas from different experiences in their lives.
Then there is fusion food vs authentic food. What are they, you ask?
Well, fusion food does what it says on the tin – it blends different foods together; from different cultures or traditions and creates something new. For instance; sushi burritos (Japanese and Mexican), Korean tacos (Korean and Mexican) and of course, the one everyone knows: Tex Mex!
In the catering industry there can be a bit of tension between fusion foods and authenticity. Authentic cuisine sticks more to traditional recipes and cultural roots. It highlights the heritage and includes the storytelling through food.
Some worry that fusion food will diminish some culture’s authenticity. Some say that it can cause misunderstandings of the culture. It is vital to research the different cultures behind the cuisines. Food may be central to the culture and of course, there needs to be respect for the culture behind the dish. It is important to prioritize taste when fusing two different foods and not novelty.
If you want to be a successful caterer, you must balance both! You should respect authenticity and culture but also make fusion foods that are creative and inspire.
Now, let’s look at the catering formats for global cuisine:
Serving global cuisines is easy if you are using live stations. Foods such as sushi bars (representing Japanese food) or tacos (there could be fusion in this such as Paneer tacos: Indian- Mexican fusion) People can help themselves to different toppings. This works well if the guests are not very familiar with the different types of food – they can choose their own ingredients. Example: with Paneer tacos, they might not wish for a lot of spicy food and can choose their own amounts.
This is a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean platter of food that serves a variety of smaller dishes (such as appetizers) and can be perfect for certain catering events.
They are a great way to serve delicious finger foods that can be suitable for corporate events, outdoor events and more! It ensures that there is something for everyone. It often includes, various cheeses, hams, dips, olives and so much more delicious foods. Perfect for feeding a crowd.
These can be ideal catering formats for delivering global cuisine through drop off services. These meal sets can include diverse flavours and foods from different culinary traditions. They are also useful in portion control, to ensure that the food is separated and provide a complete dining experience suited for office events and gatherings that wish to cater to global cuisines.
These are the more practical things to think about if hosting a Global Cuisines event:
A catering company can also partner with specialty suppliers. This can add a lot to an event as it provides unique, high-quality ingredients to the dishes. These specialized suppliers can have specialized spices or ethnic ingredients – perfect for a culturally diverse event that is your clients wish!
They can supply ingredients that are not generally found in a lot of different suppliers. Another benefit is that caterers can potentially save money hiring these specialized suppliers; they allow ingredients to be bought in bulk. They can also give advice about combining different ingredients (and therefore different tastes and flavors) being experts at different kinds of cultural meals.
You must train kitchen staff in preparation techniques for global recipes. It is important to provide regular training and feedback, to create standardized recipes and to provide support for them – after all, the kitchen staff are the backbone of catering businesses.
Teamwork makes the dream work. Create a fun, efficient business with clearly drawn-out regulations and you will have a great catering team. Team-building exercises are always good in this situation as well.
It is essential that kitchen staff can create the culinary recipes that are needed when serving global cuisines. You could organize culinary workshops where your kitchen staff can learn exactly how to make each dish. You should encourage staff to experiment with different flavors and to create unique dishes.
Customer service is crucial to all businesses, especially catering. A smile can go a long way when serving guests.
Presentation can also matter in global cuisine events. It can really enhance the visual appeal. The different types of cuisine vary across different cultures, but the importance of presentation stays the same. Dishes can reflect the traditions of a culture. For example, in Asian cultures, the arrangement of the dishes is very important. Different colours represent different things such as: reds and greens might represent health and good fortune. In Japan, the dishes can be arranged to mimic nature. Flowers can also be added to the meal presentation which is seen to create balance and harmony.
Then in the Western countries, fine dining restaurants often focus on elegance.
Cultures around the world present their food sometimes with a story behind it. Therefore, as a caterer, to ensure that your clients get the most out of the experience, you can include traditional elements in the presentation of food.
When catering for global cuisines, it's imperative to respect and accommodate various dietary and cultural considerations. Understanding the dietary restrictions and preferences of different cultures, such as vegetarianism, halal, kosher, gluten-free, and lactose intolerance, is crucial. Offering a diverse menu that caters to these needs not only shows respect for the guests' customs but also ensures everyone can enjoy the meal without concern.
You can incorporate different dietary and cultural considerations in the food and ensure that every guest at the event has something to enjoy. To ensure this, as a catering company, you must have open communication with the client in question and be informed of the different dietary considerations well in advance. You should research the dietary restrictions and make sure that you find recipes that are both delicious and that your kitchen staff can make (perhaps do a few test runs). Religious dietary considerations that are found in Hinduism and Islam must be carefully studied so as to adhere to religious beliefs.
You should do the following to address dietary and cultural considerations:
It is absolutely vital that the catering company does not make a cultural faux pas. (eg, pork at Muslim events or mixing meat and dairy in Jewish menus) This could generate poor word of mouth (for more of the importance of this see Caterboss) and may lessen the popularity of your company!
Storytelling through the event with food and presentation can really make the day. For instance, this is particularly common in weddings. The couple want their wedding to represent their relationship and perhaps the bringing of two cultures together. They can also create customized menus that represent aspects of their time together.
For example, if their first date was at a cider tasting – perhaps they would put cider on the menu and so on. If they are from two different cultures, perhaps they wish to do fusion food (as described above) or have decorations from the two cultures.
For catering companies, this means that the clients are actively involved in the menu planning and creation. Collaboration between the catering company and the client can lead to a better understanding of their vision for the event and ultimately to a happier catering client.
Different foods can tell different stories – for example, the menu you might have a history of a certain cultural dish on the back of it (or more than one item). They could also tell the story of a particular region.
Catering clients that have a larger say in the organization of the event feel more invested and satisfied and it ultimately leads to the events success.
Servers and chefs can also be educated about the different cultural dishes and therefore can be on hand to regale the guests with the history of the dish or other such anecdotes about the food or décor.
The storytelling part. Guests at events now want to know; what is this food? Where did it come from? What is the story behind it? Telling a story through food keeps dinner interesting. This holds true for beverages too. For instance, craft breweries often tell of their local origins. An example in Ireland is, of course, the Guinness storehouse. A huge tourist attraction and it tells the story of Arthur Guinness, how he started the renowned drink that has become associated with Ireland and the Irish culture. Telling stories through food and the importance it has in a culture can really transform the experience of eating or drinking.
In terms of events, the Guinness Storehouse can be a wedding venue! What’s more traditionally Irish than Guinness?!
The Guinness storehouse attracts approximately 1.6 million visitors each year. Thus the power of storytelling and tasting!
Other examples of these kind of events include:
There are however, certain challenges to serving global cuisines at events:
There can be fluctuating ingredient prices and there may be a shortage of certain ingredients (such as certain spices). Catering companies must develop strong relationships with more than one supplier to combat this, be aware of market trends and manage inventory effectively. You could also look at substituting some ingredients for more available ones. It is important to be aware of seasonal availability and to plan your menu around this. Always have a backup!
Moderating ingredient prices is something catering companies should be doing also (for cost control). Proper storage and inventory management are also key. This means that the food will not expire, and you will have just enough (or close to) how much food you need for each event.
Monitor the food. If there are certain dishes that are just not profitable, you may want to consider cutting them from the menu in favour of something else.
Supporting local has many benefits as well especially cost effectiveness.
Staff must quickly adapt to diverse culinary traditions, each with its own serving etiquette, presentation styles, and ingredient sensitivities. For example, understanding how to properly plate a Japanese kaiseki dish or serve an Ethiopian injera platter requires cultural awareness and precise handling. Language barriers, unfamiliar kitchen equipment, and varying dietary restrictions—such as halal, kosher, or allergen-specific needs—add layers of complexity. Additionally, staff must be able to confidently explain menu items and answer client questions, demanding both cultural competence and product knowledge. Consistent training, hands-on experience, and clear communication are essential to delivering authentic, respectful, and seamless service across culinary boundaries.
This means open communication with the catering company and the clients. Set clear, realistic goals and ask yourself; is the kitchen able to do everything the client wishes? Be exact when interacting with the client; what exactly does the client want? Down to the last flower petal in a buffet of flowers. Listening is so important; it may even help to summarize what they have said so you can refer to it when organizing the event. Ask open ended questions that can clarify their expectations. Do not overpromise things that you cannot deliver on.
Make sure you have a kitchen that is not just aesthetically pleasing but also practical. Plan out the layout of the kitchen and ensure it is spacious and efficient.
Always be upfront about costs to the client and include a detailed list and updates on the budget prowess.
If it is unlikely that the kitchen will be able to fulfil the clients wishes, make sure and offer an alternative to their original plan that is practical but also appealing.
Serving international dishes may elevate your event from great to superb. Perhaps some people have never been to the countries, perhaps some guests get nostalgic from tasting their home country’s dishes – perhaps, the choosing of different plates encourages guests to travel more. Whatever it is; you can be sure that your event will be a smashing success if it serves global cuisines.
For caterers, embracing international flavours not only meets the appetite for cultural variety but also opens the door to creativity, innovation, and deeper client engagement. The future of catering lies in its ability to honour tradition while adapting to local preferences and modern presentation.
Whether you’re planning a wedding, corporate event, or private celebration, offering global cuisines is more than just serving food—it’s about crafting an unforgettable experience that connects people through taste, texture, and shared enjoyment! Bon Appetit!
Ciaran Kilbride is the CEO and Founder of Caterboss, Ireland's leading supplier of catering equipment. With years of experience in the food and hospitality industry, Ciaran established Caterboss in 2017 to provide high-quality, reliable equipment tailored to the needs of professional caterers. His commitment to innovation and customer service has helped Caterboss grow into a trusted name, known for anticipating industry trends and consistently meeting the needs of its clients.
