Computational models for the evolution of world cuisines

TL;DR

This paper analyzes global culinary data to uncover patterns in ingredient usage and proposes computational models, highlighting copy-mutation as a key mechanism in the evolution of world cuisines, with implications for health and nutrition.

Contribution

It introduces a large-scale analysis of recipes across cultures and develops computational models to explain culinary evolution, emphasizing copy-mutation as a core process.

Findings

Identified statistical patterns in ingredient usage across regions.

Proposed copy-mutation as a plausible mechanism for culinary evolution.

Potential applications in dietary interventions and health.

Abstract

Cooking is a unique endeavor that forms the core of our cultural identity. Culinary systems across the world have evolved over a period of time in the backdrop of complex interplay of diverse sociocultural factors including geographic, climatic and genetic influences. Data-driven investigations can offer interesting insights into the structural and organizational principles of cuisines. Herein, we use a comprehensive repertoire of 158544 recipes from 25 geo-cultural regions across the world to investigate the statistical patterns in the usage of ingredients and their categories. Further, we develop computational models for the evolution of cuisines. Our analysis reveals copy-mutation as a plausible mechanism of culinary evolution. As the world copes with the challenges of diet-linked disorders, knowledge of the key determinants of culinary evolution can drive the creation of novel recipe generation algorithms aimed at dietary interventions for better nutrition and health.