Multi-cultural eating is now very common the world over. Just check out grocery shelves and the local restaurant scene. In fact, in many large cities, it is not uncommon to find restaurants representing almost every continent facing each other on the street.

Aren't we living in very interesting times? We can now feast on the cuisines of a thousand and more miles away without going too far away from our homes and don't we just love it! Personally, I can't get over how I learn so much about, say, italian food, by frequenting traditional Italian restaurants.

As we become more familiar with different cuisines, it sometimes comes as a surprise that there are so many common elements between them! Take Mexican and Indian food for example. These are from opposite ends of the world yet there are striking similarities in ingredients and cooking techniques.

There is a fantastic article by Rachel Laudan that discusses these similarities in detail. The Mexican Kitchen's Islamic Connection is a compelling read. It is a well-researched and well-written article that sheds light on many aspects of food and culture. In very easy to read prose, Ms. Laudan traces the history of two distinct cuisines to a common source.

I won't spoil your reading pleasure with excerpts. Go check out the article even just for the pictures.