Like many people, I used to follow an imaginary rule for eating — sticking with what I know. The first time I ordered a dish I couldn’t pronounce was exciting and scary at the same time. Unsurprisingly, the dish was delicious. What surprised me was how I felt afterwards. I found myself in a better mood and felt more accomplished than usual.
That experience taught me that giving unfamiliar dishes a chance offers more benefits than just expanding our palate. Here are the mental health benefits of exploring new cuisines.
When we try a dish or cook a recipe we’ve never experienced before, we naturally slow down to pay attention to the textures, flavors and aromas rather than eating on autopilot. This helps us practice mindful eating even when we don’t mean to.
Mindful eating is an eating technique that involves engaging fully with our senses and eating more slowly without distractions. It helps us appreciate our food and notice how it affects both our mood and our body. This technique has also been found to reduce emotional eating, which occurs when individuals eat in response to feelings rather than physical hunger.
Unfamiliar cuisines introduce flavor combinations, spices and cooking methods that challenge our routine thinking. After trying a dish we have never experienced before, many of us feel inspired to recreate it at home.
Across history and cultures, people have turned curiosity sparked by other cultures’ food into hands-on experimentation. Chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Jonathan Waxman, for example, started incorporating influences from various Asian cuisines into their cooking in the 1980s, thanks to the introduction of different flavors and cooking techniques through globalization. This shows how exposure to new food traditions can inspire creativity.
Since trying new foods often inspires creativity in the kitchen, it can help us access the mental health benefits of cooking. Many of us tend to make the same familiar meals out of convenience, which can limit skill development and keep cooking on autopilot. While routine is good, it does little to encourage growth.
Cooking cuisines that are new to us encourages skill-building. Not only does learning a new skill reduce stress, but it can also increase life satisfaction, offer a sense of purpose, boost confidence and improve our overall mental health. Plus, cooking creates a sense of empowerment and control. Preparing our own meals allows us to choose ingredients, which nurtures positive emotions such as confidence and pride.
Food is one of the most accessible ways we can engage with cultures that aren’t our own. Something as simple as sharing or trying a meal from other cultures can lead to learning about history, social norms and values outside our everyday experiences. These encounters help broaden our perspectives, which is essential for personal growth, as they encourage open-mindedness and empathy.
By trying foods from different cultures, we are participating, even in small ways, in cultural exchange. Research shows a positive association between cultural engagement and improved mental health outcomes, including lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Eating has always been a social act in many cultures. Sharing food brings people together in a way few other daily activities can. Exploring new cuisines, especially those built around communal meals, offers a simple way to reconnect with others. It allows us to slow down, eat together, engage in conversation and enjoy a shared experience.
Research strongly supports the mental health value of shared meals. The 2025 World Happiness Report indicates that meal sharing is one of the strongest predictors of well-being, comparable to income and employment status. The same report shows that countries with higher rates of meal sharing also report stronger social support and lower levels of loneliness. Moreover, other research has found that older adults who regularly eat with others are happier, more satisfied with their lives and more engaged with their communities.
Traditional foods often offer better nutrition than processed foods, as they rely on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and preparation methods that have been passed down through generations. They’re usually rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats, all of which support brain health and emotional well-being.
Studies comparing traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean and traditional Japanese diets, with Western diets show that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower among those who follow traditional eating patterns. By expanding our food choices to include different cultures, we can begin to experience these benefits firsthand.
Exploring new cuisines has changed the way I think about food and how I take care of my mental health. What often starts as a small choice to try something unfamiliar can help us slow down, become more present and reconnect with others.
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