Nearly all of us will have been privy to international cuisine, whether dining at your local Italian, or enjoying a sumptuous Chinese 5-course meal as a takeaway. International cuisine is a simplified, generic term to describe a grouping of dishes that often have multi-cultural influences. Do you frequent Pizza Hut? Pizza is without doubt one of the most popular forms of international cuisine in the Western world, evolving from its Italian roots to become an American fast food staple – any topping goes! The international restaurant chain is accredited with bringing the humble dough-based Mediterranean dish bang into the 21st Century, with toppings such as Piri-Piri (an African chili) and the folded Italian Calzone, stuffed with garlic, cured meats and onion. Exotic and varied according to region, Chinese cuisine takes inspiration from many sub-cultures, including Canton, Szechuan and Shandong. Dim Sum is a popular Cantonese style of cooking and service within American-Chinese restaurants, comprising many small dishes of rice, noodles, sushi and even Peking Duck! American influence upon Chinese cooking has evolved methods and attitudes slightly, with vegetable dishes and rice now deemed accompaniments, rather than features of a meal. French fries are also a popular side order and aperitifs such as prawn wantons are now deep fried for convenience. Upscale genres of international cuisine include the ubiquitous “fusion” method, whereby the vital elements of two or more cultures are combined to create a new dish. Wolfgang Puck, the “father of fusion” and owner of fine dining establishments throughout Las Vegas is renowned for his French-Chinese experimentalism – so out there, you just have to see for yourself!