Off the top of my head:
India:
Sugar
Pepper
Basil
Mangoes
Bananas
Ginger
(Ceylon) Cinnamon
SEA:
(Cassia) Cinnamon
Mace
Nutmeg
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Central Asia:
Apples
Carrots (Afghanistan, could be considered MENA or India but the MENA category is too OP)
East Asia:
Peaches
Soy Sauce
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Africa:
Coffee
Coca-Cola
Palm oil
Americas:
Chocolate
Vanilla
Blueberries
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Corn
Pineapple
Strawberries
Yeah I’m talking about people learning to cook for themselves. If I invite you over for pizza, you’re gonna be bewildered if I give you butter chicken with naan. If I order pad thai, I’m gonna be mad if I get served a burger. Give me tea and call it coffee? No.
But say I was served tacos al pastor and I wanted to make some myself because they were soooo good? But the store only has hard shell tortillas? And Im not actually a big fan of cilantro, and I like my salsa mild? I’m still challenging myself, exploring other ways of cooking exploring other cultures, showing my appreciation for them and learning to respect them.