Cooking, to me, is more art than engineering. It leaves room for expression, experimentation, and a bit of risk-taking. A dish won’t fall apart if you add a little more of something, a little less of something else, or swap an ingredient entirely. In fact, that’s often how better dishes are born.
And I believe the places with the best food in the world are the ones that take those risks.
Growing up in India, I saw this firsthand. Indian cooking is open, flexible, and fearless — never shy about combining ingredients, layering flavours, or adjusting a recipe until it feels right for your own taste. Every household has its own version of the same dish, and that freedom is part of the magic.
When I moved to Germany, I noticed a very different mindset. Cooking here is often treated like an engineering problem — precise measurements, strict recipes, controlled steps. Furthermore, many people prefer not to cook at all, except for simple dishes.
I’d also read that Germany is a generally risk-averse country, and interestingly, you can feel that even in the kitchen. Many dishes are designed to be consistent and predictable. So people tend to stick closely to ingredients and quantities, worried that adding more or changing something might ruin the dish. For my palate, the result is often mild, repetitive, and a little too safe. There’s less variety, less contrast, fewer layers. Meanwhile, Indian food ranges widely — from simple comfort dishes to highly complex preparations.
I enjoy German and many European dishes, but I prefer a more adventurous approach to cooking. Many cuisines, especially across South and Southeast Asia and other tropical regions, embrace experimentation. Perhaps it comes from the abundance of ingredients, but mentality also plays a role.
Cooking benefits from a little boldness. Don’t be afraid to take risks in the kitchen. A recipe is a starting point — the real dish is what you make of it.