How Taste and Traditions Shape Our Identity
Food is more than something we eat.
It is memory, identity, comfort, rebellion, creativity, and sometimes, home itself.
Across countries and cultures, the way we cook, eat, experiment, indulge, and celebrate tells us who we are becoming as people. When The Panel Station set out to explore global & food culture trends, the goal wasn’t just to gather numbers. It was to understand the story behind the world’s plates, how heritage meets modern habits, how health meets convenience, and how global flavors are rewriting what we call “everyday food.”
From India to South Africa, Nigeria to the UAE, Egypt to Indonesia, the findings reveal a surprisingly connected world where food still anchors identity even as digital life reshapes how we discover and consume it.
Let’s step into the world’s kitchens.
Eating Habits: A Blend of Home & World
Nearly half the respondents mix home-cooked meals with restaurant or packaged foods. This reflects a hybrid lifestyle—comfort from home, excitement from outside. The traditional idea of “three home meals a day” is evolving into a flexible approach driven by time, mood, and convenience.
Yet, 44.6% still prefer mostly home-cooked meals, which shows that the emotional and cultural anchors of home food remain deeply valued. Even in bustling cities, where global cuisines are one tap away, the reassurance of familiar flavors is irreplaceable.
The small group that eats out regularly (just 3.6%) underscores how cost, health, and cultural norms still shape eating habits more than trend-driven dining. Food delivery apps may dominate headlines, but for most, home remains the primary kitchen of life.
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How Adventurous Are People with Food
Globally, people are remarkably open to trying new foods. A combined 75% rate themselves 4 or 5 on food adventurousness. This is a major shift from older generations where unfamiliar flavors were often seen as unnecessary or risky. Exposure through social media, travel, influencers, and global migration has democratized world cuisines.
The younger age groups fuel much of this trend, but even older groups show growing confidence in experimentation.
Still, a notable 20% sits comfortably in the middle who are open but cautious, showing that cultural comfort holds strong.
What Cuisines Do People Love Most
Despite globalization, local and regional cuisines dominate. Whether it’s biryani, pap, nasi goreng, ugali, or shawarma, people cherish the flavors that tell their story. These dishes carry childhood memories, family bonds, and cultural pride.
Indian cuisine, ranking strongly even outside India, reflects its global influence driven by spice diversity, comfort-driven dishes, and diaspora presence. Asian cuisine’s popularity (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean) shows how well these foods travel across cultures.
Interestingly, fusion food still ranks lowest, meaning innovation excites people, but authenticity comforts them more. In a world full of global choices, people still anchor themselves in flavors that remind them of who they are.
Food & Cultural Identity: A Powerful Bond
A remarkable 81% (ratings 4–5) say food is a core part of cultural identity. This reinforces how deeply meals are woven into who we are. Whether it’s Eid biryani, Sunday roast, South African braai, Nigerian jollof, or Indonesian satay, food traditions anchor memory, belonging, and lineage.
The fact that 70% follow family recipes is one of the strongest insights in this dataset. In a fast-changing world, recipes become heritage. They survive migration, modernization, and generational shifts. Even weekend rituals reflect emotional bonding time, with families building identity through shared meals.
Religious food practices remain significant, though smaller in percentage, showing how food often bridges spirituality with daily life.
How Often Do People Explore Global Cuisines
Nearly three-fourths of respondents explore global cuisines at least occasionally. This signifies how globalization and digital access have made international food both approachable and aspirational. But the fact that 49% say “sometimes” shows that exploration is moderated by affordability, availability, and comfort with familiar food.
Dining Decisions: What Drives Them
Dining decisions are shaped by a blend of sensory and social factors, with taste and quality tied for first. This reinforces that no matter how global trends shift, food must fundamentally satisfy.
The near-equal ranking of experience, trends, and reviews shows how modern dining is as much about feeling as it is about flavor. Ambience, plating, virality, and social proof significantly influence modern choices.
Price being only slightly lower indicates that emotional factors often overpower rational ones. In other words: people want value, but they also want delight.
Health & Wellness
The health wave is global and undeniable. Nearly 78% rate themselves 4–5 on nutrition consciousness, showing that people are actively upgrading their lifestyles. High-protein and low-sugar habits topping the list reflect global movements toward fitness, longevity, and metabolic health.
Interestingly, organic and low-oil trends also rank high, showing increased distrust in overly processed foods. Vegan/vegetarian choices remain a smaller share but still significant, tied to environmental awareness and ethical eating.
Ordering Food Online
With 40% ordering weekly, online delivery has become an integral part of modern eating behavior. It reflects busy lifestyles, dual-working households, and growing trust in delivery apps. But the 28% who order “rarely” reveal the tug-of-war between convenience and cost, culture, or health.
The 22% monthly users show how food delivery has become a treat rather than a habit. Meanwhile, the 8% who never order likely lack access, affordability, or comfort with apps.
Delivery culture is reshaping global food & culture trends by expanding choices, increasing experimentation, and changing traditional meal routines.
What Makes People Try New Food
Comfort Food: The Emotional Center
Most loved food:
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Biryani
- Dal-chawal
- Fried chicken
- Jollof
- Rajma-rice
- Pav bhaji
- Fish & chips
What defines comfort food:
Home-cooked, Taste, Warmth, Tradition, Familiarity
Comfort food, across countries, reflects emotional truth more than culinary complexity. People gravitate toward dishes they grew up eating like rice, beans, biryani, pasta, traditional stews. The common factor is simplicity and memory.
While global cuisine is fascinating, comfort food remains hyper-local. These dishes act as emotional anchors, especially in urban, fast-paced lives. They bring back childhood, festivals, family kitchens, and moments of calm.
Comfort food reveals the heart of global food culture trends:
We explore the world through food, but we heal through what feels like home.
Across countries, ages, and lifestyles, people balance curiosity with comfort, health with indulgence, tradition with innovation. We may choose different spices, rituals, flavors, or festivals but we seek the same things: identity, joy, connection, and belonging.
And every time someone shares their food opinions on TPS, they contribute to a richer global understanding, one where everyday choices become insights that shape better products, better experiences, and a better world.
Disclaimer:
These insights are not just for brands; they are for anyone trying to understand how decisions are made in 2025-26. The more people share, the clearer the picture becomes.
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FAQ's
1. How do tastes influence personal identity?
Tastes shape personal identity by showing what we enjoy and what matters to us. The foods we love, the styles we choose, and the music or media we connect with all become quiet signals of who we are. These preferences help us express our individuality and often link us to communities that feel like home.
2. Why are traditions important in shaping identity?
Traditions provide continuity and shared meaning. They connect individuals to family, culture, and heritage, helping shape identity through rituals, customs, and collective experiences passed across generations.
3. How do trends affect how people see themselves?
Trends influence self-perception by shaping what is considered relevant or desirable. People may adopt trends to express creativity, align with social groups, or signal change in identity over time.
4. Are people balancing tradition and modern trends?
Yes, many people balance tradition and modern trends. They often preserve cultural roots while selectively embracing new influences that align with their evolving values and lifestyles.
5. How does culture shape individual preferences?
Culture shapes preferences through social norms, upbringing, and shared experiences. It influences choices in entertainment, communication, consumption, and self-expression.
6. Do tastes and trends differ across generations?
Yes, tastes and trends vary across generations. Younger groups tend to adopt new styles and ideas quickly, while older generations may favor familiar or nostalgic preferences.
7. How does globalization influence identity?
Globalization shapes identity by exposing people to new cultures, perspectives, and ways of living. This wider influence can expand how individuals see themselves, while also encouraging them to hold on more strongly to their local traditions and personal roots. It becomes a blend of global inspiration and personal identity.
8. How do digital platforms impact cultural trends?
Digital platforms accelerate cultural trends by spreading ideas quickly across borders. Online communities enable rapid sharing and remixing of cultural expressions.
9. Why do people use taste as a form of self-expression?
People use taste to communicate who they are and what they value. Choices in style, media, or lifestyle act as visible signals of identity and belonging.
