Of all the cuisines to choose from, I decided on Spain from Europe and Laos from Asia. Laotian cuisine is closest to Hmong cuisine, which is my ethnicity. The Hmong people do not have their own country to call their own, for example the Laotians are from Laos and the Spanish are from Spain. The Hmong are not from Mongolia. Instead, the majority of the Hmong population resides in the mountains of Laos. Some live in Cambodia, Thailand, France or the United States of America. Spain has influenced much of the world's cuisine. Its techniques and ingredients have been intertwined with the rest of the world for thousands of years. Spain is located in the southwestern part of Europe and east of the Mediterranean Sea. A wide variety of fruit and vegetables are grown in Spain. Food From Spain lists peaches, cherries, ioquats, apricots, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, grapes, wheat and olives as fruits grown in Spain. There are many others as well, but these specific fruits only come from Spain. A Melocoton de Calanda is a Spanish peach found in northeastern Spain. Cerezas de la Montana de Alicante is a sweet red cherry found in the Jerte Valley in Spanish Extremadura. Ioquats are sweet, slightly acidic and have a strong, leathery skin. Some types of apricots, nectarines and plums also come from Spain. Apples from Asturias, Castile and Leon and Catalonia in northern Spain are "generally considered superior (food from Spain)". Pears are native to Asia Minor, but grow well in the interior of Spain. Grapes, wheat and olives also play an important role in Spanish cuisine. Grapes are used for wine and oil. Olives are in abundance and are eaten and used for oil. Olive oil has many uses in Spanish cuisine. Typical......medium paper......med or grilled and low fat. Spain has a greater abundance of olive oil which allows them to create heartier meals. Spanish cuisine uses oil for frying, creating emulsions and making bases like Sofrito. Spanish food is therefore more substantial, but is higher in fat than Laotian cuisine. Regardless of their differences, both cuisines are delicious. Laotian cuisine may not have influenced the food world as much as Spain has; instead it has undergone slight influences from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. These are two very different cuisines and offer many different flavors and styles. The contrasting cuisines arise from the different products they have available and cooking methods. Although both countries are located in the Eastern Hemisphere, the different products are due to the region, climate and soil type. Regardless of their differences, both cuisines are delicious.