There’s a saying that goes “anyone who truly appreciates food and music can never be completely bigoted against another’s culture,” and that’s an important sentiment to consider. It’s hard not to love a culture you may not even understand if you’re lucky enough to enjoy its wonderful food, and thrive within that.

But there’s a big difference between going out to eat at a local restaurant and trying to make a few recipes yourself in order to expand your capabilities as a home cook. Of course, the fact that you’re willing to try is wonderful enough in itself, and heading online to find out tips and tricks can be a fantastic first place to try.

But how can you engage with a new cuisine for the first time? What mistakes should you try to avoid? And in the long run, how can you better adapt to this new form of cooking without having to suffer from a sense of overwhelming frustration? Never fear – we have some golden tips you can keep to heart during your most noble of culinary quests:

Try Simple, Delectable Recipes

Simple, delectable recipes that can help you truly understand the basic of cuisine is a great place to start. There’s nothing better than making sure you’ve nailed a national dish or a dish known from a particular culture. For instance, a pad thai recipe may seem simple, but there are so many flavors going on in that beautiful concoction that nailing this simplicity is actually more complicated than you may think, as disparate as that sounds. Furthermore, tailoring it to your specific needs, such as removing the nuts if you have an allergy, can help you better establish cuisine that works for you, while still respecting the original creation.

Eat Authentically

The best way to understand cuisine from another culture is to eat in a restaurant run by people who have a heritage there. This isn’t to say those of other nationalities cannot perform an amazing job of course, provided they have first-hand experience with that culture. Both apply. But authenticity is what you’re looking for here, wherever it comes from. You’d be surprised how seeing an experienced hand providing you with a few dishes from the menu can show you how it’s meant to be done, and if you ask a question regarding how something was prepared, you may even be able to pick up tips yourself.

Source The Right Ingredients From Specific Supermarkets

One important thing to remember is that if you want to be authentic, sourcing the right ingredients is the right way to go. Now, of course, you may not be able to fly in ingredients from the host country as many specific restaurants do, but you can head to the supermarkets that try to stock brands that are available overseas, from a particular brand of soy sauce most people use to the spices that may not be available on more conventional store shelves – if you look to Google or Apple maps in your area you’ll be able to see supermarkets designed to appeal to specific communities – go there, ask questions, and you’ll be treated as a valued customer.

With this advice, you’re sure to properly engage with a new cuisine for the first time going forward.