There are a few things in cuisine that seem to be universal.

This subject came up in another blog (http://frugalupstate.blogspot.com/2008/06/frugal-food-part-one-eggs.html in comments) and it reminded me of a discussion we had in the kitchen at my old job at the Yacht club. We were working around the table, a mixed bag of Americans of various ancestries and combinations. German, Native American, French, English, Vietnamese, Mexican of Native Origin and Mexican of Spanish Origin, Swedish, Irish. It started out with comparing various Eggs and ____ breakfasts and evolved into, how picky an eater could you be and still manage to eat whereever you traveled? We tossed around a lot of candidates, but in the end, only came up with a few items:

• Eggs, of course. Bear in mind, you might have to eat non-chicken eggs in some locales.

• Beans. Is there any cuisine which doesn't have a favorite bean?

• Grains. Wheat, Rice are certainly almost universal, though what is made from them can be a long way from the nice slice of yeasty bread westerners expect. Maize brings up a strong 3rd in the America's, but is not as devotedly used elsewhere.

• Onions/Garlic and some sort of leafy green option seemed to be the only universal vegetables! Potentially, Tomatoes but we weren't too sure. And, the leafy green is laughably vague!
  

Meat consumption is unpredicatalble as to variety and availability. Cheese and Dairy only SEEMS universal to westerners. Potatoes also. Peppers or Chillis are woefully underrepresented in some cuisines. But, we concluded, if you only like the items listed above, you ought to be able to find an acceptable meal anywhere in the world and maintain pretty good health. And not look too rude to your hosts, so long as you carry off the idea that this escetic diet has a purpose for you other than allowing you to be too picky to expand your culinary horizons.

Though, a bottle of hot sauce in your rucksack would be a nice bit of insurance.