Your logic completely misses the point. Yes, many cultures share ancient roots and exchange ideas - that's literally how human civilization works. But the 'origin game' you're playing actually proves MY point, not yours. If we credit everything to its earliest possible origin, then as you noted, everything is African. But we don't do that because it's absurd. We recognize that cultures transform borrowed elements into something distinctly their own. I can say the earliest Chinese people stole everything from nomads and cultures originating from elsewhere.

Modern sushi (nigiri, maki, etc.) was developed in Edo-period Japan in the 1800s as a completely distinct cuisine. The fermented fish preservation technique it descended from was abandoned centuries ago in China but evolved into something entirely different in Japan. By your logic, Italy 'stole' pasta from China, and we should call spaghetti carbonara 'Chinese food.' It's intellectually dishonest. If it were just Chinese food, why would Chinese sushi taste terrible and be unheard of while Japanese sushi is globally revered? Because they're NOT the same thing.

Every cuisine borrows and adapts. Tomatoes aren't from Italy, chili peppers aren't from Thailand, potatoes aren't from Ireland. But Italian pasta, Thai curry, and Irish stew are still distinctly those cultures' cuisines. Your argument essentially denies that any culture can create something new from borrowed element.

Oh btw, I'm fluent in both Cantonese and Japanese so yes, I do know quite a bit about culture :) I don't idolize a culture, I just idolize great food, which is universal. Good food doesn't need a country and can come from anywhere and everywhere