Connectivity of ingredients in the global food network

Abstract

We analyzed the food network of the world through the connectivity of the ingredients in a global recipe database. We found the network of common ingredients in recipes had an average clustering coefficient of 0.852, an average degree of 61, and a maximum clique of twelve nodes. We found that the usage frequency of different ingredients satisfies a power law with α = 2. Finally, we discuss the issues surrounding the use of recipes as proxies for the cuisine network.