What influences the cuisines or cooker of pearticular countries?

The climate and the topography (which equal the environment). These determine the kinds of spices and herbs that are available, the kinds of veggies and fruits and their seasons and the kinds of animals that can be raised or hunted. People's tastes also filter out foods that are perfectly safe and often nutritious but that don't taste good. Location is also important. Areas that are on trade routes will be effected by and accepting of foreign influences more than isolated areas. Food taboos are usually just primitive public health rules. Pork and shellfish can both be lethal for people. Pork because of disease and parasites and shellfish because of the toxins produced by algae during certain times of the year. Although the ancient peoples couldn't know "why", they definitely knew they could be fatal so banning them from the cuisine protects people from being poisoned or infected. I have the feeling that neither could be eaten in the eastern Mediterranean way before they were made part of Jewish Law.