We once wrote about the best destinations for foodies, but we know that not everyone can visit those wonderful places. That’s why, we’ve decided to bring the flavours from around the world to you- we’re going to tell you about the best dishes from every cuisine you can think of, and how to make them. Warning: do not read on an empty stomach!
USA
You may think of the USA as the home of hamburgers higher than your head, or pizza so deep that you could swim in it, but that’s not the case. In the South in particular, “soul food” is the real name of the game- hearty dishes designed to be eaten around the table. In South Carolina, shrimp and grits is a popular dish for breakfast, but if you’re not keen on shrimp, you can add prawns. Jamie Oliver nicknames this dish “rich grits” and you can find the recipe here. A perfect side dish is traditional cornbread, which also goes well with stew-type dishes, such as gumbo. Finish off the meal with a delicious peach cobbler, which is similar to apple crumble.
China
Why spend money on a Friday night ordering from your local Chinese, where Barry from round the corner knocks up a chow mein? You can make much more authentic dishes yourself. Start with a wonton soup, which is super light and comforting. Then, move onto yummy dumplings, or jiao zi as they are known, made with fatty pork. For your main course, it has to be kung pao chicken, a stir fry dish with peanuts and chillies. Alternatively, you could try your hand at a chicken chow mein, with soft noodles and bean sprouts.
France
You may not be able to take a post dinner stroll under the Eiffel Tower, or jump on a boat along the Seine, but there are plenty of amazing French recipes that you can make at home. For breakfast, pain au chocolats are a treat for the whole family. When the chocolate is still warm from the oven, they are heavenly. For lunch, no…it’s not snails, but croque-monsieur with grilled ham and cheese. For dinner, you can’t beat a coq au vin- chicken in wine. This recipe from Raymond Blanc is really simple and ideal for a dinner party.
Greece
Greek food is always really special, but I feel it can sometimes be overlooked in favour of more popular cuisines. The Greek love to utilise their surroundings and make the most of the incredible weather over there, with lots of grilled dishes. A favourite is souvlaki– grilled skewers, which you can serve on a pitta to make gyros. The most important aspect of the souvlaki is the marinade, but don’t forget to serve it with a tzatziki dip- yoghurt with cucumber and garlic. For dessert, baklava, a pastry dish, is always the perfect end to a meal.
India
We all love to visit our local curry house, but you can make amazing Indian dishes at home without heading to the nearest supermarket freezer. How about a creamy butter chicken? This recipe calls for twice-marination of the chicken, but it is truly delicious. For a side dish, try saag aloo, with spinach and potatoes. For dessert, a traditional Indian modak (sweet dumplings) cannot be beaten.
Italy
You can’t mention Italian food without thinking of pizza and pasta…zzz, right? Wrong…if you go back to the traditional back streets of Italy, you’ll find some amazing recipes. For the pizza, it has to be pizza margherita, devised on the streets of Naples. The key to perfect Italian pizza is to keep it thin, and definitely do not stuff the crust with hot dogs. For the pasta side of things, mushroom orzo is kind of like a risotto, but much quicker to make and even tastier. Sprinkle parmesan on top for a finishing touch.
Japan
You can get sushi from a conveyor belt restaurant or even the supermarket these days, but nothing compares to making Japanese food yourself. Tempura prawns can be tricky to get right, as you have to make batter, but this recipe shows you how to make the batter using things you’ll have in your cupboard. Are you a fan of fried chicken? Have you ever tried it the Japanese way, also known as karaage? the chicken is fried in potato starch, rather than corn starch. Lastly, for a traditional Sushi style dish, sashimi works wonderfully. You’ll need to source high quality fish, but don’t worry if you can only find salmon as this works perfectly fine.
Mediterranean
You’ve probably seen the cookbooks; cook healthy, lose weight the Mediterranean way! Whilst it is true that the Mediterranean way of cooking is healthier, it’s by no means boring. For a starter, serve a potato salad with a Med-twist, featuring tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil. Then, move onto a chicken kabob, served perfectly on a summer’s day with vegetables. You can’t serve chicken kabobs without aioli– a gorgeously garlicky dip (just don’t try to kiss anyone after eating it!)
Mexico
Image: Isinginthekitchen
Mexican food is becoming more popular, with chain restaurants popping up all over the UK. However, why splash out on this, when you can make amazing Mexican food yourself? To start, a taco soup-sopa azteca- with cheese and tortilla chips is the perfect start to your Mexican feast. Next up, chimichangas– similar to a burrito, but deep fried. Lastly, you must finish off with churros– fritters dipped in chocolate.
Morocco
Morocco is a great country, steeped in culture that starts at the food. Tagine is the traditional dish, usually made with lamb, but you can also make it with chicken. A good tagine will always strike the balance between fruity and spicy, like this recipe suggests. After your tagine, serve a traditional Moroccan orange cake, a simple but effective dish.
Spain
Image courtesy of: jonoandjoules.com
Tapas is the most popular way to eat in Spain- lots of little dishes, usually served in a bar with sangria. You can easily recreate this at home. Patatas bravas– spicy potatoes- go amazingly with that aioli dip I mentioned above. Gazpacho, or chilled tomato soup, is also popular in the summer. You should always serve tapas with a selection of cured meats, and sweetcorn fritters make the perfect accompaniment.
Thailand
In Thailand, street food is definitely the best way to enjoy the cuisine. Bring the streets of Bangkok to your kitchen with Thai dishes which are surprisingly easy to make. Start off with famous pad thai- noodles with shrimps- and follow with mango sticky rice. For dessert, it’s banana pancakes, which are notoriously popular with backpackers.
Turkey
Although some consider Turkish food to be relatively similar to Greek, it has its own identity. Pide, a form of flatbread, is an alternative to pizza, often made with ground meat. Meatballs, or kofte as they are known, are also popular, made from beef. Turkish delight is of course, the most well known sweet dish, but Tavuk göğsü is a traditional Turkish dessert made with chicken meat. No, you read that right…a dessert made from chicken!
Caribbean
The Caribbean islands are rich and varied, and so is the cuisine. Jamaican jerk chicken, served with rice and peas is a dish which has made its way over to the UK thanks to Levi Roots, but you can make the marinade yourself. Once you have mastered the marinade, you can apply it to prawns and even pulled pork. Fried snappers are a great fish dish, but you need sea fish, rather than fresh water fish. For a side dish, try Caribbean baked beans, which you may never have heard of, but they are a traditional dish on the islands!
Africa
This continent is filled with many unique countries, and it can be so hard to pin down ‘traditional’ dishes, but there’s certainly a lot of choice. In South Africa, it’s bunny chow- chicken curry served in a hollowed out white loaf. In Malawi, it’s all about chambo fish, which you cook really simply with lemon and garlic. In Kenya, a famous accompaniment to grilled steak is irio– mashed peas, potatoes and corn.
Britain
Last but not least, its Great Britain. We’ve adopted cuisines from around the world, but we still love our home classics. You can try and mess with fish and chips, but they’re best left simple- batter the fish in beer and enjoy. We’re also a nation of roast dinner lovers, and what’s a roast dinner without a Yorkshire pudding? Why buy Aunt Bessie’s, when it’s really simple to make your own. You have to end a British meal with a sticky toffee pudding– serve with ice cream for ultimate indulgence.
Lastly, our friends at Independent Cottages shared with us their favourite recipe- lamb curry. They say it’s ideal for leaving in the oven whilst you go out and explore, and we agree!
Let us know if you make any recipes that we’ve mentioned!
