Travel from Greece to Thailand without leaving the kitchen.
Maybe you’re sick of your dinner rotation and want to make something new, or perhaps you miss traveling and want to try cooking some globally inspired meals. Redditor u/PoissonIvyyy asked people to share their favorite authentic dish from their nationality or ethnicity. Here are some of the responses.
1.
Vietnam: “Banh Xeo, a crispy savory ‘pancake.'”
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“It’s my favorite meal and it’s relatively easy to make as far as Vietnamese recipes go, with only a few ingredients. Add sparkling water or beer to make the batter extra crispy!” —u/49mttj
2.
Taiwan: “Beef noodle soup.”
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“A few tips for making it: quickly boil the meat beforehand and rinse well with cold water, removing all the stuff that gets boiled out. Simmer the broth and do not let it violently boil. Boiling it will incorporate fat into the stock and you will end up with a murky broth rather than a clear one. Serve with pickled veggies!” —u/Kawaii_Sauce
Recipe: Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
3.
India: “Biryani! Make it with vegetables, chicken, or (my favorite) mutton.”
4.
El Salvador: “Pupusas. They’re thick, stuffed tortillas and you can customize what you put inside of it, like cheese, beans, pork, etc…”
5.
Greece: “Spanakopita.”
6.
Persia: “Ghormeh Sabzi.”
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“Bonus points if you can make a nice tahdig (crispy rice) to go with it. And serve with a side of mast o musir (yogurt with minced shallots).” —u/GoatLegRedux
“Ghormeh sabzi is made with fenugreek, beef lamb or chicken, and kidney beans. It is stewed all day and served with long grain basmati rice. It is my favorite dish, and the smell reminds me of childhood.” —u/boxxoroxx
Recipe: Ghormeh Sabzi
7.
Cuba: “Ropa Vieja, which is basically Cuban pulled beef stew.”
8.
Sri Lanka: “Sri Lankan rice and curry. It differs from Indian curry in a lot of ways and is worth a try.”
9.
Korea: “Cold noodles (naengmyeon) paired with barbecued short ribs (galbi).”
10.
Philippines: “Adobo.”
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“This popular Filipino dish and cooking process involves marinating meat, seafood, or vegetables in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorns, then simmering them in marinade until the natural oils come out. Each household has a ‘special’ way of cooking adobo. Some omit vinegar or soy sauce, while others add coconut milk.” —u/invmatrix
Recipe: Chicken Adobo
11.
Indonesia: “Gado Gado.”
12.
Venezuela: “Guasacaca.”
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“It’s a type of Venezuelan guacamole, but it’s much better and tangy. It’s typically used as dip with meat or bread.” —u/Archetix
Recipe: Guasacaca Sauce
13.
China: “Mapo Tofu.”
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“Mapo Tofu is the recipe that started me on the journey of learning authentic Chinese cooking years ago. Best decision of my life!” —u/Ostrich__Jockey
Recipe: Mapo Tofu
14.
China: “Hainanese chicken rice.”
15.
Nepal: “Momo and achar. My family is from Nepal, and this is one of my favorites.”
16.
Puerto Rico: “Rice with Spanish chorizo, pigeon peas, and olives. It’s so delicious, especially when served with some plantains.”
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17.
South Africa: “Bobotie”
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“It’s such a delicious winter food. My mom used to serve it with yogurt and banana slices to cool it down. Sounds weird, but it works!” —u/iwokeuplikemish
Recipe: Best Bobotie
18.
Japan: “Oyakodon Donburi.”
19.
Nigeria: “Jollof rice. It’s legendary!”
20.
Slovakia: “Halushki and homemade pierogis.”
21.
Canada: “Poutine.”
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“There are two major selling points: you need a poutine gravy and actual cheese curds. If you just do regular gravy and chunks of whatever cheese, you’re not going to get the real experience (although it’ll still taste alright).” —u/MythicalBeast42
Recipe: Canadian Poutine
22.
Poland: “Bigos, aka hunter’s stew. It’s basically stewed cabbage, meat and mushrooms and is so good.”
23.
Jamaica: “Ackee and saltfish with fry dumpling or fry fish and festival.”
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24.
Syria: “Bamiya. It’s an okra stew with sautéed vermicelli in butter and chicken broth.”
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“My family makes it with cilantro, tomato, a ton of garlic, beef (though lamb is more traditional), tomato paste, and a little bit of baharat. Make sure to use small okra, as the big ones get stringy and slimy.” —u/topologicalpants
25.
Mexico: “Cochinita pibil.”
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“My family is Mexican from Yucatan. The regional specialty there is cochinita pibil, which is usually eaten in taco form. You marinate pork in achiote (annatto seed) paste, orange juice, and lime juice, then slow roast it in banana leaves. The tacos are topped with pickled red onion and habaneros.” —u/yayastrophysics
Recipe: Conchita Pibil
26.
Sweden: “Kroppkakor (aka potatoes, meatballs, gravy, and lingonberries).”
27.
India: “Aloo paratha.”
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“It’s unleavened dough rolled with a mixture of mashed potato and spices, which is cooked on a hot tawa (or a pan) with butter or ghee.” —u/blue-account
Recipe: Potato-Stuffed Paratha
28.
Hungary: “Chicken paprikash.”
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30.
Portugal: “Carne de Porco Alentejana. Portuguese pork and clams with potatoes in a great sauce. It’s one of my favorites.”
Michael Watz / Getty Images/iStockphoto
31.
Lebanon: “Kibbe. It’s my favorite Middle Eastern/Lebanese dish.”
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“I would describe it as sort of a Lebanese meat loaf. You can prepare it baked, fried, or even raw (never tried it this way, but it is very popular).” —u/patjorge
Recipe: Lebanese Kibbeh
32.
Denmark: “Meatballs in curry.”
Nordic Food Living / Via nordicfoodliving.com
“The meatballs are made from pork and generally aren’t seasoned with anything except for onion, salt, pepper, and some flour and egg to bind them. You either boil them in salted water or stock until they float, or you can steam them. Boiling is the traditional way. The curry sauce is roux-based and you can add finely minced onion and/or apple. Serve with rice.” —u/sailor_stuck_at_sea
Recipe: Danish Meatballs in Curry
34.
Brazil: “Feijoada! It’s black bean stew with sausage and pork.”
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