Most Famous Foods Around the World: Best National Dishes

Although we may not be able to travel to every country in the world, especially these days, we can still experience different food cultures by tasting the most popular signature dishes and staple ingredients of each country. The popularity of food changes over the years: from fondue in the 1960s and quiche in the 1970s, over molten chocolate cake and focaccia in the 1990s to the early 2021s sliders, kale, poke bowls, and avocado toast. Nowadays we’re seeing the rise of plant-based food, local ingredients, and Instagram-friendly dishes, and you can find those, among many others.

Most Famous Foods Around the World

on our list of most popular foods in the world at the moment.

PIZZA, Pizza Margherita, NAPLES, ITALY

Pizza Margherita is a delicacy that is literally fit for a queen. In 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, where she was served a pizza that was made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil.

It was made by a chef named Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi, who is credited for its invention. The Queen loved the dish, and Esposito named it after her – pizza Margherita, but such a pizza was also made before that time, and can be dated back to at least 1866, when the most popular pizza toppings included basil, cheese, and tomatoes, but the pizza was not yet named Margherita.

Satay, JAVA, SOUTHEAST ASIA

Satay is a traditional Indonesian dish consisting of skewered meat that’s served with a sauce on the side. All types of meat can be used to make satay, even some exotic varieties such as crocodile or snake meat. In most cases, the meat is marinated before grilling.

Marinades vary, but typically include dark soy sauce, sugar, garlic, lime juice, and other seasonings. It is believed that satay originated in the Indonesian region of Java and that it was developed under the influence of Muslim traders who migrated from India.

Banchan, SOUTH KOREA

The term banchan encompasses a wide variety of Korean dishes that are traditionally served on small plates. Although the name banchan translates to side dishes, in traditional Korean cuisine, they are considered as the essential part of every meal.

The list of banchan dishes is extensive, but the most common options include different kimchi varieties, pickled and fresh vegetables, stir-fry dishes, pancakes, or various combinations with noodles, as well as braised meat or seafood dishes. All the plates are usually placed in the middle of the table and are meant to be shared, while other additions to the traditional table setup include individual bowls of rice, grilled meat, and a communal stew (jjigae).

Pavlova, NEW ZEALAND and AUSTRALIA

Delicate as the ballerina it was named after, Pavlova is the quintessential summer dessert. Whipped cream is typically dolloped on top of a snowy meringue, followed by a pop of color in the form of fruit, preferably the tart varieties which contrast the sweetness of the meringue.

Research suggests Pavlova is a descendant of the German torte and was invented in the 1920s during Anna Pavlova’s tour of Australia and New Zealand, although the exact inventor is still debated. The first recipe for Pavlova appeared in print in 1926, although it was not the dessert we know today, but was instead a multi-colored gelatine dish.

Éclair, FRANCE

These elongated pastries with an appealing glaze, a crispy exterior, a soft doughy interior, and a sweet, creamy center originated in France at the turn of the 20th century. Most food historians believe they were invented by Marie-Antoine Carême, a famous French chef. Éclairs (French for lightning) are believed to have received their name because of how the light would reflect off of them after a coating of confectioner’s glaze.

The oldest recipe for these tasty treats can be found in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book, published in 1884. Today, éclairs are becoming increasingly popular in France and throughout the world, and have begun to sport new fillings such as green tea and lemon cream.

Nougat, ITALY

This is one of the oldest types of confections, and varieties can be found throughout Italy, Spain, France, the Balkans, and the Middle East. Although each region has its own distinctive type, most nougats are made of whipped egg white mixed with roasted chopped nuts such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts.

The result is a sweet treat with a chewy consistency. The exact origin of nougat is hard to trace, but the first recipe for a sweet resembling white nougat called natif was recorded in a 10th-century book found in Baghdad. Nougat can be divided into numerous categories, but the most basic distinction is made between soft or hard nougat, depending on whether it is made with honey or sugar.

Bruschetta, ITALY

Bruschetta is a traditional Italian appetizer that’s nowadays popular throughout the world. In its simplest form known as fettunta, this classic appetizer consists of a grilled slice of bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

According to Marcella Hazan, a cookery writer and one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine, the history of bruschetta dates back to ancient Rome – its name stems from the old Latin bruscare (meaning “to roast over coals”).

Kombu, JAPAN

One of the most commonly utilized seaweeds in Oriental cuisine, kombu or konbu has long been a dietary staple in Japan, and refers to a type of brown seaweed, namely kelp of the Saccharina japonica species that is native to Japan but also extensively cultivated in China and Korea where it’s known as haidai and dashima, respectively.

Apart from the great nutritional and healing values, kombu is also used for its flavor-enhancing properties: it is an invaluable natural source of glutamic acid whose powdery crystals emerge to the surface of the dried seaweed and easily dissolve in water, giving any food cooked with kombu its rich, umami flavor.

Chorizo, SPAIN

Chorizo is a Spanish sausage consisting of chopped pork meat and fat that is seasoned with paprika, and sometimes garlic. The combination of these ingredients is then stuffed into a natural casing. Chorizo is characterized by its red color, due to the usage of special paprika known as pimenton, which is the key ingredient that differentiates the Spanish chorizo from other similar sausages.

It has a unique, hearty, and spicy flavor. Different version of chorizo also exist in countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Panama, Argentino, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Uruguay. Some claim that chorizo has origins in the Catalan xoriço, while others say that it has roots in morcilla, or blood sausage.

Dondurma, KAHRAMANMARAŞ, TURKEY

Turkish ice cream is believed to originate from the city of Maraş—hence the name—and what really sets it apart from other varieties is its resistance to melting and a particularly dense, chewy texture. These qualities are brought by adding two thickening agents to the basic milk and sugar mixture: Arab gum, also known as mastic resin, and salep—a type of flour made from the root of the early purple orchid.

In fact, in the Kahramanmaraş region, ice cream typically contains distinctly more salep than usual, which is why it is sometimes called kesme dondurma—from the Turkish kesmek, meaning to cut—which is the reason why this ice cream variety is usually eaten with a knife and fork

Mousse au chocolate, FRANCE

This classic French dessert is made with dark chocolate, eggs, butter, sugar, and salt. It is characterized by its foamy, bubbly texture and rich chocolate flavor. Its origins, however, are still relatively unknown. The French have been cooking with chocolate since the 17th century, when it was introduced to France by the Spaniards.

Mousse originated in the 18th century as a cooking technique, so it was only a matter of time until the French started using chocolate in the preparation of mousse. Today, mousse au chocolat is commonly decorated with flakes or chunks of chocolate on top, adding contrast to the flavor and smooth texture of the mousse.

Pizza Napoletana, NAPLES, ITALY

Italy’s most emblematic culinary creation, the genuine pizza Napoletana is made with just a few simple ingredients and prepared in only two variations – marinara, the basic Neapolitan pizza topped with a tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic and oregano, and margherita, which is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, a delicious combination whose colors are said to represent the Italian flag.

The crust is very thin at the base, and the dough puffs up on the sides, which results in airy crust that should have typical charred ‘leopard spots’ if baked properly. The origins of this iconic Neapolitan dish can be traced to the early 1700s, when what we know today as pizza marinara was first described by Italian chef, writer, and philosopher Vincenzo Corrado in his treatise on the eating habits of the people of Naples.

Börek, TURKEY

Börek is a baked dish consisting of a savory or sweet filling wrapped in yufka – thinly stretched sheets of dough made with flour, water, and salt. Heartier than phyllo, but thinner than a tortilla, hand-made yufka is typically brushed with butter before baking.

Although many countries have their own versions of this satisfying dish, it was probably invented during the Ottoman Empire in the Anatolian Provinces, an area that nowadays belongs to Turkey. Some sources suggest that börek might be even older, a descendant of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Anatolian dish known as en tyritas plakountas, consisting of layered dough filled with cheese, its recipe dating back to 160 BC.

Churros, SPAIN

Elongated, crispy, crunchy and intensely fragrant, churros consist of deep-fried yeast dough encrusted with sugar. Although some may argue against consuming these sweet treats, warning others about the dangerous effects of sugar and fat on human bodies, the popularity of churros throughout the world doesn’t seem to wane.

Originally invented by Spanish shepherds who could easily cook them in a pan over an open fire, today these unusually shaped, cinnamon sugar sprinkled twists are most commonly eaten in Spain and Latin America as a hot breakfast food, accompanied by a strong cup of coffee or a cup of thick hot chocolate.

Miso Soup, JAPAN

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soy-based soup made from a stock called dashi, miso paste, and various additional ingredients such as seaweed or tofu. It is estimated that more than 70% of Japeanese people consume the soup for breakfast, although it is commonly available at any time of the day.

In Japanese restaurants in the United States, miso soup is often offered as an appetizer. The soup is thought to have medicinal properties, as it alkalizes the blood and revives the nervous system. The main ingredient is called miso – a combination of rice, salt, water, and fermented soybeans, shaped into a paste that is similar to peanut butter in texture.

Parfait, FRANCE

The name of this partially frozen French dessert means perfect – so one can imagine that its creators intended the experience of eating it to be no less thrilling than its name implies. Parfait is a frozen dessert made from a base of egg yolks, sugar, and whipped cream, and it can be flavored with any number of additional ingredients such as fruit, nuts, or coffee.

Today, however, parfaits can be made with savory ingredients as well, and there are versions made with seafood, vegetables, and even foie gras. Parfaits were originally served on decorative plates, but today they are usually layered in tall and thin flute glasses.

Spring Rolls, CHINA

Spring rolls are traditional Chinese snacks consisting of thin sheets of dough that are filled with various ingredients, then deep-fried in hot oil. Some of the more common ingredients for the filling include shredded pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and cabbage.

These flavorful snacks are commonly served as an appetizer, accompanied by numerous dips, tea, or coffee. Originally, spring rolls were called spring dish, symbolizing the beginning of Spring. Spring dish used to be sent to friends or relatives as a spring present and a blessing, and they were usually filled only with vegetables and fruits.

Mole, MEXICO

Mole is a family of rich Mexican sauces and the national dish of the country. The base usually contains Mexican chile peppers which are ground in molcajete – a traditional mortar and pestle made of stone. Other ingredients may vary, so moles can contain vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, nuts, seeds, masa cornmeal, bread, and even chocolate, which adds earthy notes to the spicier ingredients.

Interestingly, the Aztecs called it molli, meaning concoction or mixture. The best-known mole is surely mole poblano, originating from Puebla. In Oaxaca, also known as “land of the seven moles”, one can find moles verdes (with cilantro), moles rojos (tomatoes, sesame seeds), moles negros (chiles, chocolate, nuts, dried fruits), manchamantel (tomatoes, pineapple, ancho chiles, cinnamon, bananas), orange-red moles (plantains), mole almendrado (almonds), and cacahuate (peanuts).

Grilled Cheese, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Grilled cheese is a classic American sandwich that is usually prepared with one or more cheese varieties that are placed between two slices of bread. The slices are buttered from the outside, and the sandwich is then shortly heated, typically in a pan or on a griddle, until the bread is golden and the cheese melts.

Although cheese and bread were a common pairing since the early 1900s, and the French have their own, similar Croque Monsieur sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich first appeared in the United States in the 1920s, when it was prepared open-faced, as a slice of bread topped with shredded cheese.

Fondue, SWITZERLAND

Fondue is Switzerland’s national dish, a melting pot of different flavors and aromas, similar to the country itself–a melting pot of people and different cultures. Its name comes from the French word fondre, meaning to melt, and it was first described in Homer’s Iliad as a mixture of goat cheese, flour, and wine.

Fondue’s key ingredient is cheese that is melted over a fire, with a lot of regional varieties and flavorful additions such as cherry brandy, white wine, or a sprinkle of nutmeg. It was invented out of necessity, when the alpine locals and traveling herders relied only on cheese, wine, and bread to get them through the winter.

Nori, JAPAN

Nori is the traditional Japanese ingredient created out of processed seaweed, more specifically the red algae Porphyra. The production starts with rinsing, draining, and slicing seaweed, which is later pressed and dried to create the rectangular sheets that are thin, flat, and black in color.

Through history, nori was mostly produced out of wild seaweed and was collected at its natural locations. The cultivation started in the 17th century, during the Edo period, when the growth in population increased the demand for nori. Today, it is commercially produced in a specially designed system of nets, where it is cultivated, then processed.

Fish and Chips, ENGLAND

Most Brits would agree that there is nothing more British than fish and chips. This comforting, widely loved national dish consists of a freshly fried, hot, white fish fillet and large, sliced and fried potatoes. Cod, haddock, and flounder are the most common types of fish that is fried for the dish, and the customers can choose which type of fish they want, with cod being the most popular choice.

The fillets get dipped in a batter made from eggs, milk, and flour, and are then fried in oil, lard, or beef drippings along with the potatoes. The origins of this dish go back to the 17th century, when potatoes were fried as a substitute for fish in the winter months, while fried fish was introduced into the country by Jewish refugees.

Pad Thai, THAILAND

Pad Thai is Thailand’s national dish, a flavorful stir-fry (pad in Thai) dish consisting of rice noodles, tofu, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, and eggs. If it’s made with meat, chicken and pork are some of the most popular choices. The flavors are an intricate combination of sweet, sour, and salty, with a well-balanced contrast of textures.

Pad Thai is probably one of the most popular Thai dishes abroad. Its origins can be traced to a period of nationalism in the country, after the 1932 revolution that ended the absolute monarchy. There was a public contest to find a new national noodle dish, and the winner was a Pad Thai consisting of noodles, radish, sprouts, peanuts, and eggs.

Churrasco, RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

Churrasco is a Brazilian barbecue method where juicy pieces, slices, steaks, and chops of beef, veal, lamb, pork, and chicken are placed on big skewers and grilled over wood fire. It started in the early 1800s when the Gauchos (European immigrants that settled in the Rio Grade do Sul area) would get together and start a fire, adding large portions of meat on skewers and slowly grilling the meat.

In the restaurants, known as churrascarias, the skewers are paraded across the restaurant in a flashy manner, and the waiters circulate among the tables in order to show off the succulent meat to hungry diners. After the customers have chosen their preferred type of meat, it is sliced off the skewers to the dining plates.

Parmigiano Reggiano, PARMA, ITALY

Considered to be among the world’s top quality cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is made with raw, semi-skimmed milk from cows grazing on fresh grass and hay. It has a hard, gritty texture and its flavors range from nutty to robust and slightly piquant, depending on how long the cheese had matured.

The origins of Parmigiano Reggiano date back to the Middle Ages, when the Benedictine and Cistercian monks reclaimed the Po Valley wetlands and started producing this much-prized cheese, which was later named after the city of Parma, its place of origin.

Chutney, INDIA

Whether Indians are enjoying tandoori chicken or aloo paratha, no meal is complete without the flavorful chutneys – India’s national condiments. These fresh homemade relishes consist of pickled or stewed fruit and vegetables that are cut into small chunks, then delicately seasoned with a variety of spices such as cumin, cardamom, tamarind, ginger, and turmeric.

They are typically served in small, round bowls and consumed along with the main dish. Chutney’s role is to cool the palate and bring even more flavors and colors to the table. Most families take great pride in their homemade chutneys, their houses decorated with rows upon rows of jars that were left to mature in the sun on windowsills.

Mooncake, GUANGDONG, CHINA

An ancient Chinese delicacy eaten during the Mid-August Festival or Moon Festival, known as mooncake, is a pie-like pastry made with a shortcrust base called yueh ping that is traditionally filled with black sesame seed or lotus seed paste, along with red beans, roasted pork, mung beans, dates, and salted duck egg yolks.

Nowadays, mooncakes are available in a variety of different sweet and savory fillings, some of which are fruits like honeydew, litchi or pineapple; chocolate or mixed nuts; abalone and seaweed; green tea, and even cream cheese or ice cream. Their round shape is not only reminiscent of the moon, but also a symbol of return or a full circle, which in Chinese philosophy stands for fulfillment, oneness, perfection, and unity.

Penne, ITALY

Penne is a type of pasta made from durum-wheat flour and water in its most basic form. It is characterized by its oblique cut and can come in smooth or ridged version, in different sizes. The pasta is usually boiled in plenty of salted water. The name penne is literally translated to quills, referring to their shape, and the shape refers to pennino, or pen, that had to be dipped in ink.

The pasta has copied that same tubular form, making it possible to collect the sauce, just as the pen collects ink. Originally, penne were colored with saffron, giving them a unique flavor, while many other types of pasta were colored with a tasteless yellow coloring.

Macaroni, NAPLES, ITALY

This is a dry, short variety of pasta made with durum wheat and water. In northern Italy, it usually refers to an extruded type of pasta with a tubular shape, a categorization that has been accepted in most other parts of the world as well. However, in the rest of Italy, the term macaroni can also signify numerous other types of pasta of varying size and shape.

In the past, the Italian word maccheroni was a generic name used to refer to all varieties of dry pasta, a category known today as pasta secca. The origin of macaroni is often traced to Naples, and it is believed to be an authentic Italian invention influenced by Arabian tradition.

Ceviche, PERU

Ceviche is the national dish of Peru consisting of slices of raw fish or shellfish that is spiced with salt, onions, and chili peppers, then marinated in lime juice. Due to the acidity of lime juice, the texture of the fish changes, as does its color – from pink to white.

The acidic marinade, also known as leche de tigre (lit. tiger’s milk) “cooks” the meat without any heat involved in the process. For ceviche, fresh fish is an imperative, as fish and shellfish that are not fresh can cause food poisoning. Peruvians are used to fresh ingredients, so the fish will sometimes be prepared for ceviche less than an hour after being caught.

Fajitas, TEXAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and MEXICO

Fajitas is a popular Tex-Mex dish made from marinated, grilled skirt steak that is served in a wheat flour tortilla. The earliest printed mention of the word fajita referring to food appeared in 1975, and ten years later it had become one of the most popular dishes of Tex-Mex cuisine.

The word fajita is derived from the Spanish faja, meaning girdle or strip, referring to a cheap cut of beef covering the diaphragm that was considered somewhat undesirable by many locals. In the 1940s, Mexican ranch workers used to tenderize the skirt steak by pounding and marinating it in lime juice before cooking it over an open fire and serving the meat in a wheat tortilla along with numerous condiments.

Baguette, PARIS, FRANCE

Probably the most iconic image of France, this long, light, airy bread with its characteristically crispy crust dates back to the 19th century, when wheat and white breads were no longer a privilege of the rich. Baguettes were made even before the invention of their name.

The word baguette first entered use in 1920, derived from the Latin root baculum, meaning stick or staff, which became baccheto in Italian. Baguettes were first baked as long, wide loaves of bread, but a 1920 law prevented workers from beginning work before 4AM, making it impossible for bakers to finish baking the bread in time for breakfast.

Chocolate Chip Cookie, WHITMAN, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Usually accompanied by a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea or coffee, chocolate chip cookies are well balanced between salty and sweet in flavor, tenderly chewy in texture, and filled with small melting chocolate pyramids, bringing a generation of Americans back to their childhood.

The origin story of these sweet treats is incredibly interesting, almost as the cookies themselves. The Toll House Inn was a popular bed-and-breakfast in Whitman, Massachusetts, bought by Ruth Graves Wakefield and her husband in 1930. Ruth’s cooking was so good that the inn gained an excellent reputation in a short span of time.

Bibimbap, SOUTH KOREA

Bibim means mixed, and bap means cooked rice, so bibimbap is literally mixed rice. The rice is combined with a variety of ingredients such as sliced beef, namul (sliced vegetables), soy sauce, gochujang (thick, deep red chili pepper paste), and a raw egg on top, cooking as it is dispersed through the steaming rice.

One of the most popular Korean dishes besides bulgogi and kimchi, bibimbap is said to have been invented out of necessity, just like many other national dishes. In Korea, there is a tradition that any leftover food from New Year’s Eve should not be brought over into the New Year, so it started the practice of combining different ingredients with rice in a bowl, and bibimbap was created.

Bulgogi, SOUTH KOREA

It’s hard to say which is better: the succulent meat or spicy side dishes that define bulgogi, the Asian barbecue style in which thin slices of marinated meat are quickly cooked over high heat on top of a perforated, round metal plate that covers the grill’s piping hot coals.

The name of the dish stems from bool and kogi, Korean words denoting fire and meat. The earliest form of the dish originates from the Goguryeo period, when the meat was marinated before grilling, unlike the standard Chinese practice of seasoning the meat after it has been grilled.

Naan, INDIA

Naan is a unique and popular flatbread with a chewy texture that has its roots in India. The first documented traces of naan are found in the 1300 AD notes of Amir Kushrau, an Indo-Persian poet. Its name comes from the Persian word for bread. Naan was originally made in two versions at the Imperial Court in Delhi – naan-e-tunuk (light bread) and naan-e-tanuri (baked on the stone walls of a tandoor oven).

It consists of white flour, yeast, eggs, milk, salt, and sugar, baked in a tandoor oven. Its typical tear-drop shape is achieved by the way the dough droops as it cooks on the tandoor walls. Many Indian villages had a communal tandoor, placed in the middle of the village so that all the locals could bake naan.

Dashi, JAPAN

One of the fundamental ingredients in Japanese cuisine, dashi is a type of soup and cooking stock often used as the base for different miso and noodle soups, donburi or rice bowl dishes, stews and many other kinds of nimono or simmered dishes.

Dashi is typically made from kombu (dried kelp), katsuobushi (dried and smoked skipjack tuna), iriko or niboshi (anchovies or sardines), or a combination of these ingredients, all of which are naturally rich in glutamates and thus deliver an intense umami flavor to a number of Japanese dishes.

Quesadilla, MEXICO

Quesadilla is a simple Mexican snack consisting of a flour or corn tortilla filled with cheese that melts well. It is commonly folded in half and consumed. A quesadilla can also have some other ingredients on the inside such as meats, beans, or potatoes, but cheese is always mandatory (with the exception of Mexico City, where cheese in a quesadilla is often an afterthought).

Sometimes, it is cut into wedges and served with salsa or guacamole on the side, and it can be topped with vegetables such as diced tomatoes, onions, lettuce, or hot chiles. The origins of quesadilla are somewhat murky, but it is known that the cheese was brought to Mexico by the Spaniards along with other dairy products in colonial times, and the thin flatbreads were already a staple of the Mesoamerican people.

Guacamole, MEXICO

Guacamole is a world-famous buttery delicacy dating back all the way to the Aztec empire of the 1500s. It’s a healthy blend of ripe, mashed avocados, onions, chiles, optional tomatillos and selected seasonings such as sea salt and coriander.

The star of this incredibly simple dish is the avocado, high in unsaturated fat, potassium, vitamins, minerals and protein, its name stemming from the Aztec ahuacatl, meaning testicle or testicle tree, which is why it was believed that it was an aphrodisiac by the Aztecs.

Guacamole is sometimes prepared in the molcajete, a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle where onions, chiles, and salt are ground to a paste and added to the coarsely mashed avocados. Of course, guacamole is only as good as the avocados it is prepared with, and among the best are the nutty and creamy Hass and smooth Fuerte avocados.

Tonkatsu, JAPAN

The breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet tonkatsu is a Japanese dish with a very recent history. It first appeared at the end of the 19th century as a type of yoshoku — the Western-influenced Japanese dishes — but with time, tonkatsu has become increasingly Japanized, widely available to the masses and thus more popular.

Tonkatsu is a dish in itself or, if married with other ingredients, it can turn into many of its almost endless variations; made like a sandwich, paired with ramen or rice, poured over with a thick miso sauce as done in Nagoya, or served with curry to make katsu karē.

Sundae, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Along with Banana Split, sundae is one of the most served ice cream-based desserts in the United States of America. A sundae is ice cream topped with a sauce or syrup, typically served in a bowl. The most popular varieties of sundae are chocolate caramel, butterscotch, and strawberry.

Cherries, dairy cream, and nuts are the most common additions to the popular treat. Food historians still argue about the origin of the ice cream sundae, but there are three theories which remain the most popular. The first one says it was created in Illinois, where the law prohibited the selling of soda water on a Sunday.

Afternoon Tea, ENGLAND

Afternoon tea is an old British tradition of having tea between 3 and 5 o’clock in the afternoon, accompanied by sweet or savory tidbits of food. There are three types of afternoon tea: cream tea, paired with scones, jam, and cream; light tea, paired with scones and sweets; and full tea, paired with savories, scones, sweets, and a dessert.

It is said that the tradition was invented by Anna Maria Stanhope, the Duchess of Bedford, in the 19th century. She suffered from a “sinking feeling” in the afternoon, so she started having a pot of tea and a light snack privately in her boudoir.

There are numerous miso varieties which differ in the length of the fermenting process and ingredients, resulting in different flavor of the products. The three basic types include the rice-based miso, referred to as kome, the barley miso, known as mugi, and the soybean mame miso.

Hummus, LEBANON

This internationally popular, beige-colored spread is traditionally made with mashed chickpeas, tahini sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic. People across the world love hummus for its tangy flavor and the fact that it is filled with nutrients.

When served, it is typically dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and is then used as a dip for vegetables or a flavorful filling for flatbreads such as pita. Even today, not much is known about its origins, although the earliest mention of hummus dates back to 13th-century Egypt.

Wasabi, JAPAN

Wasabia Japonica, better known as wasabi, is a plant native to Japan that is harvested for its lumpy rhizome, which is predominately used as a popular sushi condiment. The plant grows only in damp areas, usually in streams or artificial water beds.

It is difficult to grow and takes up to two or three years to mature. The rhizome is typically grated against textured sharksin that is attached to a wooden board. Grated wasabi develops its signature pungency after a couple of minutes, but most of its flavor tends to disappear quickly, and true wasabi always needs to be freshly grated, right before it is served.

Miso, JAPAN

Miso is a Japanese paste made by fermenting soybeans with salt, the fungus kōji, and occasionally rice, barley, and water. It is regarded as the most popular Japanese condiment and seasoning, commonly used to flavor soups, stews, sauces, spreads, and salad dressings.

There are numerous miso varieties which differ in the length of the fermenting process and ingredients, resulting in different flavor of the products. The three basic types include the rice-based miso, referred to as kome, the barley miso, known as mugi, and the soybean mame miso.

Burrito, CIUDAD JUÁREZ, MEXICO and CALIFORNIA (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

Burrito is a dish consisting of a wheat flour tortilla that is wrapped in such a way that it is possible to fully enclose the flavorful filling on the interior. The filling consists of a combination of various ingredients such as meat, beans, rice, lettuce, guacamole, and cheese, among others.

Its name means little donkey in Spanish, and a popular theory suggests that it stems from the way the bedrolls and packs appeared on the donkeys that carried them. Some claim that the dish originated in the 19th century by either the vaqueros in Northern Mexico, farmers in California, or the miners from Sonora.

Pho, VIETNAM

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup, Vietnam’s national dish, street food, comfort food, and a way of life. It is also one of the most beloved Vietnamese dishes in the western hemisphere due to its complex, unique flavors, and elegant simplicity. Although it is classified as a soup, pho is served as the main course and the two bowls of it never taste the same.

It is traditionally made with chicken or beef broth, where the bones simmer lazily for at least three hours until the broth is perfect. The addition of herbs and spices accentuates the flavors, and the chewy rice noodles, juicy beef slices, and crunchy sprouts elevate the dish to another level.

Fried Chicken, SOUTHERN UNITED STATES, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The most popular food of the Southern cuisine, fried chicken is the theme of many arguments where everyone involved seems to have a favorite, be it what their mothers used to make, a cult roadside eatery, or a bygone restaurant. However, it is universally agreed that the meat must be moist, succulent, and tender, coated with a crunchy, golden-brown crust.

It all started during the colonization period, when Scottish immigrants settled in the South, bringing their fried chicken recipes along. The African slaves then introduced new seasonings and spices, and the dish quickly gained popularity. Typical seasonings include salt, pepper, and hot chiles, and the pieces of meat should be edible by hand so that the consumer can bite both the crust and the meat at the same time.

Mac and Cheese, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

One of the most popular dishes in the United States known as mac and cheese combines tender, yet firm pasta and melted cheese. The preferred American combination includes curved macaroni pasta and Cheddar cheese, but modern varieties include various vegetables, crispy breadcrumb topping, or gourmet ingredients such as crab, lobster, or truffles.

Although it is an American staple, the dish was probably inspired by various pasta and cheese dishes that were enjoyed in Italy, France, and the United Kingdom, before its appearance in the United States. It was Thomas Jefferson who eventually popularized it, when he had the pasta machine shipped back home to Virginia and served the dish at his lavish banquets, while in 1824, his distant cousin Mary Randolph published the first mac and cheese recipe.