An essential part of traveling is tasting. Discovering dishes and flavors, trying new things, eating like locals, living an exciting culinary experience. Each country’s cuisine offers a look at its history, cultural exchanges and everyday lives of its people. Food is, also, an ambassador of a country all over the world. Without further ado, we present eight great cuisines around the world.
Mexico
Who doesn’t love a taco or guacamole? Mexican cuisine is full of flavor and uses wonderful natural ingredients. Furthermore, it has traveled all over the world and has inspired chefs everywhere. Mexican dishes are a great combination of heat and freshness and some of the ingredients used are considered superfoods. Avocado, tomato, lime, beans, chilly are antioxidants -plus really, really tasteful.
Famous dishes: Enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, mole (an ancient sauce made of chocolate, chilly and peppers)
Greece
It doesn’t get more Mediterranean than this. Greek cuisine uses a top ingredient. Olive oil is one of the country’s main goods and is famous all over the world (along with greek yogurt and feta cheese). However, when in Greece try not to taste only mousaka and souvlaki.
There are wonderful places to enjoy fish dishes, or try dolma (grape or cabbage leaves filled with rice), tomatokeftedes (tomato fritters), fava (yellow split pee puree, it tastes great with caramelized onion). There is, also, the traditional Greek salad (called choriatiki in Greece and it has tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese). Let’s not forget the sweet temptations, like halva (it’s made using semolina). Mouth-watering.
Famous dishes: Gemista (peppers and tomatoes stuffed with rice), fakes (lentil soup), loukoumades (fried dough), spanakopita (Greek spinach pie).
France
The birthplace of the Michelin Guide offers a range of culinary techniques and tasteful dishes. In France, you can taste, among others, baguette (a tasty bread) to onion soup and Nicoise salad (a combination of lettuce, fresh tomatoes, boiled eggs, tuna, green beans, Nicoise Cailletier olives, and anchovies). Food is a ritual and there are whole excursions dedicated to wine and cheese tasting.
Famous dishes: Ratatouille (vegetable stew), Tarte Tatin (apple tart), Boeuf Bourguignon (stew made of beef), macarons.
China
Food is extremely important to the Chinese people. When it comes to food, above all, they want good quality in great prizes. Also, a large portion of their everyday lives has to do with preparing food and eating. The variety of flavors is extraordinary, while different regions have different dishes. In China, there are dishes that are considered a no-no in other cultures (such as shark fins, which environmentalists say it should be banned).
Famous dishes: Peking duck, dim sum (steam/fried/baked small-plate dishes ), dumplings (dough wrapped around a filling), spring rolls.
Spain
A trip to Spain offers the perfect culinary experience. One shouldn’t leave the country without trying a traditional paella, although there are a lot more Spanish treats for food-lovers. The Spanish culture urges people to go out, visit a restaurant, try tapas and then move on to another restaurant for another round of tapas. In addition, the great chef Ferran Adrià comes from Spain.
Famous dishes: potatoes with aioli (sauce made of garlic and olive oil), Jamon Iberico, churros (a sweet made with dough), seafood paella.
India
Full of spices and aromas, Indian cuisine is definitely not boring. The spices bring out the different flavors of meat and vegetables. Sweet, sour, spicy flavors are all mixed in one dish. So, it comes as no surprise that one can not easily resist the temptation of eating a little more. It is, also, one of the more diverse cuisines in the world: different regions offer different dishes.
Famous dishes: dal (boiled lentils with spices), chicken tikka masala, naan bread.
Italy
The original Italian pizza is just one of the dishes that you should try if you travel to Italy, the country that gave birth to some of the greatest culinary delights in the world. Pasta and ice-cream are at their best in Italy. For Italians, the secret is this: with simple ingredients (such as tomato, garlic, pasta, and olive oil) you can make delicious comfort food. No wonder, then, that Italian cuisine is one of the most influential in the world.
Famous dishes: Spaghetti a bolognese, ravioli, prosciutto
Japan
Words like miso and yuzu have entered kitchens all over the world. Food is central in Japanese culture we can find in the country practices like kaiseki (a lavish multi-course meal). Japanese cuisine combines steamed white rice with one or several main dishes, accompanied by soup. Let’s not forget the popular sushi and sashimi.
Famous dishes: Miso soup, sushi and sashimi (rice rolled with raw fish and vegetables), tempura (a dish of battered and fried fish, seafood, or vegetables).
