07 Jul 25 Intriguing National Dishes
Amok – fish and onions in a coconut curry sauce served in a banana leaf – is the national dish of Cambodia.
Adventure travel isn’t only about adrenaline-inducing activities, back-of-beyond hikes and the thrill of getting close to big carnivores in the wilderness… sometimes, eating abroad can be a big adventure, too! That’s certain to be the case when you try these national dishes from around the globe. While they may not all be official cuisine icons, they are profoundly beloved by native diners. How many have you heard of? How many have you tried? Time to get traveling and let your palate explore as avidly as your feet.
1. ALBANIA
Qofte Ferguara
Introduced to Albania by the Turks, these fried ground meatballs with onion, mint and feta cheese are a common element of Middle Eastern cuisine.
2. ARMENIA
Khash
Read below to discover the ‘exotic’ ingredients in this traditional Armenian winter soup called khash.
You’ll need a strong stomach for this Armenian soup made from calves’ hoofs, lamb tongues, calf tripe (stomach), and sometimes the head. Formerly a winter staple, now considered a delicacy, it’s garnished with crumbled lavash bread, accompanied by vodka and served mostly on festive occasions during cold-season months that contain the letter “r.”
3. BELIZE
Belizean Boil-Up
A Caribbean fish stew enhanced with yam, cocoa, cassava, plantains, eggs and a small pig’s tail, “Boil-Up” is a Kriol dish influenced by the heritage of African slaves who settled in Belize in the 17th century.
4. BHUTAN
Ema Datshi
This fiery stew of green or red chilies and yak cheese is a daily staple in Bhutan that’s often accompanied by Bhutanese red rice.
Ema Datshi combines hot peppers with cheese and is served with Bhutanese red rice
5. BRAZIL
Feijoada
Originating as a dish fed to slave labor in the 16th century, this smoky black bean stew uses various parts of a pig fried in a spicy garlic broth. It’s commonly served with coarse cassava flour toasted in fat.
6. CAMBODIA
Amok
Catfish smothered in a curry sauce of kaffir lime, lemon grass, turmeric and coconut milk and and steamed in banana leaves
7. CANADA
Poutine
From Quebec, this Canadian comfort food is basically French fries topped with a brown gravy and cheese curds. It’s readily available in fast-food joints, especially greasy-spoon-style diners.
Poutine, from Quebec, is a popular snack of French fries drenched in brown gravy and topped with cheese curds
8. DENMARK
Frikadeller
Danish meatballs are different from their better-known Swedish counterparts. These are more like minced meat dumplings made of veal, beef and pork, typically served with boiled potatoes and cream gravy.
9. EGYPT
Ful Medames
Mashed fava beans with scallions and hard-boiled eggs and served with Egyptian pickles and pita bread
10. ETHIOPIA
Doro Wat with Injera
A spicy chicken dish made with berberé (spicy paste) and niter kibbeh (spicy clarified butter), scooped up with injera, a spongy, thin bread that takes the place of a utensil
11. GEORGIA
Khachapuri
A staple in the Republic of Georgia, this cheese pie is ubiquitous throughout this Caucasian country: tangy dough made with yogurt, eggs and flour and stuffed with a fluffy feta and mozzarella cheese filling.
12. GUATEMALA
Fiambre
Fiambre, served around Nov. 1 to commemorate All Saints Day, is Guatemala’s national dish.
Customarily served to celebrate the Day of the Dead and All Saints Day in Guatemala, this single-platter dish features a jumble of ingredients cut into small pieces — typically tongue, boiled chicken, pork loin, corned beef, ham, sardines or mackerel, sausages and marinated vegetables including carrots, potatoes, beans, beets, peas, cabbage and cauliflower
13. ICELAND
Hákari
A unique and integral part of Icelandic culture, this dish – fermented shark – is assuredly an acquired taste…a fishy, ammonia-drenched, gag-inducing taste. After “curing” for 6-12 weeks in a hole covered with sand and gravel, the shark meat is cut into strips to dry for several months. Chef Anthony Bourdain, infamous for eating pretty much anything during his global travels, called hákarl “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing” he has ever eaten, even worse than raw seal eyeball.
14. INDONESIA
Gado Gado
A mixed salad made of hard-boiled eggs and blanched vegetables including beans, carrots and cabbage, served with a peanut sauce dressing and garnished with fried onions
15. KAZAKHSTAN
Beshkarmak
Varying according to region, this dish combines lamb or horse meat, rice or homemade noodles, and dried yogurt, seasoned with onions and chives
16. KENYA
Ugali
A bland, starchy cornmeal mush served as a sticky ball alongside meat or vegetable stews. Small pieces are torn off and used to scoop the stew with one’s fingers. Variations on this starchy staple are common throughout much of Africa.
Ugali, made from corn meal, typically accompanies spicy sides like cabbage or meat stew.
17. KOREA
Bulgogi
There’s arguably no better Korean barbecue than this signature meat: grilled steak marinated in a savory mélange of soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
18. LITHUANIA
Cepelinai
Meanings “Zeppelin air ships,” which they are shaped like, these giant potato dumplings are stuffed with cheese, ground pork and potatoes and served with sour cream
19. MADAGASCAR
Romazava
A mixed meat stew of beef, pork and chicken cooked with tomatoes and spinach and seasoned with onions, garlic and ginger
20. MONGOLIA
Airag
Technically, this isn’t a dish but a drink. Fermented mare’s milk, in fact. This tangy, fizzy beverage stored at room temperature in a leather bag is consumed widely throughout Mongolia, ensuring that local nomads in this vast land of steppe and desert stay pleasantly buzzed all summer long.
Airag, or fermented mare’s milk, is ubiquitous in Mongolia and traditionally served in bowls.
21. MYANMAR
Mohinga
Burmese cuisine is a highlight of travel to Myanmar, and this spicy fish soup is no exception. Seasoned with onion, garlic, lemon grass, chili powder and turmeric, it’s traditionally served with rice noodles and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, green onions, shredded green beans, fried gourd and fresh coriander.
22. PHILIPPINES
Adobo
Though the name of this dish was borrowed from Spanish colonists, adobo is a distinctly Filipino meat stew, simmered in a piquant vinegar-based soy sauce.
23. POLAND
Bigos
Beloved by Poles, bigos, or hunter’s stew, is a hearty, long-simmering meat-and-sauerkraut dish flavored with red wine and featuring wild, hand-harvested mushrooms.
24. SCOTLAND
Haggis
Scottish haggis for sale, tied with a tartan ribbon
You’ve heard of it, but have you tried it? Put on a kilt and give it a go – if you’ve got the nerve. Beloved by Scots, this savory pudding is basically a sheep’s stomach stuffed with diced offal (hearts, liver and lungs) minced with onion, oatmeal suet, spices and salt, blended together with stock and served with potatoes and turnips.
25. VIETNAM
Pho
Vietnam’s fragrant noodle and spiced beef broth soup is often eaten for breakfast. The boiling stock is poured over rice noodles, bean sprouts and scallions and garnished with paper-thin slices of raw beef.
Latest posts by Wendy Redal (see all)
- 5 Books to Inspire Your 2018 Travel Adventures - December 20, 2017
- Looking for Lemurs in Madagascar - December 2, 2017
- Julius Nielsen: Bridging Old Ways and New Paths in East Greenland - October 21, 2017
No Comments