Do you love to travel? Obsessed with trying new food? Snap! Keep on reading to see our favorite dishes from around the world. We can’t get enough of these!!
One of the best things about exploring a new destination is getting to try all the delicious food a country has to offer. If you’re anything like us, then you love to eat.
And not just any old food, but the really good stuff. You know, the kind of dishes that make your tastebuds jump for joy and your stomach do a happy dance.
In this blog, we take you on a trip around the world exploring our favorite dishes from our adventures.
Some of these dishes you may have heard of before, and some are hidden gems that we just loved and couldn’t resist sharing with you.
So grab a bite to eat and get ready to virtually explore the world’s best dishes from the comfort of your home. Let’s dig into our 13 favorite dishes:
India- Chaat
Chaat is a food group without limits! It has several variants and can be prepared to suit almost any taste. This delicious savory snack is popular street food in India. Chaat originates from Northern India and come in an array of different flavors and dishes.
A Chaat usually has a starchy base, loads of vegetables, a chutney topping, and crispy bits sprinkled on top.
They are considered a somewhat healthy dish that is favored by many locals and travelers. Found in street markets and restaurants, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try various types of Chaat when visiting India.
Examples of Chaat are:
- Aloo Chaat: Made up of crispy fried potatoes, seasoned with ground spice, and a sweet and sour tamarind sauce. Topped with coriander and crunchy pomegranate seeds.
- Aloo Tikki: Made up of potatoes, spices like garam masala, coriander, chili, and ginger, the ingredients are all mashed together and fried into little patties. Crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
- Dahi Vada (we love this one!): This dish is made up of lentil fritters covered in a tangy yogurt. The more yogurt the better, in our opinion.
- Sev Puri: This dish is a combination of papdi (crispy flat puri), sev(deep-fried gram flour noodles), boiled potatoes, and green beans. Served up with green chutney and tangy tamarind marinade, this dish is packed full of flavors and textures.
Philippines: Adobo
This world-famous dish is straight from the heart of the Philippines and doesn’t disappoint.
Adobo is made up of either meat, seafood, or vegetables in a tangy sauce. The sauce consists of soy sauce, bay leaves, vinegar, black peppercorns, and garlic.
This dish is found in many homes across the Philippines, as well as in high-end restaurants and at local street vendors. Some may say this is the national dish of the Philippines.
Adobo is usually paired with fresh rice wrapped in banana leaves. Our favorite way to enjoy this dish is to drench the rice in a typical tangy sauce. A winner in our eyes, and mouths.
If you love unique and tasty food, this is the dish for you!
United Kingdom: Fish and Chips
Next up we head to England. You haven’t tasted proper fish and chips until you have been to the UK. Picture this: You’re at the seaside, and you have just dipped your toes in the cold water.
You feel a little chilly and head to the local fish and chip cafe, sitting down to eat fresh, locally caught, battered fish and chips with a cup of English tea. Does it get any better than that? We don’t think so!
The first fish and chip shop opened in the UK around the 1860’s and hasn’t left the shores of the United Kingdom since. You can find this local dish in most towns across the UK, with an option to dine in a restaurant or have it as takeout from the local “chippy”.
It’s great value for money, a very popular dish, and tastes as good as it looks.
Thailand: Tom Yum Goong
If you haven’t been to Thailand yet and love food, this needs to be on your bucket list. It’s a foodie’s heaven.
One of our favorite dishes is the Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup). Packed full of flavors like lemongrass, chili, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, fresh lime juice, and plenty of fish sauce, this soup is a flavor explosion.
Along with coconut milk, fresh prawns, and mushrooms, this soup is perfect after a long day of exploring. Nothing goes better with Tom Yum Goong than a portion of spring rolls!
Argentina: Alfajores
If you have a sweet tooth then look no further than Alfajores. These delicious shortbread biscuits are stuffed with dulce de leche. If you haven’t heard of dulce de leche, we urge you to go try some now. This delicious sweet caramel will hit all your sweet cravings.
You can find Alfajores in convenience stores, bakeries, and local markets all over Argentina. They’re also found all over Spain and throughout South America.
Argentinians snack on these delicious biscuits throughout the day, as they stay firm and fresh in the heat.
They are the perfect treat to enjoy in Argentina and bring back to your friends and family at home.
Morocco: Tagine
You can’t go to Morocco without sampling a Tagine. Found on every street corner, a Tagine is a delicious pot of meats and vegetables cooked in an array of delicious spices like coriander, paprika, allspice, cassia, and cardamom.
This sweet and savory combination welcomes you to Morocco with a waft of delicious smells and great taste.
A Tagine is cooked in a very special type of pot to create a very hot environment. As the food cooks the steam rises out the top and the condensation trickles down the side.
It creates beautiful, tender Tagines with lots of flavors. It may seem like a simple dish, but it is delicious.
{Make a traditional tagine at home with this delicious recipe}
New Zealand: Hāngī
This traditional dish is steeped in Maori culture and is more than just something to eat. A Hāngī is a dish that has been around for centuries. Food such as fish, kumara (sweet potato), pork, lamb, potato, pumpkin, and cabbage are cooked in a pit underground.
The Hāngī is placed in either a mutton cloth, aluminum foil, or a wire basket before being put on hot stones at the bottom of a hole dug in the ground. The food is covered with a wet cloth and buried in dirt to trap in the heat.
Depending on the size of the food, the Hāngī is left in the ground for 3 to 4 hours. The process of the Hāngī produces tender meat and delicious vegetables infused with a smoky, earthy flavor.
This dish is reserved for special occasions, with just a few places in New Zealand where tourists can enjoy this century-old tradition. You can sample a Hāngī in Rotaroua, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, and Auckland.
Prepare to be stuffed when you leave because there is no short supply of food when this is what’s for dinner.
Japan: Okonomiyaki
Japan is world-renowned for delicious sushi, silky smooth ramen, and Japanese thick curries. But have you heard of Okonomiyaki?
This Japanese-style pancake is found on most street corners and in restaurants. It is a pancake made up of cabbage, flour, and egg. You can have meat and vegetables added in if you prefer.
Once flat pressed on a griddle, the Okonomiyaki is traditionally served with Japanese mayo, BBQ sauce, and fish flakes. They are served hot and ready-to-eat from street food vendors.
If you’re eating in a restaurant, they sometimes offer the option of making the Okonomiyaki yourself.
This is a must-try dish if you visit Japan but also a recipe to try at home.
Iceland: Kjötsúpa
Who doesn’t love a bowl of delicious soup after a cold day of exploring? Kjötsúpa is an Icelandic lamb soup made with locally sourced lamb, vegetables, and potatoes.
It’s a hearty rustic soup, usually paired with delicious fresh and rich rye bread.
This dish can be found in many restaurants around Iceland and is a classic dish that every traveler must try.
{See our other favorite dishes from Iceland}
Singapore: Chilli crab
Singapore is a mixed bag of cultural influences when it comes to food; however, this magical destination serves up many cuisines that will leave you entirely satiated.
However, one of the local dishes we loved was the Chilli Crab. Surprisingly not that spicy, this dish is full of fresh crab drenched in a thick tomato and chili gravy.
It is served with a slice of fresh bread, so be prepared to get your hands dirty as you dunk the bread into the leftover sauce. Found in local markets and restaurants, this dish will have your tastebuds tingling!
Italy: Pizza Perfection
You may say we are cliche, but we just love pizza in Italy. Those crispy bases with delicious toppings have us running back for more! Italy is the home of pizza, offering the best pizza in the world, in our opinion.
With a wood-fired oven alight on every street corner, wherever you choose to eat pizza in Italy, it will be packed with locally sourced ingredients and baked with fresh dough. Obviously, it will taste delicious!
However, the toppings are different from pizzas in the U.S; the ingredients are simply focused on fresh local ingredients that are the centerpiece of the pizza. You can find this Italian dish on every street corner, literally!
Our personal favorite is the quattro stagioni (four seasons pizza), split into four sections, with each section representing one season of the year. Artichokes for spring, tomatoes or basil for summer, mushrooms for autumn, and ham, prosciutto, or olives for winter. Whatever your season, this is your flavor!
{Make your Italian pizza at home}
Slovenia: Štruklji
Strukelj comes in many different shapes, sizes, and flavors. They have become extremely popular all over Slovenia.
One of our favorites is the skutini štruklji. This soft dumpling is filled full of cheese curds and sour cream, making it a rich and creamy snack!
Many of these dumplings are prepared for special occasions around Slovenia and topped with sugar or nuts to give them a sweet finish.
To find this delicious štrukelj head to a local restaurant where you will be served up a bite of these unique treats.
Brazil: Feijoada
This dish is eaten all over this magical country. Feijoada is our favorite dish from Brazil. It is a rich and hearty stew composed of black beans and pork. Additional vegetables like cabbage and carrots are added in to give more flavor and texture.
This stew is slow-cooked over a long period to let the flavors enhance and produce a rich and tasty meal.
You won’t have trouble finding this delicious dish, as it’s eaten by many tourists and locals alike. You can find it all over Brazil and as the centerpiece or main meal at Brazilian buffets!
Well, we don’t know about you, but we’re hungry!! We just touched on a few of our favorite dishes from around the world, but there are many more we would love to try and share with you.
We hope you have enjoyed your virtual foodie tour and hope to see you traveling with us soon.