25 Traditional Food Dishes You Have To Try

25 Traditional Food Dishes You Have To Try

Set off on a worldwide culinary adventure where flavours, customs, and culinary expertise collide. A tapestry of flavours, an ancestral song of ingredients and skills passed down through centuries, sits at the core of every culture. We travel across countries and decades to reveal the enthralling world of traditional cuisine, from the hot street markets of Bangkok to the scented kitchens of Tuscany.

Each taste is a journey, a window into a people’s spirit and a tribute to their past. In this scrumptious voyage across the world, join us as we relish the essence of humanity’s rich and diverse heritage, one dish at a time.

1. Sushi (Japan)

Sushi on a white ceramic plate. jpg by Derek Duran, via Unsplash

Sushi is a Japanese cuisine made of vinegared rice, generally with sugar and salt, and served with a variety of items, including fish (often raw) and vegetables. Sushi styles and presentations vary greatly, but one crucial element is “sushi rice,” sometimes known as shari or sumeshi.

Hanaya Yohei is credited with inventing nigiri-zushi, a popular style of sushi in which fish is laid over hand-pressed vinegared rice, circa 1824 during the Edo era (1603-1867). It was the Edo period’s quick meal for the chnin class.

Sushi is generally cooked using medium-grain white rice, however, brown rice or short-grain rice can also be used. It’s frequently made with seafood like squid, eel, yellowtail, salmon, tuna, or imitation crab meat. There are several vegetarian sushi options. It is commonly accompanied by pickled ginger (gari), wasabi, and soy sauce. Popular garnishes for the meal include daikon radish or pickled daikon (takuan).

Sushi is sometimes mistaken for sashimi, a similar Japanese meal consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or, on occasion, beef.

Read On The 15 Best Places for Sushi in Santa Barbara

2. Pizza (Italy)

Pizza. jpg by Ivan Torres, via Unsplash

Pizza is an Italian dish that consists of a round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions, olives, vegetables, meat, ham, and so on), which is then baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven.

Pizza and its variations are among the world’s most popular foods. Pizzerias (pizza specialist restaurants), Mediterranean restaurants, takeout, and street food all sell pizza. Pizza served in a restaurant in Italy is served unsliced and is eaten with a knife and fork.

The global pizza market was worth $128 billion in 2017, and the US market was worth $44 billion, split among 76,000 pizzerias. On any given day, 13% of the US population aged two and up eats pizza.

Read On Who Was The Inventor of Pizza: History, Key Dates And Facts

3. Taco (Mexico)

Taco. jpg by Chad Montano, via Unsplash

Tacos are a typical Mexican dish made of a tiny hand-sized maize or wheat tortilla topped with a filling. After that, the tortilla is folded around the contents and eaten by hand. Tacos may be filled with a number of ingredients, including beef, pig, chicken, fish, beans, veggies, and cheese, giving them significant adaptability and diversity.

They are frequently topped with condiments such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, as well as vegetables such as lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and chiles. Tacos are a popular type of antojito, or Mexican street cuisine, that has spread around the world.

Traditional taco varieties include hard-shell tacos (created in the United States), soft-shell tacos, breakfast tacos, Indian tacos, puffy tacos, taco kits, and tacodillas.

4. Paella (Spain)

A photo of Paella by Sandra Wei, via Unsplash

Paella is a rice dish that originated in Valencia. Paella is considered one of the community’s defining emblems. It is one of Spain’s most well-known dishes.

Paella is traditionally cooked over an open fire in Valencia, using orange and pine branches and pine cones as fuel. This creates a fragrant smoke that permeates the paella. In addition, instead of serving on dishes, dining guests customarily eat directly from the pan.

After cooking paella, a layer of toasted rice, known as socarrat in Valencià, may form at the bottom of the pan. If the paella is cooked over a burner or open fire, the layer forms on its own. This is generally regarded as beneficial (as long as it is not burnt), and Valencians like eating it.

5. Peking Duck (China)

Peking duck by Mr Wabu in Beijing.jpg Mr Wabu, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Peking duck is a Beijing (Peking) speciality that has been made since the Imperial era. The meat is distinguished by its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish providing primarily the skin and little flesh, which the cook slices in front of the guests.

Ducks raised specifically for the meal are slain after 65 days and seasoned before roasting in a closed or hanging oven. The meat is frequently served with spring onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce, wrapped in pancakes. Pickled radish is sometimes included. Crispy fragrant duck is a popular dish in the United Kingdom that is comparable to Peking duck.

6. Croissant (France)

Croissant. jpg by Kavita Joshi Rai, via Unsplash

A croissant is a buttery, flaky viennoiserie pastry shaped like an Austrian kipferl but made using yeast-leavened laminated dough. Croissants are so-called because of their historical crescent form. In a procedure known as laminating, the dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded multiple times in succession, and finally rolled into a thin sheet. The finished product has a layered, flaky texture akin to puff pastry.

The contemporary croissant was created in the early twentieth century when French bakers replaced the kipferl’s brioche dough with a yeast-leavened laminated dough. Croissants are a popular feature of many European breakfasts and are offered as desserts all around the world.

7. Moussaka (Middle East)

Moussaka 2022.jpg Michael Wittwer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based meal with ground beef that is popular in the Balkans and the Middle East, with several local and regional variants.

Nikolaos Tselementes invented the contemporary Greek variety in the 1920s. A top layer of milk-based sauce thickened with egg (custard) or flour (béchamel sauce) is common in many variants. In Greece, the meal is often served hot and stacked. Tselementes also presented a vegan alternative for traditional fast days. In Romania, a vegan variation replaces the beef with mushrooms or a mixture of sautéed onions and rice.

Egypt, Turkey, and the rest of the Middle East have quite varied variations. In Egypt, messa’aa can be prepared vegan, vegetarian, or with meat; the main component in all cases is fried eggplant. In Turkey, mussaka is thinly sliced and fried eggplant eaten warm or at room temperature in a tomato-based meat sauce. Muagga’a is usually eaten hot in Saudi Arabia, however, it is sometimes served cold in other Arab nations.

8.  Kebabs (Middle East)

Shish kabob (2386650003).jpg Glen Edelson from ATLANTA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kebab is a type of roasted meat that originated in the Middle East but has since gained popularity in Iranian and Turkish cuisines. Many variations of the category, such as the skewered shish kebab and the doner kebab on bread, are popular across the world.

Kebabs are made of sliced up or ground beef, occasionally with veggies and other accompaniments depending on the recipe. Although kebabs are generally cooked on a skewer over a fire, other kebab dishes, such as tas kebab, are oven-baked in a pan or made as a stew.

Traditional kebab meat is usually lamb, although regional recipes may contain beef, goat, chicken, fish, or even hog (depending on whether or not there are any religious restrictions).

9. Goulash (Hungary)

Goulash hungarian.jpg RitaE, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Goulash is a meat and vegetable soup or stew seasoned with paprika and other spices. Goulash, which originated in Hungary, is a popular dish consumed mostly in Central Europe but also in other regions of Europe. It is one of Hungary’s national foods and an emblem of the country.

Its origins may be traced back to stews consumed by Hungarian shepherds in the 10th century. At the time, the cooked and flavorful meat was sun-dried and put into bags made from sheep’s stomachs, requiring only water to convert it into a meal. Paprika was not brought to Europe until the 16th century, hence it was not used in earlier forms of goulash.

10. Pho (Vietnam)

Beef Pho (M) – Milk No Sugar.jpg Andy Li, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pho is a Vietnamese soup meal made comprised of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat (usually beef, but sometimes chicken). Ph is a popular dish in Vietnam, where it is eaten in homes, street stalls, and restaurants around the nation. Nam nh residents were the first to develop Vietnamese traditional ph. It is regarded as Vietnam’s national dish.

Ph developed in Northern Vietnam in the early twentieth century and was popularized around the world by refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. Because the origins of ph remain unknown, there is debate over the cultural factors that influenced its growth in Vietnam, as well as the etymology of the term. The Hanoi and Saigon types of pho differ in noodle breadth, broth sweetness, and herb and sauce selection.

11. Pad Thai (Thailand)

Pad Thai Pork.jpg Yonghokim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pad thai, also known as phat thai or phad thai, is a stir-fried rice noodle dish popular as a street snack in Thailand. Pad thai is created with rice noodles that are stir-fried with eggs and diced firm tofu, seasoned with tamarind juice, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic, and shallots, and may include red chilli peppers and palm sugar, and served with lime wedges and crushed toasted peanuts.

Other veggies that may be used are bean sprouts, garlic chives, preserved radish, and raw banana blooms. Fresh shrimp, crab, squid, chicken, or other fish or meat may also be included.

Many of the components, such as the red chilli pepper, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, spring onion, and other various fresh vegetables, are served on the side as condiments. Vegetarians can use soy sauce instead of fish sauce and skip the shrimp completely.

12. Hamburger (United States)

NCI Visuals Food Hamburger.jpg Len Rizzi (photographer), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A hamburger, or simply burger, is a sandwich made out of ingredients (generally a patty of ground meat, usually beef) sandwiched between cut buns or bread rolls.

Hamburgers are commonly topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis, as well as condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, or a “special sauce,” which is generally a variant of Thousand Island dressing and are served on sesame seed buns. A cheeseburger is a hamburger patty covered with cheese.

Fast-food restaurants, diners, and other eateries commonly sell hamburgers. There are several worldwide and regional hamburger varieties. Some of the major international fast-food corporations’ fundamental products are burgers: McDonald’s Big Mac and Burger King’s Whopper have become global icons of American society.

Rea On Inventor Of The Hamburger: 10 Things To Know About The World’s Most Famous Sandwich

13. Samosa (India)

Samosachutney.jpg kspoddar, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A samosa is a deep-fried South Asian pastry with a savoury filling of spicy potatoes, onions, peas, meat, or fish. Depending on the locale, it can have various shapes such as a triangle, cone, or half-moon.

Samosas, which originated in medieval or older eras, are frequently served with chutney. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in South Asian, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, East African, and South Asian diaspora cuisines.

Samosas are popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and are becoming more popular in Canada and the United States.

14. Risotto (Italy)

Risotto – lemon onion ham.jpg Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Risotto is an Italian rice dish that is cooked in broth until it becomes creamy. Meat, fish, or vegetables can all be used to make broth. Butter, onion, white wine, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are all common ingredients in risotto.

Risotto is often served as a first course before a second dish in Italy, however, risotto alla Milanese is frequently presented as a one-course dinner alongside ossobuco alla Milanese. Risotto is often made with a high-starch, low-amylose round medium- or short-grain white rice.

Because these rice absorb liquids and release starch, they are stickier than long-grain kinds. Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano are the most common types in Italy.

15. Kimchi (South Korea)

Triple White Kimchi 05.jpg Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Photographer name), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kimchi is a typical Korean banchan made of salted and fermented vegetables, usually napa cabbage or Korean radish. Seasonings such as gochujang (Korean chilli powder), spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted fish), among others, are utilized. Kimchi may also be found in soups and stews. Kimchi is a Korean staple that is served as a side dish with practically every Korean dinner.

There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi created with various vegetables as the primary components. Winter kimchi, known as kimjang, was traditionally stored in the ground in big ceramic fermentation pots called onggi to prevent freezing during the winter months and to keep it cold enough to slow down the fermentation process during the summer months. The vases are also maintained outside on specialized terraces known as jangdokdae.

16. Schnitzel (Austria/Germany)

Wiener-Schnitzel02.jpg Kobako, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Wiener schnitzel is a pan-fried, thinly breaded veal cutlet.
It is one of the most well-known Viennese specialities, as well as an Austrian national dish. The dish is made using butterfly-cut veal slices that have been softly pressed flat, mildly seasoned, and then rolled in flour, whisked eggs, and bread crumbs. The bread crumbs must not be crushed into the meat in order to remain dry and “souffléd.”

Finally, the Schnitzel is fried till golden yellow at a temperature of 160-170 °C (320-340 °F). In Austria, the meal is generally served with butterhead lettuce dressed in a sweetened vinaigrette dressing, with optional chopped chives or onions, potato salad, cucumber salad, or parsley potatoes.

17. Ceviche (Peru)

Peruvian ceviche is a popular traditional dish in Peru. Ceviche has been designated as Peruvian “national heritage” and a holiday has been established in its honour. The traditional Peruvian ceviche is made with raw fish pieces marinated in freshly squeezed key lime or bitter orange (naranja agria) juice, sliced onions, chile peppers, salt, and pepper. Traditionally, corvina or cebo (sea bass) were utilized.

Traditionally, the combination was marinated for many hours before serving at room temperature with chunks of corn on the cob and slices of cooked sweet potato. Garlic, fish bone broth, minced Peruvian aj limo or the Andean chile rocoto, roasted maize or cancha (corn nut), and yuyo (seaweed) are some regional or modern adaptations.

18. Mole (Mexico)

Beef mole avocado.JPG Luisfi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mole is a classic sauce and marinade from Mexican cuisine. A mole sauce typically comprises fruits, nuts, chilli peppers, and spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin. Puebla and Oaxaca, both in Mexico, claim to be the birthplace of mole.

Every mole recipe starts with one or more varieties of chile pepper. Classic Central Mexican and Oaxacan moles, such as mole poblano and mole negro, contain two or more of the following chilli peppers: ancho, pasilla, mulato, and chipotle. Other components may include black pepper, achiote, huaje, cumin, clove, anise, tomato, tomatillo, garlic, sesame seed, dried fruit, herbs such as hoja santa, and a variety of others.

Read On 15 Must-Try Traditional Mexican Food

19. Rendang (Indonesia)

Rendang-padang.jpg Icfam90, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rendang is a traditional Minangkabau dish. It is a delicious meal of beef that has been slow cooked and braised in coconut milk seasoned with a herb and spice mixture till the liquids have evaporated and the meat has turned dark brown and soft, caramelized and infused with rich flavours.

It was developed in the Minangkabau area of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has expanded from Indonesian cuisine to neighbouring Southeast Asian cuisines including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines.

Rendang, the characteristic dish of Minangkabau culture, is typically offered to honour visitors during festive events such as wedding feasts and Lebaran or Hari Raya (Indonesian common name for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha).National foods from Onesia.

20. Pierogi (Poland)

Skwarki.jpg Sharpfang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pierogi are filled dumplings formed by wrapping unleavened dough around a filling (typically mashed potatoes) and heating it in boiling water.

Pierogi or its variants are connected with Central, Eastern, and Southeastern European cuisines. Dumplings most likely originated in Asia and were traded to Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Pierogi are also popular in modern American cuisine, where they go by many regional names.

Fillings that are commonly used include potato, cheese, quark, sauerkraut, ground pork, edible mushrooms, fruits, and/or berries. Sour cream, fried onions, or both are common toppings for savoury pierogi.

21. Borscht (Russia/Ukraine)

Borscht served.jpg liz west from Boxborough, MA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Borscht is a sour soup popular in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia prepared with beef stock, vegetables, and spices. It is normally produced by blending beef or bone stock with sautéed vegetables, which commonly contain cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes in addition to beetroots.

Borscht can be made with meat or fish, or it can be completely vegetarian; it can be served hot or cold, and it can range from a robust one-pot dinner to a clear broth or a smooth drink. It is commonly served with smetana or sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, or potatoes, but there is a wide range of more complicated garnishes and side dishes that may be served with the soup, such as uszka or pampushky.

22. Haggis (Scotland)

Scotland Haggis.jpg Flickr.com – image description page, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Haggis is a savoury pudding made from sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), chopped with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, combined with stock, and originally cooked while enclosed in the animal’s stomach, but an artificial casing is now commonly used instead.

On or around January 25, the birthday of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns, haggis is usually eaten as part of the Burns supper. Because of the tremendous impact of Scottish culture, particularly for Burns Suppers, haggis remains popular among Scottish immigrants in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 

23. Tzatziki (Southern Europe and the Middle East)

Tzatziki meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce.jpg Nikodem Nijaki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tzatziki is a type of dip, soup, or sauce popular in Southern European and Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s created with salted strained yoghurt or diluted yoghurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs including dill, mint, parsley, and thyme. It is eaten cold as a meze, as a side dish, and as a sauce for souvlaki and gyros sandwiches, among other things.

24. Arepas (Venezuela/Colombia)

Arepa de pabellon.jpg Andreadlserrano, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The arepa is a pre-Columbian meal consisting of pulverized dry corn dough or pre-cooked maize flour that is round and flattened. It is recognized as such in Colombia and Venezuela. Arepas are made using just three ingredients: pre-cooked cornmeal (masa harina), water, and a sprinkle of salt.

These ingredients combine to form a dough that is formed into patties and fried till golden brown on a griddle or in a skillet. Arepas can be eaten simple or filled with a variety of items such as cheese, meat, or beans.

It is historically consumed in these nations’ cuisines. Their recipe has expanded to other areas like the Canary Islands, 8 9 Miami 10, and New York as a result of migrant exchanges.

25. Couscous (North Africa)

Moroccan cuscus, from Casablanca, September 2018.jpg Lmmima, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Couscous is a typical North African meal made of tiny steamed granules of folded semolina that is often topped with a stew. In other places, pearl millet, sorghum, bulgur, and other grains are cooked in the same manner, and the resulting meals are also known as couscous. Couscous is usually made with only three ingredients: durum wheat semolina, water, and a sprinkle of salt.

Couscous is a common ingredient in the cuisines of Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Libya. It was introduced into French and European cuisine around the turn of the twentieth century, thanks to the French colonial empire and Algeria’s Pieds-Noirs. Couscous was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020.

Our taste senses have danced to the beats of tradition and innovation as we end our gastronomic voyage across the world. We’ve explored the world’s rich tapestry of flavours, from the aromatic spices of India to the comfortable embrace of Italian pasta. Remember that food is more than just nourishment; it is a portal to culture, history, and humanity’s shared experiences. So, relish every meal and keep experiencing the world’s countless gastronomic treasures. Good appetite!