The world is vast, and every culture has its own quirks and habits. It’s the thing that sets us apart and gives us our identity as a people. Some of these nods may not be very noticeable at first, but there’s one thing in every culture that we pretty much discover instantly: their eating habits.
The internet, in all its infinite wisdom, decided to let people share the one dish from their country that beats all others, and it all looks ridiculously delicious.
Let’s take a look at some of these treats so you can plan your next holiday accordingly.
1. Zapiekanka (Poland)
While baguettes are most certainly French, the Polish decided to kick it up a notch and top them with mushrooms, cheese, ketchup, and green onions. That’s how the zapiekanka was born, and boy does it look like you could easily eat three of those and only moderately regret that decision afterward!
2. Egg Waffles (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong is very famous for its street food variety. Most of the dishes are very tasty but if you ever find yourself there and feel like you can’t trust anything you’re given, go for an egg waffle. Don’t worry, that’s just batter thrown in a mold. It’s not made of actual eggs.
3. Empanadas (Argentina)
These empanadas are a lot different from the ones you’ll usually eat. They’re filled with beef, caramelized onion, hard-boiled eggs, raisins, and green olives. Still not good enough for you? Well, it’s all seasoned with the one spice that’s sure to make all the teenage boys giggle: cumin.
4. Budae Jjigae (Korea)
This dish is roughly translated to “military stew”. This dish was first invented right after the Korean war when people pretty much made a stew with whatever leftovers they could forage. The only difference is that people now actually use fresh ingredients, but luckily that has only improved the taste.
5. Pastéis de Nata (Portugal)
The pastéis de nata is probably best described as a small custard-filled pastry. It’s a Portuguese delicacy for people that have a bit of a sweet tooth. It looks like it literally absorbs calories from its surroundings but don’t let that stop you – I’m sure it’s nothing short of delicious.
6. Jianbing (China)
This delicious crepe-looking thing is often found on food stalls in Bejing. You can usually pick whatever filling you want, and it’s the perfect food to eat on the go as you’re discovering the wonderful city.
7. Fish & Chips (England)
It’s just hard to beat a nice serving of french fries, some fish, and a slice of lemon. It’s even better if you have it straight out of a paper cone, but it’s always a pretty good choice. Besides, English cuisine is notoriously bad otherwise anyway. Even their beer tastes like donkey spit!
8. Boerewors Roll (South Africa)
A boerewors is a type of sausage that’s particularly tasty and well-seasoned. So a boerewors roll is like a hot dog, only with actual flavor in the meat. It’s usually served with onions and tomato gravy, but if there’s anything hotdogs have taught us over the years, it’s that you can put pretty much whatever you want on them, and it’ll still be delicious.
9. Meatballs with Lingonberry Jam (Sweden)
Yes, IKEA balls are, in fact, Swedish balls. The Swedish dish isn’t a defrosted salted mess, though. They’re actually often very fresh and deliciously seasoned meatballs, and it’s just the kind of dish that’ll remind you of Sunday dinner at grandma’s place. Can’t have meatballs without mashers, either!
