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I don’t know about you but I always find I choose my destinations with food always top of mind. If I’m not as interested in visiting somewhere, you can bet it’s because I don’t find the food as appealing, and will give preference to those places I think have delicious sounding food. But when you can’t travel it’s a great time to broaden your food tastes, get creative in the kitchen and really get a taste for some other cultures. That’s why I thought what better way than to collaborate with some amazing and worldly travel bloggers to bring you some of the best recipes from around the world that you can try at home. Who knows, maybe this will even help you plan your next trip.
The best recipes from around the world
I get that “best” is all relative, but I tried to get a good sample of dishes from around the world including some appetizers, main dishes, desserts and sweets. I grouped the recipes by region as best I could to make it easier to find certain cuisines. And although you will see some regions are more represented than others, this is due to the submissions I received rather than opting not to cover a certain country as I only wanted tried and tested recipes. If your country or a dish you like from a particular region is not represented please let me know if you would like to be added to this post with a link back to your own site so that I may include you and your fabulous dishes from around the world.
I also tried to collect some of the best recipes from around the world that would be easy for you to recreate at home. Lastly, I’m hoping this guide gives you not only some delicious food to make but some history of the dishes and why they are so popular in the regions they are from. Since I am a vegetarian I have gone with predominantly vegetarian/vegan food items if you’re wondering where all the meat is, but a lot of these recipes can be adapted either way so as to include all food preferences so there are some meat and fish recipes you can make your own.
Happy cooking and Bon Appetit!
Asia
I love traveling around Asia. The food is amazing, and I’m a big fan of some spice in my dishes. The thing I love most about Asian food is the variety of ingredients used and the spices that seem like they would be overwhelming but actually perfectly complement each other to create some of the most creative looking dishes. Some of the best recipes from around the world in my opinion come from Asia.
Aloo Gobi – India
Contributed by Lina from World of Lina
One of my favorite dishes from around the world is the Indian dish Aloo Gobi. Aloo Gobi is a traditional vegan dish in which potatoes and cauliflowers are cooked with tomatoes, onions and Indian spices. It’s a real comfort food and best eaten with rice or Naan bread. I ate it the first time when I was in Bangalore and instantly fell in love with it.
Aloo Gobi
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes chopped into thick slices
- 1 head cauliflower broken into florets
- 1 medium onion sliced
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cauliflower florets and fry for 2-3 minutes
- Add the sliced potatoes. Fry everything for around 7-8 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower have some brown spots
- Drain on tissue paper and set aside
- Heat 1.5 teaspoon of oil in the same pan, add cumin seeds and let them crackle
- Add the onions and then cook everything for 2 minutes
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they’re little soft. Then add turmeric powder, ginger powder, red chili powder and coriander powder
- Cover the pan and let the masala cook for 3 minutes and then add potatoes and cauliflower to it
- Add the chopped cilantro leaves and mix. Add the garam masala and cook the potato and cauliflower on low heat for around 5-6 minutes
- Salt to taste and let everything cook for another 6-7 minutes until the potato and cauliflower are tender
- If it’s too sticky, you can add a bit of water. Before serving, garnish it with some cilantro leaves
Notes
Rasmali – India
Contributed by Mayuri from Fernwehrahee
India will never cease to amaze you with varied culture, architecture and delectable cuisines which are indigenous to various regions. There is a fact that Indians love sweets and an Indian meal is incomplete without having desserts in the end. The tourists go on food tours just to experience sumptuous cooking of different regions. Indian sweets are mostly milk based added with Sugar, Spices etc.
One of the famous Indian deserts is Ras Malai, basically West Bengal origin in India. A very soft and spongy in texture, Rasmalai is my absolute favorite sweet and it melts in your Mouth! Ras means Juice and Malai means cream, Ras Malai is made from Paneer (Indian cottage Cheese) and sugar. It is best enjoyed when served chilled.
Ras Malai is most Popular particularly during the festivals of Diwali and Holi. Though dessert is from Bengal, it is very popular in North India. I had the best Ras Malai during my Varanasi street food tour– a hub for milk based sweets. Once you eat this luscious dessert, it will remain forever in your heart and you will come back for more!
Ras Malai
Ingredients
For the balls
- 5 cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- cornflour
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
For the cream
- 3 cups full fat milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tbsp cardamom
- pinch saffron
- 2 tbsp pistachios chopped
Instructions
For the cottage cheese balls
- Put the 5 cups of milk in a heavy pan and when it comes to boiling temperature, switch off the flame and add let it cool for 5 minutes
- Start adding the lime juice to curdle the milk
- Now strain the milk and leave it for 10-15 minutes, add running water to wash it completely to remove the smell of lime
- This is called chena (Indian cottage cheese) to make Balls. Squeeze out the water completely and add a small amount of cornflour to the Chena
- Mesh the chena to make the soft texture. Set it for 10 minutes and make the small balls out of it
- Now heat the water and sugar in a wide pan, wait till it comes to the boil. This is your sugar syrup
- Drop the balls in sugar syrup and cook for 15-17 minutes. The Malai Balls are ready!
For the cream
- Take a heavy bottom pan, add milk and stir it continuously till it becomes thick and remains half consistency. Now add sugar and stir it.
- Later add cardamom, saffron and chopped pistachios
- Now take out Malai Balls out of water, squeeze them, flatten with your hand to remove the sugar syrup. Then add them in the thickened milk mixture and put it in the refrigerator to serve chilled
Shrimp Tempura – Japan
Contributed by Pam from Directionally Challenged Traveler
Tempura, or batter frying, has been a part of Japanese culture since the 16th century. This style of cooking was brought to the island of Japan by the Portuguese and quickly became an integral part of a chef’s repertoire. Now, on most Japanese menus around the world you can find tempura options like vegetable, shrimp, fish, seafood, and even lobster. When we had the opportunity to take a cooking class in Kyoto, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn how to cook it ourselves! Walking through the Nishiki Market in Kyoto, we learned about the local ingredients and the secret to great shrimp tempura – fresh, never frozen shrimp!
Shrimp tempura
Ingredients
- 10-15 shrimp or preferred vegetables
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1.5-2 litres vegetable oil
Batter
- 2 cups water
- ice cubes handful
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
Instructions
- Peel and de-vein each of the shrimp. Make sure to keep the tail on
- Cut the underside of the shrimp part way through at the joints to straighten them
- Flip-over to the top-side and score the shrimp half-way through (at the joints) at a slight angle
- Use your fingers to squeeze the shrimp and stretch them out
- Dry the shrimp on paper towels. Coat each shrimp with flour and pat-off any excess. Set aside until frying time. Repeat flouring process for any vegetables you are using either with or instead of shrimp
Batter mixture
- Pour cold water into a bowl. Add ice cubes to keep the batter cold. Add the salt and egg. Mix everything together well
- Add in the flour. But do not whisk it in! Instead, gently push in the flour until all of it becomes moistened. It's actually good to have some lumps in the mixture
To fry the shrimp or vegetables
- Put oil into pot or fryer. Turn on medium heat and bring up to 340~360F. Place a few drops of batter into oil to gauge the temperature
- When the oil is hot, pour a little bit of the batter into the oil. Carefully stir the batter around the pan with some chopsticks. Let the batter flakes cook for 10-15 seconds
- Use a utensil to gather the batter into one corner. Add a shrimp to the batter. Place the shrimp in the corner, on top of the flakes. Carefully use chopsticks to cover the rest of the shrimp with batter flakes and fry for a couple minutes until a lovely golden brown color. Do this for the rest of the shrimp and/or vegetables
Sheer Korma – Afghanistan, India and Pakistan
Contributed by Sarah and Safiyah from You Cook, I Eat
Sheer Khurma is our favorite dessert since childhood. It is said to be originated in Herat, Afghanistan, but is popular among all Muslims throughout India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan as we celebrate Eid morning by having the traditional Sheer Korma. Eid is a festival of love, joy, and most of all food! Celebrated bi-yearly, this festival is of utmost importance for practicing disciples of Islam.
Sheer Khurma is derived from a Persian word which means ‘milk and dates’. It consists of sweet vermicelli, milk, sugar, and is topped with almonds, fried cashews, raisins, and dates. As the years progressed, this recipe has been altered across countries, each family choosing ingredients they like best. We’ve found an easier way to make this traditional dish to give it a rich taste.
Sheer Khurma
Ingredients
- 150 grams vermicelli
- 1 litre milk
- 200 ml condensed milk
- 170 ml evaporated milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup cashew nuts halved
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ¼ cup almonds sliced
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add sugar and water and stir continuously for about 2 minutes till they form a homogeneous mixture
- In a pot, add ghee, oil, cashew nuts, and raisins and fry on a medium flame until the cashew nuts turn brown
- Remove the cashew nuts and raisins from the pan
- In the same pan, crush the vermicelli and add more ghee, roast the vermicelli completely for about 5 minutes
- Add sugar syrup to the vermicelli
- Add milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk to the vermicelli and let it cook for about 10 minutes
- Garnish with fried cashew nuts, raisins, and sliced almonds and serve hot
Sticky Rice With Fruit – Thailand
Contributed by Alexis from The Soul Traveler Diaries
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I was first introduced to this rich and flavorful traditional Thai desert while I was backpacking through Southeast Asia in 2018. While exploring the streets of Bangkok, I came across the Silom Thai Cooking School where I attended for an evening of cooking and learning about the Thai cuisine. I fell in love with the flavorful dishes that we made during my classes, especially Sticky Rice with Mango. I love making this desert at home and it has become comfort food as well as a perfect desert or snack any time of the day.
Sticky rice with fruit
Ingredients
- 1 cup sticky rice or long grain white rice
- 2 tbsp sugar or palm sugar
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1-2 Pandan leaves or use 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 ripe mangoes or fruit like lychee, papaya, dragon fruit
Instructions
Sticky rice
- Rinse 1 cup of rice in water until water is clear
- Soak rice in water for 1 to 3 hours
- Steam rice until cooked and tender by one of the following methods:
- RICE COOKER: Drain the rice and place in a rice cooker. Add ¾ cup water for every 1 cup of water. Cook until soft and tender; OR
- STOVE TOP: Add rice to 1 ¾ – 2 cups of water in a pot. Boil on high. Continuously stir and allow rice to become tender. Do not boil away all moisture from the rice
Coconut cream
- Heat the coconut milk with pandan leaves (or vanilla) in a pot over medium heat
- Stir constantly. Let the coconut milk simmer
- Add sugar and stir constantly to prevent burning
- Remove from heat. Pour the coconut milk over the hot sticky rice and mix together thoroughly
- Let it stand for 10 – 15 minutes to let the rice to absorb the coconut milk
- Add a large scoop of sticky rice to a bowl or dish and add slices of fresh mango or fruit of your choice
Looking for more Thai recipes? Here is a review of a Thai cooking class I took including some amazing recipes
Sweet Samosa – Pakistan
Contributed by Khadija from Creative Khadija
This is a traditional sweets recipe of sweet samosas from Punjab, Pakistan. As my mother told me, a few decades back these sweet samosas were part of sweets delights at weddings. People like to give these sweets away to family & friends for the announcement of any good news. Usually about their engagement, nikah, date fixing or the wedding event announcements etc. My great grandmother makes these samosa laddu too delicious as my mother still remembers the good taste of her samosas.
Sweet Samosas
Ingredients
Samosa wrap
- 3 cups All purpose Flour
- 1 cup water
- 5 tbsp oil
Filling
- 2 cups semolina
- 1 cup Desi ghee/oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup dried fruit and nuts
- 8 cardamom seeds
Instructions
- Mix the flour with water & oil to make a firm dough. Cover it & Keep it aside until the filling gets ready
- In a deep frying pan (karaahi) heat oil & add cardamoms to fry a little
- Then add semolina in it & fry until it gets light brown & gives a nice essence
- Turn the flame off and put the dry nuts (crushed) in the fried semolina. You can add coconut, almonds, pistachio, kaju & resins as dry nuts
- Let this panjeeri kind of mixture come to the room temperature now
- Then you will need to make the dough balls & flatten them thin as tortilla bread with the help of rolling pin
- Take 2 tablespoon of semolina mixture & put it on the middle of flat round piece of tortilla. Wrap it & bind it from sides with your wet finger tips
- Wrap all sweet samosas & then get them ready for frying. In another pan, heat the oil for deep frying these samosas
- Carefully put some of these samosas in the oil and fry until the color gets brown. Repeat the process until they are all cooked
For more Asian recipes, how about these easy and delicious recipes (and cooking class review) from Hanoi, Vietnam
Middle East
You want to talk about tantalizing spices, this region of the world has some of the most interesting spices. A lot of these recipes are really good for sharing and that’s a lot of what I think about when I think of Middle Eastern food. Although I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting yet, I have my eye on a few places and if this food is anything to go by, I need to book my trip right now.
Hummus – Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan
Contributed by Nina from Lemons and Luggage
Hummus bi tahina (chickpeas with tahini), commonly known simply as hummus, is a popular dip from the Levant. It’s a staple food in much of the region and can be eaten at any time of day with bread. Yes, even for breakfast! The creamy, flavorful appetizer was always one of my favorite Middle Eastern foods and is one of the best choices for vegan food in Jordan. It’s not just incredibly delicious, but also a very nutritious and protein-rich food. As the name suggests, the main ingredients are chickpeas and tahini, making this a fairly simple dish to recreate.
Hummus
Ingredients
- 400 grams peeled chickpeas
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 2½ lemons juiced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- olive oil
- paprika
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight and cook until tender, about 1.5-2 hours. Keep some of the cooking water
- Blend tahini and lemon juice
- Add garlic, salt, and cumin
- Add chickpeas and some of their cooking liquid. Blend until smooth
- Top with olive oil, paprika, and fresh parsley
Shirazi Salad – Iran
Contributed by Ellis from Backpack Adventures
Sometimes the most simple dishes are the best. When I traveled for one month through Iran, I fell in love with the Shirazi salad. Although some varieties exist it is basically a salad of tomato, cucumbers and onion in a lemon mint dressing.
It comes from Shiraz in the south of Iran. A city famous for its poetry, literature and delicious Persian food. Therefore it is no surprise that this salad comes from here and became popular throughout Iran where it is often served as a side dish with your meal. While most Iranian recipes are time intensive and require lots of love and attention. The Shirazi salad is very easy to make at home.
Shirazi Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 300 grams cherry tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dried mint or ½ cup fresh mint
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cut the vegetables into small cubes and mix them together
- For the dressing combine the remaining ingredients. Mix in a separate bowl, whisk them together and drizzle over the salad
Europe
It’s where I’m from, and I’ll admit that European food is some of my favorite. Mostly because of how incredibly divisive it is on what is everyone’s favorite. There are some strong opinions on not only the best cuisine, but the best dishes within that country. Some of the best dishes from around the world for me are the comfort foods of Europe. While spice is not often as big a factor, that doesn’t mean that this food is without flavor.
Greek Salad – Greece
Contributed by Cristina from LooknWalk Greece
Without a doubt, everyone has heard of the Greek salad. But how many have tasted the “right” Greek salad? That’s correct. Most often, the Greek salad you find in various restaurants across the world doesn’t even resemble the Greek original. First thing’s first: you only eat Horiatiki Salad during summer, when the tomatoes are in season! Secondly, it usually features a chunk of feta on top. Sometimes, you’d also be offered local cheeses instead of feta (or with feta). That’s how I discovered a great cheese on the island of Ios. By the way, feta is made of sheep and goat milk.
When I visited Greece, I was a vegetarian (now vegan). And discovering the local varieties of this traditional salad was one of the things I loved about my trips. Especially if eaten on a small island in a locally owned taverna, your taste buds will jump with joy. It’s not hard to re-create at home but make sure you have quality feta and olive oil. You also need (in season) fresh vegetables.
Greek Salad (Hortiatiki Salata)
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 small cucumber
- ¼ green bell pepper
- ½ small red onion
- 100 grams feta cheese
- 8 black olives
- fresh oregano
- olive oil
Instructions
- Roughly chop tomatoes and cucumber into large pieces
- Slice green pepper and onion into rings
- Place all vegetables into a bowl, season with olive oil and oregano
- Top with a chunk of feta cheese and serve
Guinness Stew – Ireland
Contributed by Krystianna from Volumes & Voyages
In my humble opinion, the best dish from around the world is definitely Guinness Stew from Ireland. Guinness is an Irish staple; you’ll find it on the menu at virtually every restaurant or pub in some form or another. It’s unknown where exactly in Ireland it originated, but one can only assume it must be from Dublin, the birthplace of Guinness. Guinness Stew is essentially just a stew with meat, veggies, and Guinness, which only adds to the flavor! It really will warm you up on a cool day and the taste is absolutely delightful.
Guinness Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 lbs beef cubed
- 2-3 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 bottle Guinness
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- To begin, cook the 2 pounds of beef over the stove until brown for about 3-5 minutes
- Once the beef is cooked, mix in the vegetables and let it cook for another five
- Gradually add in the seasonings. If you'd like other seasonings besides garlic and pepper feel free to add those in, they're just the seasonings I prefer!
- Then pour the Guinness over top. Take everything from the pan and move it into a large pot
- Add in the tomato paste and the chicken (or vegetable) stock
- Let it simmer on low with a cover until the beef is cooked to the way that you'd prefer – this will normally take anywhere from 1.5 – 2 hours. Stir occasionally
- When it gets close to being ready, cook your mashed potatoes to your liking
- After your stew is just about ready, remove the cover and let it cook for about another 20 minutes so that it can thicken up a little bit more before you feast
- Once it's ready, spoon some mashed potatoes on top and you're good to go!
Pisto Manchego – Spain
Contributed by Cristina from My Little World of Travelling
Pisto, also well-known as Pisto Manchego, is a Spanish dish that comes from Castilla La Mancha region. However, the origin of this dish is Muslim, and this isn’t a surprise since Spain was conquered by Muslims for many years. It isn’t as popular internationally as paella, but you can find this dish almost any place in Spain.
The key for a good pisto is to use fresh vegetables, good quality olive oil as well as to let it cook slowly. This is one of my favorite recipes because it’s healthy, you can have it as a main or as a side, and it’s delicious. Also, it’s completely vegetarian.
Pisto Manchego
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 eggplant optional
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Peel and chop the garlic cloves and onion. Add extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the garlic and onion, reduce the heat and fry until they brown
- While the onion and garlic are cooking, dice the peppers, zucchini and eggplant
- Add the diced vegetables to the pan and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally
- Wash and cut the tomatoes into halves. Put them in a processor with salt and pepper
- Add the tomato sauce and sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomato into the pan. Stir well, cover the pan and simmer on low heat for an hour
- Serve immediately
Fasolakia – Greece
Contributed by Melissa from High Heels & A Backpack
Greek food is often known for being quite meat-heavy. Dishes like souvlaki and gyros are the first things that come to a lot of people’s minds when they think of Greece. However, there are also lots of delicious vegetarian and vegan Greek foods. Fasolakia is one great example.
Fasolakia is a popular meze or side dish in Greece. You will find it at most restaurants and tavernas. It is so simple, yet so flavourful! The dish consists of braised Greek green beans that have been cooked in a tomato sauce with olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. The green beans are usually so tender by the time that they have been cooked, that they feel almost like a healthy green version of tagliatelle pasta.
The majority of international tourists have not heard of fasolakia. However, you should be sure to look out for it during your next trip to Greece. It will probably become a new favourite dish! Portions are huge in Greece so even though fasolakia is “technically” a side dish, most restaurants serve up such huge plates that you can enjoy this as a main.
Fasolakia
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 400 gram can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup water
- lemon juice
- 5.2 kg fresh French green beans
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 64 grams parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan. Once hot, add in the onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano
- Cook the onions until they start to brown. Reduce to medium heat and add in the tomatoes, water, and beans. Cook for 15 minutes while constantly stirring
- Transfer all of the ingredients into a lidded pot or casserole dish and place it in an oven at 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2
- Leave the fasolakia to slow cook in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. The sauce will thicken and the beans will become soft and tender. Check and stir throughout the cooking process
- Remove from the oven and squeeze lemon juice over the dish. (Ideally fresh, squeezed lemon). Sprinkle with salt and pepper for taste and drizzle a little olive oil over the top
- Stir in the parsley and serve
Gnocchi – Italy
Contributed by Sara from WanderMoore
Ahhh Italy… one of my favorite places in the entire world. The people, the landscape, the history, and of course the amazing food and drinks! One of my favorite dishes from Italy is Gnocchi. These yummy little potato dumplings can be paired with any sauce you like and of course a nice glass of wine. To reminisce about Italy, we made homemade Gnocchi with a Gorgonzola cream sauce.
Homemade Gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 2 lbs Idaho potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1 lb flour
- 2.5 oz grana padano cheese grated
Gorgonzola cream sauce
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ lb gorgonzola dolce
- 1½ tsp all purpose flour
Instructions
Gorgonzola cream sauce
- Let's make the sauce first as you can keep it warm until serving
- Heat the heavy cream in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until small bubble begin to form in the middle and on the sides, about 1-2 minutes
- Add the gorgonzola and cook, stirring, until completely melted, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium
- Cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste
- Turn off the heat and keep warm
Gnocchi
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes
- Drain, cool and rice with potato ricer (you can get these on Amazon)
- Combine potato,flour, egg and grana padano. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long “snakes”
- On a floured surface, cut snakes into half inch pieces
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3-5 minutes or until gnocchi floats to the top. Drain and serve with the gorgonzola cream sauce drizzled over
- Pro Tip- If you make too much to eat at one time you can easily freeze the Gnocchi
Blueberry Pie – Finland
Contributed by Katalin from Our Life Our Travel
Blueberry pie is a simple vegetarian dessert from Finland that you can prepare in an hour. I love to bake it with self-picked, fresh berries, but luckily it works with frozen ones too. The pie has a tasty, crunchy crust and delicious, smooth, creamy topping filled with Arctic berries. It is one of the best Finnish foods I’ve ever eaten.
Finnish Blueberry Pie
Ingredients
Pie base
- 175 grams flour
- 100 grams butter
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
Topping
- 300 grams fresh blueberries
- 200 grams sour cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Mix flour and baking powder
- Melt the butter, mix it with the egg, sugar, vanilla sugar, and combine the two mixtures
- Place in a pie dish and mould into pie form
- Cover it with the fresh (and washed) blueberries
- Mix the sour cream with sugar, vanilla sugar, and egg in a separate bowl and then spread it over the berries
- Bake on 200C/400F for 30 minutes
Notes
Arroz Doce – Portugal
Contributed by Ashley from The Bratpacker Girls
My paternal grandparents are both immigrants to the United States from the Azores Islands of Portugal. As such, I was raised with European Portuguese in the air and traditional dishes on the table. My favorite dish is Arroz Doce. The dish is the Portuguese take on rice pudding found in most cultures around the world. While it takes quite a while to cook, it is worth it for the sweet, filling dessert that’s produced. Authentic Arroz Doce is often topped with an artful design in cinnamon which is my favorite part. The designs are traditionally criss-cross patterns, but make it your own and have fun with it!
Arroz Doce
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups hot milk
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- fresh lemon rind
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan
- Pour in rice, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes
- Add hot milk, sugar, and lemon rind, stirring constantly until thickened to oatmeal consistency, about 15-20 minutes. If the consistency still seems slightly runny, it will thicken while cooling. Do not overcook it!
- Remove lemon rind and pour mixture onto one large serving plate
- Spread flat and allow it to cool
- Decorate with cinnamon by pinching some between your fingers and sprinkling a design on top. Tip: Keep your fingers close to the plate to keep the design neat.
- Serve at room temperature, but refrigerate to save uneaten portions
Plum Dumplings – Hungary
Contributed by Helga from SheGoWandering
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Plum dumplings are one of the most preferred sweet dishes in Hungary. Imagine it to be somehow like apple pie in the US. The most preferred dish in our childhood, that always awaited us when we visited our grandparents, or our mothers wanted to just get a smile on our faces.
When we grow up, we’re making it to remember our grandmothers who were making them with so much love, And as adults we continue this tradition to bring in our children and grandchildren’s life a little sunshine. If I have to pick just one sweet dish to eat for the rest of my life it would definitely be plum dumplings!
Plum dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes
- 250 grams flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 kg plums
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 200 grams breadcrumbs
Instructions
- First step is to boil the potatoes. When they are cooked, you’ll need to remove the skin, and crush them while still hot until smooth (no lumps)
- When it cools down add the flour, 2 tbsp of the oil and the salt, and mix it all together (if you prefer to use eggs for the dough, you can add one egg yolk to it)
- Then you stretch the dough and cut it in 8×8 cm squares
- The next step is to remove the seeds from the plums and fill them with a mix of cinnamon and sugar
- You can put full or just half plum in each, and form balls out of them
- When they are ready, place them in boiling water and wait until they come up to the top
- When that happens, leave it there for another minute
- Mix the breadcrumbs with the other 2 tbsp of oil and roast until golden. When ready, add to a bowl with a little sugar if you prefer and roll the dumplings into that. Then serve
The Americas
My adopted continent of North America (I now live in Canada) often gets overlooked for its food. But there are a lot of European influences for sure, and some good hearty dishes that you need to try. South and Central America brings fresh ingredients and heat together to make some amazingly colorful and incredible looking dishes. I can’t wait to visit South America, for the food of course, and because it looks like there are so many fantastic places to travel.
Poutine – Canada
Contributed by Lynn from Be Your Own Travel Guide
Canadians are known for a few things – maple syrup, being polite and making the most of long, cold winters. We also love a few foods that may seem odd to outsiders: maple syrup, ketchup chips, and the best of all of these, poutine. Why do Canadians like poutine? The answer is simple. It is DELICIOUS. Crispy fries, stringy melted cheese and warm gravy creates a smorgasbord for the mouth that is impossible to resist.
Created with Quebec cheese curds barely 50 years ago, poutine was even named in the Top 10 Canadian Inventions in 2007. To put that list into perspective, the top two Canadian inventions were Insulin and the telephone! This classic staple is now available from food trucks, at festivals, and even McDonalds. Luckily for you, poutine is super easy to make at home to enjoy any time of year.
Canadian Poutine
Ingredients
- 1 bag French fries frozen
- 1 packet brown gravy mix
- 1 cup water
- 1 bag cheese curds
Instructions
- Bake French fries in oven according to package directions, spreading them out in a single layer on a baking sheet
- While fries are baking, boil 1 cup of water and the packet of gravy together on the stove, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Pull off of heat and let sit 5 minutes so gravy can thicken
- Arrange fries on plates, and sprinkles cheese curds on top so they resemble nachos
- Pour desired amount of gravy on top of fries and cheese curds. Cheese curds will melt from the heat of the gravy
- DIG IN and enjoy the delicious goodness of fries, cheese, and gravy. Mmmmmmm!
Vegetarian Tacos – Mexico
Contributed by Maria from A World of Destinations
Tacos consist of small tortillas made of corn or wheat flour that are traditionally filled with meat and topped with salsas. They are the most common street food in Mexico, and you can find a taco stand on almost every corner. Besides the meat-based tacos, there are also amazing vegetarian variations of the traditional fillings.
My personal favorite taco filling consists of beans and sweetcorn, because it’s super easy to make and it tastes great. But you can adapt the filling to your taste and experiment with new ideas. The most important ingredients that shouldn’t be missing in any taco are guacamole, cilantro and a Mexican salsa.
Vegetarian Tacos
Ingredients
- 6 small corn tortillas or flour tortillas if you prefer
- 180 grams canned kidney beans
- 60 grams canned sweet corn or fresh corn if you have it
- cilantro and lots of it
- salsa
- ½ lime
Guacamole
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 slices tomato
- 1 slice onion
- salt
- ½ lime
Instructions
Guacamole
- For the guacamole smash the avocado with a fork
- Cut the the onion and the tomatoes in small pieces and add to the smashed avocado
- Add some salt and fresh lime and mix it all together
Tacos
- Warm up the tortillas in a pan on both sides on medium heat without oil. Be careful to just warm them up and not make them crunchy
- Put the beans and sweet corn on the tortillas
- Top the tacos with guacamole, cilantro, a Mexican salsa and sprinkle some lime on top
Brigadeiro – Brazil
Contributed by Bruna from I Heart Brazil
Brazilian’s favorite dessert is brigadeiro – not a single local festivity goes by without this delicious treat!
Put simply, brigadeiro is a chocolate fudge truffle that melts in your mouth and brings lots of joy to your day – speaking from personal experience. Below, you’ll find this dessert recipe, but if you want more tips, you can check here how to make the perfect brigadeiro.
Brigadeiro
Ingredients
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 tbstp butter
- pinch salt
- chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Add condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder on a heavy bottom pan in medium heat and mix it well
- Continue stirring and cooking until it thickens. When the mixture starts un-sticking off the bottom, wait an extra minute and remove it from the heat
- Pour the mixture onto the lightly greased plate and let it cool down. You can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process
- Once cold roll the mixture into little balls and then roll them over the sprinkles
- Place the balls in mini baking cups and voila! Enjoy!
Try the best recipes from around the world at home
When you can’t get on a plane and visit somewhere, you can still experience the food. How about once a week plan to “go somewhere” and choose a country or a region of the world and make a few dishes. I often do this, instead of just making one thing for dinner I’ll run with an entire feast of foods from somewhere I want to go, or somewhere I wish I could go back to. Hopefully these(in my opinion) best recipes from around the world have inspired you for your next trip, or at least your next meal.
Email me at emma@foreverlostintravel.com if you want to be featured in this post with your own recipe from your home or your travels
If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What are your best recipes from around the world? Which of these are you going to try next?
Great collection of really delicious recipes from all over the world. I am pinning it 🙂
Thank you for sharing with us & also for featuring one of my recipe 🙂
Have a great day <3
This had my stomach really rumbling! I also tend to choose my destinations based on food.
Girl, you have no idea how much I’ve been missing Indian cuisine since my trip earlier this year! I can’t wait to try to recreate it at home. Also, as a Canadian, it boggles my mind that poutine is not a staple in any other country! It’s THE ultimate comfort food haha
I live in Spain now and there are so many dishes that are great (Secreto Iberico, caracamusas, paella, tortilla to name a few), but I agree with the pisto!
YUM!!! Food is seriously one of the real ways to experience a culture!! My favourite on this list is definitely samosa and hummus! Also, I am sorry to say, I don’t like poutine. I lived in Canada for 3 years and could never get around it!! haha!
What an amazing collection of recipes! And I love that most of this is vegetarian. The Finnish tart looks gorgeous and I’m already missing mangoes with sticky rice. I love Brigadereio…maybe I’ll try making them!
Some delicious-looking recipes collected here, and such a wide variety of dishes and cuisines – I will definitely be trying some of these for myself! I also really enjoyed learning about the history and traditions of each dish 🙂
Delicious recipes! Love the look of vegetarian tacos. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Wow now I’m hungry just from reading this post!! They all look delicious but the Guinness stew looks amazing as well as the plum dumplings. The plum dumplings comes at a really good time – I have a plum tree that gives us a ton of fruit and I plan on using some of the plums for this recipe. Yum! Thanks for sharing!!
I have had quite a few of these dishes and I have to agree that they are great. A good collection of the best.
This is quite the ambitious roundup! These all definitely resonate with my tastebuds. I’d also nominate pho for Vietnam and feijoada for Brazil. I’ve never tried poutine, even though I’m located in Wisconsin (which is practically Canada—LOL), so I’ll definitely have to try this recipe.
What an incredible round-up! You’ve hit my #1 favorite from my world travels: sticky rice with mango! What a revelation to learn about in Thailand.
Yum, this post made me hungry! I especially want to try the Indian aloo gobi and Thai sticky rice recipes. Great post!
My mouth is literally watering after reading all these wonderful recipes! Next time you need something from another part of the world, maybe I can give you something from my birth country of Poland.
Thanks Joanna. If you want to contribute a recipe and a blurb about it like in this post you are welcome to if it’s for a country which I don’t have yet (in this case I don’t have anything from Poland). Shoot me an email if you’re interested, you can find it at the bottom of the ABOUT page 🙂
I absolutely love trying local food wherever I travel, and then recreate them in my kitchen! It instantly takes me back! Love all the recipes, will try some of these.