While travelling can certainly bring you amazing memories, help you make new friends and open your mind to different cultures, one of the best representations of the culture of a country is its cuisine. It is amazing to discover how many differences or similarities there are between your country and other country’s food, and if you are travelling, no matter where you are you should definitely consider trying at least the most iconic dishes.
However, there are certain countries that have such iconic cuisines that some dishes are worth an entire travel just to taste. While there are certainly many amazing cuisines all over the world, here you will find seven of the bests:
- Greece
Greece is one of the most iconic countries to try Mediterranean cuisine that is well known for being balanced, fresh and including a lot of salads and dressings. Some of the best dishes you should try to experience the Greek cuisine at its best are:
- Souvlaki: Souvlaki consists basically of little pieces of pork meat, marinated in many different ways and then grilled. Souvlaki is Greek for “little skewers” and they are an amazing dish for meat lovers.
- Greek salad: While Greek salad is fairly well known all around the world, you haven’t tried a real Greek salad until you try it in Greece. Naturally, in Greece is just called “salad”
- Italy
Italy is probably one of the two or three more popular gastronomical destinations. Pasta in all of its forms was originated in Italy and everyone in the world has eaten pizza. However, Italians are very passionate about their food and the make it in particular ways that you just can’t get anywhere else. IF you are in Italy, you should try:
- Pizza Margherita: Pizza Margherita is frequently cited as the original pizza. It is part of the Neapolitan cuisine and it only has the dough, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, olive oil and salt. Many people claim that eating a traditional Pizza Margherita in Italy is the ultimate pizza experience.
- Practically any pasta dish: For convenience, most countries sell dried pasta that you cook with boiling water, but traditional Italian cuisine dishes use fresh pasta that definitely changes the flavour and texture. This is a must for any culinary enthusiast.
- Japan
While Japanese food has been very popular in the western world for a long time, everyone who has ever been to Japan knows that the American version of the dishes doesn’t properly honour the amazing original Japanese cuisine. Mainly based in seafood, Japanese cuisine offers several dishes, some of them that you need to try are:
- Traditional nigiri: They say that no one knows fish like the Japanese, and they are right. While you might have had nigiri before, sushi restaurants in Japan put immense effort into selecting the best fish around and you will discover a whole new array of flavours in traditional nigiri.
- Ramen: This is yet another example of a fantastic plate that you may have tried in a western version, but that tastes absolutely amazing when prepared using traditional methods.
- India
Indian food is well known for being using a lot of spices and might not be for everyone if you have a soft palate, but if you are in India, you should at least give a try to some of their most iconic dishes, such as:
- Chicken Tandoori: Chicken tandoori is an Indian version of roasted chicken that is seasoned with yoghurt and spices after being marinated in a circular clay oven named tandoor. It is one of the most iconic Indian cuisine dishes and you should really try it.
- Aloo Gobi: If you aren’t very fond of spices, you could try Aloo Gobi, which is a more light-seasoned side dish made from cauliflower and potatoes.
- Spain
Spain is among the best cuisines in the world. Combining seafood with regular meats with very thrilling herbs and spices, there are several dishes that you should try to get the full experience out of the traditional Spanish cuisine. Just to name a couple, you should try:
- Paella: Paella is a very complex dish that is based on rice similar to Italian risotto that is seasoned with a spice that turns it yellow. The dish gets its name from the pan that is cooked on and it includes seafood such as shrimp, octopus and clams and other meats such as beef, chicken, rabbit and sausages.
- Tapas: Tapas is one of the most iconic foods from Spain. “Tapas” actually refers to the serving method, which is in small plates as finger foods, but they can contain anything from pickles to fried potatoes.
- France
France is known all around the world for their cheeses and wines, but there are several other iconic dishes that truly represent the French cuisine, such as:
- Escargot: Escargot is actually ground snails grown with the sole purpose of being eaten. They are cooked in several different ways and they can look a little weird at the beginning, but they taste delicious.
- Roquefort cheese: One of the most iconic French cheeses, it has a strong but delicious flavour and it pairs beautifully with wine.
- Mexico
Mexican cuisine is incredibly varied and it is comprised of hundreds of original dishes. Some of the most iconic are:
- Enchiladas: Tortillas filled with chicken with green or red sauce on them, and accompanied by lettuce, tomato, fresh cheese, sour cream and sometimes beans. Enchiladas are a must if you travel to Mexico.
- Tacos: Real tacos are very different than the American version. They can be filled with pork, chicken, beef in a wide array of preparations and they always come in soft tortillas.