What food experiences from your country would you recommend to tourists?
Not necessarily the best meals (or places), but the meals (or places) that best represent your culture.
Not necessarily the best meals (or places), but the meals (or places) that best represent your culture.
I mean if you've never eaten Pupusas, I don't know what life you're living.
I have no idea what it is but I want to eat it now.
Corn tortilla dough is filled with cheese/pork/beans and other yummy options, and cooked on a greasy ass flat grill. Served with a Salvadoran vinegar slaw, they're delicious
oh my sweet fuck I want that so bad now
Loroco y queso!
What is even that flower? I wonder if I can grow it in my apartment in Canada cause that shit is delicious. They sell frozen loroco where I live but it's expensive. And I haven't been to El Salvador in a decade for the real thing
We have a Salvadoran restaurant near us (in Maryland, USA) and we love these!
There is one pupusa place where I live and they don't season their food and it just breaks my heart.
Currywurst. Chopped fried or grilled sausage with ketchup and curry spice sprinkled on top. Often served with fries.
You can get it almost everywhere in Germany, especially at street festivals. Simple, absolutely unhealthy and delicious.
Edit: I would also have said the Döner Kebab. Veil or chicken grilled on a vertical spitroast, sliced into thin strands of meat, loaded into a slightly toasted flatbread along with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and depending on the region and restaurant white or red cabbage in vinegar and oil, together with a yogurt sauce.
But you could argue that Döner is Turkish because it was invented by a Turkish immigrant and is usually prepared by Turkish descendants (or those who look Turkish). But then again I heard that restaurants in Turkey started offering German Döner because that's what tourists expected to get.
One of my biggest regrets in life is not eating currywurst while I was in Germany. I will make it right though. Maybe next year.
Boston cream pie... more like a cake. Very delicious. If you're ever in Boston, you can visit where it started at the Parker House Hotel (Omni).
Good point on the BBQ. The differences between regions is substantial, and although you may not like one region’s BBQ, you may very well love another region’s. I for one am not a fan of the vinegar based BBQ, but a good dry rub, or mustard base, I am all there.
New York pizza and hotdogs, Philly cheesesteaks, Vermont cheddar, and San Francisco sourdough clam chowder bowls. I'm sure every state has their specialty, so you'll have to visit every single one to try everything :p
on the east coast of Canada, in the French speaking region known as Acadie (not in Quebec), there is a dish known as Poutine Rapée. it is not the delicious "cheese fries and gravy" Poutine, oh no. This is a big fucking potato dumpling with seasoned pork and onion inside it. Making them is an art form. They are super delicious. Eat one of those for lunch and you'll go for hours.
As a former Maritimer, I feel robbed that I was exposed to Halifax donair and not this instead.
Donair sucks and donair pizza is an abomination, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. This on the other hand sounds amazing.
well bud, I enjoy donairs enough for both of us put together, so don't you worry about that. I could eat the arse end out of one right now and I'm not even done my coffee.
But yeah, Poutine Rapée is absolutely tits. Like a "cult classic" movie or a super amazing hotspot that only the locals know about, if you know you know, and now you know. I hope wherever you are that you have a kick-ass day.
JÄGERSCHNITZEL. ifykyk.
Nostalgieglückstränen, nehme ich an. Ne? NE?!
Mmh, the uniquely East German taste of Realsozialismus
Uhh yeah 🤤
Ok so everybody is always about the stroopwafels, the fries with lots of mayo and the raw herring. And that's all fine unique and dandy.
But the real thing that many food travelers miss is the smoked eel. They are delicious smokey fatty fishes, really unique to dutchland, Japanese unagi doesn't hold a candle to it.
They are horrible looking, hard to peel (yup you peel the eel) but they are the best culinary thing our country has, and I'll die on this hill. Goes with a korenwijn type (Dutch gin)
Just some pasta with tomatoes, cut in small pieces, with a bit of olive oil and some basil. It takes 10 minutes just of waiting for the pasta to be ready. As simple and quick as delicious.
Bunny Chow! Chicken curry in a bread bowl
Bunny chow is so good. There’s a South African expat who runs a store/restaurant by my house here in Texas and makes what seems to be pretty authentic bunny chow and Vetkoek. Unfortunately, I found out that he and his wife are so aggressively MAGA that I legitimately wonder if he left S.A. because he was sad to see Apartheid go.
Seems far too common. My parents had a difficult time getting into the US so hearing about "all the illegals just strolling into the country" vitriol Fox spews seems to indoctrinate them
I was wondering what South African dish I would see here. Can't go wrong with a Bunny Chow. But I would also mention Koeksisters, Melktert and our best braai meat, Karoo Lamb Tjops
Cold smoked raindeer meat.
Just amazing.
Apart from the obvious cheese and chocolate, i‘d reccomend some good ol rösti with a spiegelei
I'll fight you!
Oh hell no. Alway buy the potatos, steam them for 20 mins and then they‘re ready to be grated into the pan. Don‘t forget the aromat!
Poutine, but just the classic kind. Cheese curds and brown gravy over fries. Don't go to a poutinerie for the first time ever and order some stupid shit like buffalo chicken poutine. And don't order your first poutine from McDonald's either.
The best is in Quebec. Ottawa is a good second best.
The best poutine I had was at the Montreal airport, no joke. Big ol pile of Smoked Meat on top!
I love poutine. The only reason it hasn't caught on here south of the border is it's Frenchy.
The Southwest of Germany has two really regional dishes that are worth a try. The one is Käsespätzle which is a special Swabian type of egg-noodles with cheese. The other is Maultaschen which are Swabian Ravioli.
My favorite thing when I visited SW Germany was Fleishkase (I've also heard it referred to as Leberkase), and I've been unable to find it anywhere here in the states. I ate it at least once a week, grilled on a crusty bread with mustard from a Barbarossa bakery, and anywhere I traveled that had it on the menu I tried it (shoutout to Trier for having my favorit!)
I've been meaning to look into how difficult it is to make. I've been dreaming about it for like 2 years now 😭
Edit: Also, yes, kasespaetzle is next level fantastic. That I can kind of get at the Commissary on most military bases though, because us Americans want access to all the neat shit we get used to while serving overseas. However, while it's yummy, it's also prepackaged noodles just-add-water type shit at the Commissary, and not half as good as what I had over in Germany. Does scratch the itch when I'm craving it though!
Leberkäse is kinda hard to make yourself and is basically made from what's left after slaughtering a pig and using all the good stuff for something else. Käsespätzle however is super easy to make from fresh dough yourself. For one pan the Spätzle are just made from 250 grams of very fine flour finely mixed with 5 fresh eggs. You just need to get some water cooking and then can either do a technique called "Spätzle schaben" where you just need a small kitchen board and a knife to get them into the water or use a Spätzlepress which is a specialised tool just to make them (safes you a lot of work).
The recipe my dad uses (was the owner/chef of a local kitchen):
500g Flour type 405
500g Flour for Spätzle (can supposedly substituted for 80:20 wheat and semolina flour according to a random search)
500g eggs (about 10x middle eggs)
30g Salt
400g Carbonated water (airy texture for dough. If not available just use regular water)
Give that a good beating a good beating (mixing) and press it through a noodle press right into hot water and cook until done.
The slower the thicker they will become
Didn't try it yet but I believe it should be about accurate.
Also I dunno about the amount it will result all done. Probably needs to be downscaled significantly since this is aimed for restaurant type of mass ;)
Thank you for taking the time to write this out for me! We'll put your Kasespaetzle instructions to good use in our home! You're awesome!
Here is a video of the technique i mentioned using a wooden board. And a link to the firm that bilds the specialised press that makes this a lot easier.
I was never a big Leberkäse fan, but I go to Trier on a regular basis now. Do you maybe remember where you got your favorite Leberkäse from, because I always found the food in Trier to be either mid at best or hella expensive.
Can confirm both of those are fantastic!
If you come to America, go to a diner. Diners are attempted in other countries but they never get it right.
And gas station hot bars in the southern US are really staggeringly good food.
USA: Real barbeque. I don't mean braised meat slathered in a sticky sauce, either. I mean tough cuts of meat, cooked slow and low over woodsmoke until it is fall-off-the-bone tender. No sauce required.
Much easier to find this in the southern US, with Texas, Missouri, and the Carolinas all being particularly famous BBQ regions. In the northern states, your best bet is gonna be to find someone local with a smoker - not just a grill.
Fish and chips, the UK's national dish. Curry sauce or mushy peas optional. From a proper local chippy for the real experience.
A Bunnings Snag.
If you visit Australia our main hardware store called Bunnings hosts charity bbq to fundraise. For a couple dollaroos you get a barbequed sausage on a piece of bread with your choice of onions and/or condiments.
I can't read the word "dollaroos" without hearing it in an Australian accent. I hope Australians read the word "loonie" and think there's perhaps a slightly intoxicated Canadian involved.
The first time I tried a sausage sizzle from Bunnings, I was a bit disappointed. Maybe it's because all my mates have been recommending giving it a try and hyping it up and whatnot, and I was really looking forward to it when I finally got around to it, but I didn't really find it all that after the fact.
I mean, it's not bad. It's a couple of bucks, it's a great sausage on white bread, I'd get it again no worries. I kinda just expected more I guess.
He he the Swedish kebab & bearnaisesås pizza (no one said it had to be good, and I didn't say surströmming which is something nobody eats after all). Very popular! You might never forget it except if the Italians finds out and declare war on Sweden and everyone dies.
what's different about the swedish kebab vs turkish ones?
I'm listing countries where I've lived and split into Savoury, sweet and drinks categories, some countries have less items because I couldn't think of other examples. On most places and categories I tried to limit myself to 3 entries.
Argentina
Savoury
Sweet
Drinks
Brazil
Savoury (northeast)
Savoury (general)
Sweet
Drinks
Italy
Italian food is very well known, so I'll list less known dishes, some of them are still known but not to the same level of Lasagna and Tiramisu.
Savoury
Sweet
Drinks
Ireland
Savoury
Drinks
Spain
Savoury
Sweet
Drinks
I've only recently moved to Spain, haven't had any traditional drinks here, if someone has some recommendations let me know.
Tostone. Take a green unripe plantain (similar to a banana). peel it cut into 3 or 4 parts depending on size. Soak in salt water over night. Dry and fry 3 min. Remove from oil and smash it flat. Fry for another 3 min. Salt and serve with crushed garlic in olive oil.
Poutine.
Caesar.
A&W burger family.
Irish breakfast roll
Tacos, Enchiladas, Papusa’s, Gorditas, Tamales, etc. I’m very spoiled where Im at.
Belgium: French Fries, yes. Common Tourist Etiquette Mistake: don't put ketchup on it, just don't.
Laos: Laap (of fish preferably) and sticky rice, the dry on eyou make a ball with your fingers, grab a tiny bit of extra-spicy Laap, and let it explode in your mouth. Chew lengthily to allow the rice to restore balance in your innards.
Morocco: Couscous. Not a joke, so good and also kind of mandatory on Friday Noon. I love my Fridays!
I'm Ukrainian. We have a very particular way of making salted hearing. It's really good and totally different from more commonly sold salted hearing and I would recommend it to anyone.
We call it селёдка (see-leot-ka)
Pork and rice, with pickled vegetables and an egg on top.
The US at large? Too diverse to have a specific cuisine but corn is a native food here, I recommend corn on the cob, either just with butter or the fancy Mexican style, and also try cornbread.
Local food, we have Cuban sandwiches and deviled crab, I didn't know until recently that those are only served around here, despite the name these are Florida foods. Cuban sandwich is a three meat affair on Cuban bread, deviled egg is a sort of fried dough with seasoned crabmeat in the middle.
If you come to Chicago, definitely grab an Italian beef, a Chicago style hot dog, and some deep dish.
If you’re adventurous, try a shot of Malort. I personally like it, but it’s generally hated and used as a joke on tourists.
I'm not usually much interested in "food experiences" but nonetheless I have an answer and it is the sugar shack pancake breakfast.
Oh yeah, that is the best! They have one at the conservation area near me. You go there around March and slap on some cross-country skis to get to the shack. Then just as the cold is starting to set in a bit, you walk in there where they're boiling the sap and take in the aroma. Then you sit down at a long table and gorge yourself on pancakes with the syrup still hot and mixing with the butter. And then on the way back, if you have any bird seed in your pocket, you can just hold it out and chickadees will land on your hand. It's magical!
None sadly. I have the distinction of being in a culinary-bland area in a large culinary-rich country with too many things to choose from if I step out. Even in ancient times, the highest level of culinary creativity you'd get is whatever grew in the fields slapped onto a dish. Not that I mind that much, I'm not huge on food.
Where I’m from you can enjoy some pork with boiled cabbage and potatoes or some nice potato stew with cabbage and lard or cabbage stuffed with minced pork (with potatoes) or, if it’s late in winter, some pickled cabbage with salted pork. And potatoes.
Moose steak.
And lutefisk (lye fish) is not as scary as it sounds.
EdIT: spleling
Nordic or Minnesota? The world will never know.
Noggie.
I considered adding whale steak to the list to make it more clear, but decided against it, because of the perceived controversy. It's delicious, though.
Going more state than country to narrow it down a bit: coney dog, hani, microbrews, walnut and cherry salad, pasties, Vernors float, native trout, apple pie/cider, cherry wine
Texas food is pretty grim, but we we have some good stuff.
Beef is very cheap here, so if you like steaks, I'd recommend a nice steakhouse. Especially if you're European, y'alls steaks are the stuff of nightmares.
We also have good tex mex, which probably explains a lot of our obesity issues.
Watermelons here are both much better and much larger than anywhere else I've ever been.
Chicken fried steak does kick the shit out of schnitzel, even if mushroom sauce is amazing.
Otherwise we mostly import any cuisine worth a damn.
Bro - no mention of Texas BBQ? Beef brisket with Texas-style BBQ beans (savory, not sweet for those who haven't had them) is amazing.
Derp. Totally didn't think about it, I haven't been able to get any for years now.
Canadian cuisine isn't really distinctive, but you should really try French fries with salt and malt vinegar before you perish.
Is malt vinegar on fries a Canadian thing? It's my go to for otherwise plain fries but I don't think its very common in my area.
I have nothing to contribute myself, I've only been briefly to anywhere in Canada other than home and I can't think of anything that isn't gimmick fast food, doesn't originate from other countries, or have a near identical equivalent elsewhere in the world. Like I had friends that lived on the rez and sometimes their parents would prep bannock dough that we would cook over a firepit and fill with honey and it was excellent, but its literally just honey on bread that was cooked on a stick.
Bannock is definitely Canadian.
It's not that we don't have good food here, we absolutely do, but there's very little that I'd Identity as Canadian specific cuisine, other than bannock, poutine, etc. It's just all sort of nondescript to me.
And I think the British also do malt vinegar. It's the best way to eat your fries.
In Texas, Tex-Mex.
In the US, it's really hard to say. We're too diverse.
Taiwan: Come visit us!! The majority of the foods on my list youq can get at most night markets.
Beef Noodle Soup - You've gotta try the beef noodle soup; it's practically the national dish! Imagine slurping down spicy broth with tender braised beef and hearty noodles. Total comfort food.
Bubble Tea - No trip to Taiwan is complete without bubble tea. It's the perfect combo of tea, milk, and those addictive tapioca pearls. Totally worth the hype!
Gua Bao - Think of Gua Bao as the Taiwanese burger. It's a fluffy steamed bun stuffed with juicy pork belly, sprinkled with peanuts and cilantro. So good.
Stinky Tofu - It might smell funky, but stinky tofu is a must-try street food. Dare yourself to try it fried up crispy with some pickled cabbage on the side.
Lu Rou Fan - This is a go-to comfort dish: simple braised pork over rice. It's unassuming but unbelievably tasty.
Oyster Omelette - This is a unique mix of eggs and oysters with a sweet potato starch that gives it a chewy texture, topped with a sweet and spicy sauce.
Pineapple Cake - For a sweet treat, grab a pineapple cake. It's a crumbly, buttery pastry with pineapple jam inside—a perfect souvenir too.
Dumplings - You can't go wrong with dumplings, steamed or fried. Dip them in soy sauce and chili and you're set.
Shaved Ice - To cool down, shaved ice is perfect, especially piled high with toppings like red beans and fruit.
Mango Shaved Ice - Upgrade to mango shaved ice if you’re there in mango season. Fresh mango with shaved ice and condensed milk? Yes, please!
We are super friendly too and the majority of the population speaks English.