International Flavors: A Global Exploration of Cuisine
Get a Burst of Flavor From These Six Nations.
Tuck into our picks of food destinations that will leave you salivating.
Imagine you had the opportunity to eat every single dish in the world. That is a virtually impossible task, but you can try. All over the world, food is a love language. Some countries boast the best meats, while others the best vegetables. Then you get those nations that use practically every ingredient to give you cuisine that would make your toes curl. We definitely don’t mind those. Eating your way through the world is absolutely a great idea. You get to experience new and sometimes well-known flavors that will leave you thinking about it for days. Let’s look at some of the best international flavors the world has to offer.
South Africa
When it comes to Africa as a continent, food-wise, it’s rather underrated. But this continent, particularly South Africa, has some of the best flavors ever. Let’s scale it down to Cape Town, where you will find some of the best food tours. On these tours, and because Cape Town has the wine route of South Africa, you will almost always experience wine paired with your food. Some of the popular dishes include bobotie, a dish consisting of spiced mince meat baked with an egg-based topping and served with yellow rice. This dish is popular amongst the Malay people. While the ingredients may be simple, it’s simply a burst of flavor.
Then there’s the iconic gatsby. First introduced in the 1970s, its inventor Rasheed Pandy wanted to offer a quick yet fulfilling meal to workers renovating his store. Now, what is a gatsby, and what are its ingredients? It’s a long French-like roll (a bit fatter), filled with fries (or slap chips as it is known to locals), various types of meat such as masala steak or baloney, salad, and loads of sauce. Since this is essentially a large sandwich, it is best enjoyed cut in four and shared among friends.
Turkey
This delightful Mediterranean nation comes packed with some of the best cuisines the world has to offer. First up, the iconic Turkish Delight. Probably the country’s biggest offering and one of the best sweet treats in the world. This gooey treat is coated in powdered sugar that is almost sherbet-like. It has just enough sweetness and is just the right size for the perfect mouthful.
Next up, we have Manti or Turkish dumplings. We bet you are wondering how you’ve never heard about Turkish dumplings before, but we promise you, it is a totally delicious thing. Of course, its origins can be traced back to other parts of Asia, but the Turkish put their own spin on it. This dumpling is filled with ground beef and served with yogurt on top.
Dubai
Contrary to popular belief, this UAE nation does not only serve curry. Dubai has taken some of the world’s best cuisine and created its own spin on it. One such dish is manousheh. Originating from Lebanon, manousheh is one of the most popular dishes in Dubai. This pizza-like dish is made with pizza dough and comes with a range of toppings, notably cheese and chili.
Then there’s the Iranian Sangak. This is an interesting yet simple menu item. It’s the bread that’s baked on top of tiny stones. It’s usually topped with sesame seeds and served as is. Fresh and warm, delicious!
India
Look, Indians have top-tier curry. There is no one on the planet who can cook curry like the Indian community. They understand the spices and chili and know exactly what works with what meat. So, why wouldn’t you want to tuck into a delectable butter chicken? The answer is you will definitely will! Butter chicken is made with butter, of course, chicken, yogurt, tomato puree, onion, and a range of dry spices. To capture the deep flavors, you usually roast your dry spices, blend them, then add them to your yogurt and marinate your chicken in that mixture for at least 12 hours. This is the ultimate Indian dish and is best served with basmati rice or roti.
Thailand
The Thai are known for creating the most refreshing yet favorable dishes known to man. One such dish is Thai green curry. It is super spicy, and when we say spicy, we mean forehead sweats. But don’t let this discourage you. Thai green curry has fresh ingredients, including coconut milk, lime leaves, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Green Thai curry paste is also used. What’s great about this dish is you can omit the protein, and it will still be delicious. Don’t say we didn’t tell you to try it!
Spain
Just imagine you are eating your way through Spain, sounds fun, right? In Spain, you can expect anything from seafood to delicious, cured meats. One dish that stands out, in particular, is paella. In Spain, paella is made with saffron-flavored rice, with different types of meat and seafood. All over the world, people have created their own versions, where some actually include chicken too, but nothing comes quite close to the original. And if you want to try your hand at it, here is a classic paella recipe from Spain.
