12 International Foods You Have to Try Before You Die
2/10/2016 |
| photo credit |
We have so many things we wish to accomplish in our lives. People want to follow their dreams and they want to build successful careers, have a happy family and make a ton of money. Others hope to travel all around the world or break into the Hollywood and be famous. We write down long lists which usually consist from various experiences, such as sleeping under the stars, make a road trip around the United States or reach thousands of views on YouTube channel. But have you ever thought about including some special kind of food? I have to admit that I didn´t think about it before, but I have some "food points" on my list now. It is mostly because as I travel, I sometimes get to countries where people are simply used to different cuisine and they serve for lunch different meals than in my country. I´m not talking about famous meals from the well known cuisines, such as lasagne from Italian cuisine, tacos from Mexican one or kebab from the Turkish/Middle Eastern cuisine, but have you ever tried ugali or completo? Or have you at least heard about it? Not yet? Well, I will have to probably show you these ones. So come and let´s see list of twelve international foods you should definitely try at least once in your lifetime.
CEVAPCICI
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Balkan States (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro or Serbia)
Cevapcici might be originally from the Balkan States, but it has popularity also in the Middle Europe and Slovak countries. The type of meat used in the dish might differ - usually beef, pork and lamb are the most common types, but somewhere is also offered a combination of all three. Meat is mixed with onions and garlic and then it can be boiled, grilled or fried, it also depends on the region or country. Cevapcici has usually a shape of small sausage. In the Balkan States, it is usually served with bread and ajvar, a special spread made from red peppers and olive oil, but in Slovak countries you can see it also with another side dish, for example with mashed potatoes. I have to say that if you prepare it very properly and not like at some school canteen(like ours for example), it is very good for example for watching football match or just party night.
DÜRÜM
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Turkey
I think that most of you have already tried dürüm at least once. So I don´t think I have to tell you something more about it. Dürüm could be translated as "roll" and is usually made from flat breads - Armenian lavash or Turkish yufka. The wrap is then usually filled with traditional döner kebab ingredients - spiced meat(lamb, chicken or beef-veal combination), tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, herb-laden yogurt and spicy sauce. This dish is widely spread all around the European countries and it is one of the most popular street foods in Germany, but if you want to try the best and most tasty version of it, then head to Turkey, because nothing can be better than taste it right from the "masters."
CHURROS CON CHOCOLATE
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Spain
For all sweet tooth people, here is something for you. Churros are spread all around the world and you can find almost everywhere, mostly in European countries. I have seen so many shapes and variations of it already, from balls filled with Nutella(this is screaming - try me!) or the original sticks with vanilla or chocolate dip. Just there are so many ways how to prepare and eat churros, so just let your imagination to imagine the possibilities...or just let your hands bake it. Coffee and a bowl of cereal for breakfast? Oh no, not in Spain. They have churros there. Yes, churros with chocolate for breakfast...doesn´t it sound like a dream?
UGALI
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: East Africa
I´m going to introduce the dish which became one of my favourite one while being in Kenya last year. I´m going to introduce you ugali. Actually, I call it ugali and in several regions of Africa, it might be called like this, but it really might differ and just various tribes and various regions and countries in Africa call it by different names. The photo above shows exactly how it looks like after it is made. Ugali is a dish of maize flour or millet flour and it is cooked with water to a porridge or dough like consistency. When I saw it for the first time, while having dinner with my host family in Kenya, I was a bit surprised and I didn´t know very well what to think about it. I thought it was some rice or something like that. My first experience with this wasn´t very good, because just for me, it didn´t have any taste. It was because you have to mix it with something, some sauce, meat or vegetable and then you will be fine, otherwise it just won´t be very tasty. But don´t worry, it is really good and I liked it a lot. I would say it´s like...you have rice in Asia, fries in the U...and then you have ugali in Africa.
HALO-HALO(HALUHALO)
Origin: Philippines
This food is something I´m simply dying to try. Ladies and gentlemen, this is halo-halo (in Tagalog it could be translated as "mixed things"), popular Filipino dessert. The main ingredients are shaved ice and evaporated milk. Then you can add there so many various things, such as boiled and sweetened kidney beans, coconut sport, tapioca, sugar palm fruit, jackfruit or sweet potato and much more. Then is is mixed with some fruit and ice cream. It is usually served in tall glass or bowl. Halo-halo is very popular especially during long and hot days, because it can greatly cool you down. People and friends Philippines, who live abroad, usually say that hola-hola is actually one of the things they miss the most about their home country. When I look at the ingredients, I can only think how this has to be fulfilled dream of every child, because honestly, who didn´t want at least once to put all the sweets into one big bowl and eat it all at once?
COMPLETO
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Chile
Chile is one of the top producers of avocados in the world. So no wonder that avocado is simply indispensable to the Chilean diet. There are many ways how to eat it and many meals include it in Chile and one special, mainly street food, is completo. Completo means "complete" in Spanish and well, when you see the ingredients of it, you will understand why it is called like that. Basically, completo is something like typical American hot dog, but it´s much bigger and it includes much more ingredients. This Chilean variation of hot dog is usually served with avocados. chopped tomatoes, chili, sauce, sauerkraut, mayonnaise and cheese. It doesn´t have only one variation and if you want to try something different, you can choose from various combinations of the ingredients, which can be for example: Tomate-Mayo(the hot dog is topped only with the tomatoes and mayonnaise) or A La Pobre(it consists of fried onion, fried egg and French fries) and more. It´s only up to you what you will choose and what you will eat.
CURRYWURST
If you get a chance to visit Germany, especially Berlin or Hamburg, you have to definitely try this yummy fast food dish, because it really tastes so good. Currywurst is combination of fried pork sausage with curry ketchup and it is usually served with French fries. The curry ketchup is a sauce based on spiced or tomato sauce, which is topped with curry powder, but it can also be already made ketchup which is mixed with curry powder and other species, such as chili. Typically, the sausage is served whole, but it can be served pre-sliced as well. Currywurst is one of the most popular take-away foods in Germany and it has also its own museum. This is pretty cool, isn´t it?
FALAFEL
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Egypt/Palestine/Israel
While the origin of the falafel is somehow unknown, it is believed that the best falafel you can get on the streets of Tel Aviv. It plays a large role in Israeli cuisine and is actually widely considered as the national dish. Falafel refers to a deep-fried ball made from chickpeas, fava beans or both. It is commonly served meal in the Middle East and it can be either served in a pita or wrapped in a flatbread. The sandwich version can also include the balls topped with salads, hot sauce, vegetables and other special sauces. The balls can also be served alone just for snack or like a party food. Many vegetarians, and not only them, also think about falafel as about a "vegetarian and healthier version" of dürüm.
ROAST SIRLOIN IN SOUR CREAM SAUCE (SVÍČKOVÁ NA SMETANĚ)
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Czech republic
If you are going to head to Czech republic and you are wondering, what you should try while being there, I can recommend you this one - svíčková na smetaně. In English, it could be translated as roast sirloin in sour cream sauce. The ingredients are following: spiced sirloin prepared with vegetables and boiled with double cream. It is generally served with bread dumplings (which you should also try, because it is another Czech speciality and everybody loves it.) and whipped cream and cranberries. The preparation is the same all around the country and the final served meal might be a slightly different across the restaurants, but only in final touches, for example some restaurants add there slice of lemon, some top the sauce with a sauce from cranberries and whipped cream, but the the base is same everywhere. Just try it for yourself and you will see. And if you want to try something different, give a shot to Czech version of goulash served with bread dumplings again.
VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Vietnam
Spring rolls play a huge role in Asian culture and Vietnam is no exception. There are so many versions of these spring rolls and I think that each one deserves a chance to be tried by you and your friends. One of the popular ones is called nem nuong cuon and it consists of grilled pork sausage wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, carrot, cucumber, daikon and mint and then it is usually served with a "secret" sauce. The spring rolls can be found almost everywhere, from food carts to various restaurants in the country.
CEVICHE
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Peru
Ceviche is widely known all around the coastal region of Latin America. With having origin in Peru, the best ceviche is definitely served on the streets of Lima and you know what? It has even own holidays in Peru! The recipe is really simple: raw fish is marinated in citrus juices and mixed with sliced onions, chili peppers, pepper and salt. The freshness is very important for this dish, so it is served right after it is done with all preparation. The ceviche has many versions and it has recently spread all around the globe. So you can find it also in North America or Asia. The most preferred fish is sea bass, but you can also taste a version with sole.
POUTINE
 |
| photo credit |
Origin: Canada
This dish really made me consider to buy a ticket to Quebec right now. Why? Alright, look at it. Poutine is originally from Quebec, Canada and its popularity is on the rise all around the Canada and not only there. Actually, it was also offered by the Canadian McDonald´s, Burger King, KFC or A&W as a part of their menu. The ingredients are simple - french fries with cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy. The chefs across the country have recently started adding there another ingredients, such as meat, vegetable or some sweets to invent new tastes and variations of this popular food, so we will see where it will lead.
What about you? Have you ever tried any of these dishes? What are your other favourite internation foods?
2 comments
Awesome article! I love posts about food so I really enjoyed this one and since you included chocolate con churros and ceviche, there is nothing that I would be missing in the list. I still have some food to try though :)
ReplyDeletethank you so much! and of course, there are other meals and dishes i would recommend, but just only a few of them made it to this list :D
Delete