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Popular Foods From Around the World

5 min read

By Eric Leckie, PT

If there’s one thing on earth that can bring people together, it’s food. Breaking bread and gathering for a meal dates back centuries as a way of celebrating relationships, special events, and holidays. With so many different types of cuisines, the options are endless.

Picking your favorite food is such a subjective choice as everyone’s taste buds are unique. Let’s dive into some of the most popular foods on earth!

Massaman Curry, Thailand

Thai dishes are enjoyed all over the world and some would even say Thailand is the kind of curries and perhaps the kind of all foods! Massaman curry is known for its sweet and savory coconut flavor with the perfect amount of spice. One taste of this curry will leave you wanting more.

Neapolitan Pizza, Italy

Who doesn’t love a good pizza? Well, we can thank our friends in Italy for creating this ultimate comfort food and all of its amazing varieties. The Neapolitan pizza delivers on simplicity as it only contains dough, tomatoes, salt, olive oil, and basil.

Chocolate, Mexico

Chocolate might be the ultimate comfort food that just about everyone enjoys. Starting from the single ingredients, the cacao bean, rich and indulgent chocolate can take many forms and flavors ranging from dark, white, and creamy milk chocolate depending on which you prefer.

Sushi, Japan

Home to Japan, sushi combines incredible flavor and freshness with every single bite. Who would have thought that combining raw fish and rice could taste so good?

Penang Assam Laksa, Malaysia

A combination of fish broth, flaked mackerel, tamarind, mint, chili, onion, lemongrass, and pineapple makes up Penang Assam laksa. This meal is known as one of Malaysia’s most delicious dishes. Take one bite and you’ll find out why!

Ice Cream

Ice cream is another one of those desserts that you find just about anywhere in the world. One of the factors that make ice cream so great is there are tons of different amazing flavors and colors. It is said that ice cream was originally invented in China and made to be mass distributed in France.

Corn on the Cob

Freshly made corn on the cob with butter and a dash of salt — what could be better? This uniquely simple dish is enjoyed globally, with or without the melted butter!

Pierogi, Poland

Pierogies are Polish dumplings that are filled with either potato, sauerkraut, cheese, or meat. In some cases, you’ll find pierogies filled with a combination of those popular fillings. Once filled, these delightful pastries are either boiled or fried depending on preference.

Donuts, United States

Fried circles of dough, everyone can recognize the donut.

Croissants, France

France is home to the flakey and delicious pastry known as croissants. Enjoy it in a sandwich or smother it with butter and raspberry jam!

Lasagna, Italy

The Italians have done it again, they created lasagna. A pasta layered, tomato sauce-filled dish that is the ultimate meal on a cold winter night.

Fajitas, Mexico

Mexico, known for its incredible flavors and spices, created the fajita. Fajitas are a mixture of sizzled meat, vegetables, and sour cream wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

Pho, Vietnam

Pho is a popular dish in Vietnam and contains broth, fresh rice and noodles, and your choice of meat (either chicken or beef usually). It’s also often mispronounced too! The correct way to pronounce it is “fuh”

Fish ‘n’ Chips, United Kingdom

Fish ‘n’ chips is as simple as it gets. Crispy on the outside and tender, flaky fish on the inside! It’s often partnered with fresh-cut fries and tartar sauce to top it off.

Maple Syrup, Canada

Although this is technically more of a sauce than a food, maple syrup tastes so good you’ll want to finish the entire bottle. Best enjoyed over fresh pancakes or waffles.

Hummus, Middle East

Hummus might just be the ultimate dip. Created from crushing chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and tahini, this delicious dip has become a household staple worldwide.

Chicken Parmigiana, Australia

Typically taking up the entire plate is a healthy serving of battered chicken with melted parmesan and mozzarella cheese. This masterpiece dish is finished with tomato sauce smothered on top.

Poutine, Canada

This might be the ultimate Canadian dish out there. Take freshly cut fries and top them with cheese curds and gravy to get you an authentic poutine. Trust us, it tastes much better than it looks!

Seafood Paella, Spain

This Valencian dish contains a range of fresh seafood combined with white rice and various herbs, oil, and salt.

Tofu

Made from coagulated soy milk, this vegan dish is loaded with protein and is a great meat alternative!

Ramen, Japan

The ramen noodle soup was invented in Japan in 1910 and contains noodles, salty broth, and a range of other ingredients to choose from.

Tacos, Mexico

This traditional Mexican dish offers fresh delicious flavors for any dinner party.

Cheeseburger

A cheeseburger is a delicious dish consisting of a medium-rare seared beef patty placed in a fresh bun and topped with veggies and sauce of your choice.

MS, RDN, CDCES

Julie Ching is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator in Los Angeles. She decided to become a Dietitian after traveling through Europe, South America, and Asia and discovered a passion for food. She now works with people of all ages and varying disease states to improve their health. She is passionate about teaching people about nutrition so they can live their best life while still considering their cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

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