National signature dishes

[origamicrane]

Hi all

I want you all to help me create a definitive guide of all the national dishes/ drinks from around the world.

I'm planning to make a kind of gourmet map of the world and then attempt to eat all of them!!

you know i'm sure there is money to be made in organising gourmet eating holidays

anyway this could get very messy with lots of people claiming certain dishes as their own or making remarks about the origins of a particular dish

ie: pasta came from China etc

So the simple criteria is this, it is the dish/ drink or food group that you most associate with a country regardless of it original heritage.

let me get the ball rolling

England - Fish and Chips, lager

Scotland - Haggis, Whiskey

Spain - Paella , sherry

Japan - Sushi, Sake

China - Rice, Tea

Italy - Pizza, coffee

America - Burger, coke

Sweden - Smorgasbord

France - Escargot, Wine

Ireland - Guinness

India - Curry, Lassi

This is just a bit of fun so feel free to add your own ideas for each country

and at the end of the thread i will set them out inito a nice big map.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I know we did this type of thing with dishes representative of each American city and possibly even national dishes but have yet to locate it on the eG search .. in the interim ... and I have found some from less mentioned countries :

Scotland: Scotch broth, smoked salmon, haggis and neeps, Aberdeen Angus steak, lamb, venison, baked salmon, Tayside raspberries, clootie dumpling and farmhouse cheeses... all served with a fine scotch, of course!

South Africa: African putu (near porridge) and Indian curries to Malaysian blatjang (mango, guava and other exotic fruit chutney), and Portuguese fish dishes to Afrikaner potjiekos (stew cooked in a pot on an open fire). Very popular dishes are bobotie, (an old Malay recipe), and one of the most popular culinary activities is braaivleis (an outdoor barbeque) - at its best with venison and boerewors (a local sausage).

Philippines:adobo, lumpia, sinigang, bistek and lechon among others.

Kazakhstan: In general Kazakhs prefer meat dishes. Favorite national dish of Kazakhs is beshbarmak. Beshbarmak is cooked of mutton, horse meat, beef and dough. But a favorite, horse meat, known as kazy, karta, zhal, zhaya and kumyss are favorites. Medicinal drink, kumuss (mare’s milk) has curative qualities and is used for treatment of lung and intestinal-gastric illnesses!

Bhutan: The Bhutanese diet is meat and poultry, dairy, grain (particularly rice-red and white) and vegetables. Emadatse (chili pepper and cheese stew) is considered the national dish with numerous interpretations of this recipe throughout the country. Poulry and meat dishes, pork, beef and yak, are lavishly spiced with chilies, and it is common to see bright red peppers drying on rooftops in the sun. Salted butter tea, or suja, is served on all social occasions. Chang, a local beer, and arra, a spirit distilled from rice, maize, wheat or barley, are also common with doma, or betel nut, which is offered as a customary gesture of greeting.

Senegal: Senegalese Mafe; Koushry (Egyptian lentils and Rice); Saltfish and Ackee; Fried Plantains, Senegalese Lemon Soup, Tiébou Dienn - cheb-oo-jen - often called the national dish of Sénégal, Yassa - chicken, turkey or fish, Senegal Seafood Stew and Ngalax - a delightful dessert!!

Brazil: Beans (feijao), Coconut, Dried salted codfish (bacalhau), Dried shrimp (camarao seco), Lemon rice (Brazilian style - arroz brasileiro or arroz simples), Toasted Manioc Meal (farofa or farinha de mandioca), Feijoada Completa - the national dish of Brazil.

Jordan: the national dish, mansaf, a whole stewed lamb with cooked yoghourt sauce served on bed of rice; musakhan, chicken with onions, olive oil, pine seeds and seasoning cooked in an oven on a thick loaf of Arabic bread; maglouba, a meat or fish and vegetable stew served with rice, and of course, the basic shish kebab, pieces of lamb, marinated chicken and patties of minced and spiced lamb meat all cooked over a char-coal fire with onions and tomatoes. I had something similar in Israel on a visit.

Switzerland: Cheese is used a lot in all sorts of different recipes like fondues and raclette, soups, soufflés, salads and even sweet dishes. Besides cheese, butter and cream are used as well, which makes Swiss dishes not the most low calorie ones available. Switzerland is known for its famous national dish called rösti: grated potato fried in a pancake. It can be found in many different regional varieties. Other 'typical Swiss' dishes are mostly regional specialities, as Switzerland has borders with Italy and France and Germany and the dishes reflect as much....

Mauritius: Salt Fish Rougaille Black Pudding Rougaille

Mauritian Special Fried Rice King Prawns in Red Sauce Chicken Kalya Mauritian Lamb with spinach Mauritian Curried Beef Satini - Chutney

Palm Heart Salad Choko Salad Pumpkin Sauté

Singapore: "national dish" of Singapore is satay, skewers of spicy beef, mutton or chicken barbequed over charcoal fire and served with a spicy peanut sauce. Also popular is nasi lemak, rice cooked with coconut milk and mixed with a variety of other sweet or savory ingredients.

Jamaica: National dish is ackee from Ghana, served with salt-fish from anywhere, and the menus include fried wanton, fettuccini, boeuf fondue and Cerasee tea.

Portugal: Although Portugal is famous for its tripe, ( citizens are known in the rest of the country as tripeiros – tripe eaters), it is also easy to find hot sandwiches and the national dish – bacalhau, a type of salted cod, which comes in almost 400 varieties.

Edited July 20, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[evilhomer]

England - Fish and Chips, ale

much better

canada - moose and maple syrup (and ice wine)

[origamicrane]

some others

Scotland also chips and gravy

China - Peking duck

Germany - Sausages and beer

Greece - Kleftiko and ozu

Morocco - lamb and cous cous

Thailand - green curry and tom yum soup

Hainese - Chicken rice

personally i think satay should be for Malaysia and chilli crab should be Singapore.

[chefdg]

Costa Rica= Seabass Civeche (I can't remember the Tico term for it)

[ludja]

Austria: Wienerschnitzel, Sachertorte and Viennese Coffee

Edited July 20, 2004 by ludja (log)

[viva]

Some suggestions for already-mentioned countries (damn, you guys are fast!)

Brazil - I second the feijoada, and would add the beloved caipirinha as the national drink

Jamaica - add jerk chicken and either Red Stripe or rum & ginger beer

Singapore - I agree with the chilli crab over the satay

What about these...

Mexico - tequila and (this is tough to pick one) carne adovada

Peru - ceviche

[origamicrane]

Belgium - mussel frites and beer again

Switzerland - hey we forgot fondue.

[ellencho]

Korea = Kimchee*

*not really a "dish" but a side dish served with all meals.

Edited July 20, 2004 by ellencho (log)

[origamicrane]

korea - yep definitely kimchee and soju as the national drink

vietnam - summer rolls

[Gifted Gourmet]

vietnam - summer rolls

no pho??

nuoc-mam, a fragrant fish sauce??

Edited July 20, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Mexico - tequila and (this is tough to pick one) carne adovada

No, its Mole Poblano. Always has been when referring to the signature dish of Mexico.

[Jason Perlow]

vietnam - summer rolls

no pho??

nuoc-mam, a fragrant fish sauce??

Vietnam is most definitely Pho.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Switzerland - hey we forgot fondue.

Cheese is used a lot in all sorts of different recipes like fondues and raclette, soups

.. see my post on this ... I never forget fondue, nor raclette!

great website on the foods of Vietnam:

here!

Edited July 20, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[ludja]

Germany: yes to sausages and beer,

but also sauerbraten, potatoes and sauerkraut and schwartzwalder kirsch torte

[origamicrane]

oh yeah definitely some pho

nuoc-mam?? hmmm...

condiment more then food

but then again

wasabi would definitely be japanese.

hmmm... what to do? what to do?

[GSBravo]

I really don't have anything to add at this point, I just wanted to see my avatar below orgamicrane's avatar.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I really don't have anything to add at this point, I just wanted to see my avatar below orgamicrane's avatar.

Thanks for the explanation, GSBravo! Thought I had overdone my meds this morning and was seeing double!

[origamicrane]

shiver me timbers!

does polly want a cracker?

hmmm anyone got a parrot avatar?

and a ship ?

[NulloModo]

Gifted -

Wow, you blow me away with your detailed knowledge of the cuisine of all of those out of the way places... How many of those dishes have you sampled?

I would be in heaven on earth if I could find a way to get paid to travel the world and just study culture, taste dishes, etc...

[patti]

Scotland - shortbread cookies

England - scones, clotted cream

[origamicrane]

Jamaica - deep fried plantain and salt fish patties

Cuba - mojito

Sweden - gravlax

Russia - beef stroganoff, chicken kiev, vodka

Anyone know whether Balti are meant to be Bangladesh, Pakistan or Birmingham??

Which country would claim the pita bread and kebabs? the Lebanese? Greek?

Doing quite well on northern hemisphere dishes what about the middle east and south?

no suggestions for New Zealand ,Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Emirate states ?

Here's a challenge for you Gifted find a signature dish for the Vatican City

[ellencho]

Here's a challenge for you Gifted find a signature dish for the Vatican City

Hot cross buns? Communion wafers and wine? *ducks rotten tomatoes and holy water*

Edited July 20, 2004 by ellencho (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Not too sure but kishke, kreplach, knishes, and knaidlach would be the absolutely 'ecumenically correct' items for the communion wafers and wine ... L'chaim, Monsignor!!

[Gifted Gourmet]

Gifted -

Wow, you blow me away with your detailed knowledge of the cuisine of all of those out of the way places... How many of those dishes have you sampled?

I would be in heaven on earth if I could find a way to get paid to travel the world and just study culture, taste dishes, etc...

Nullo, I can call you by that shortened name I hope ... I have tried many of the dishes listed .. lived in Morocco and have been to the Orient as well as Europe ...

the rest are simply what I found because I am a research fanatic and was stimulated to do so with the impetus created by the introduction of this topic ...

at present, I am doing more and more travel and hope to sample even more from the list ... Mr. Gifted had pho and nuoc mam in Vietnam but passed on the dog dishes ... but he loved the dishes in Bangkok!