National signature dishes

[Laksa]

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.

Singapore!? Yeah, after they stole those dishes from Malaysia!! The national "dessert" of Malaysia could well be "Ais Kacang" (lots of posts here on eG about that). If I'm pressed to name a national drink, I'd probably say Milo.

Edited to add: Hmm... on second thoughts, I think "teh tarik" is really Malaysia's national drink.

Description and picture of teh tarik.

Edited July 20, 2004 by wongste (log)

[gingerly]

someone should invite this intrepid lady to join in!

[Gifted Gourmet]

someone should invite this intrepid lady to join in!

What a great website! Thanks for this!! I will contact her about what eGullet has, if she is not already aware of us ...

[cakewench]

It might not be 'stereotypical', but from what I have observed over the last few months, Germans are absolutely obsessed with fresh asparagus, especially the white variety. 'Frisch spargel' (sp), with a hollandaise-like sauce, is announced on every cafe blackboard for the period of time that asparagus is even reasonably 'frisch'.

The canned variety stands in for the rest of the year.

I know the Aussie desserts: Anzacs, lamingtons, possibly some fairy bread for the kiddies. The main dishes? ... Lots of mediocre sausages (*tries to ignore the jeers from down under*) seem to be very popular at bbqs.

no, wait! Yabbies (something crawdad-esque, quite excellent) from South Australia! Wines from the Barossa Valley... and damn, some awesome fish. I can't recall the name of the one I had the most often, but I hadn't seen it on a menu elsewhere before.

Beer: Cooper's Pale or Boags, thanks.

I'm sure some of the Aussie members will chime in, especially after that sausage comment. ahem.

and as for my current country, The Netherlands: Brodjes (ubiquitous sandwich-roll things), raw herring (meh.), and a Heineken. natch. (they have some fantastic Surinamese and Indonesian food here, btw, but that doesn't count for this project!)

[Laksa]

Australia:

Serious version: Roast leg of lamb and Penfold's Grange

Bush version: Kangaroo steak with damper bread and Victoria Bitter

Facetious version: Vegemite sandwich and egg-flip Big M (egg flavoured milk)

[Laksa]

I can't recall the name of the one I had the most often, but I hadn't seen it on a menu elsewhere before.

Barramundi?

[eunny jang]

Korea - barbeque or bibimbap and soju.

Ireland - corned beef and cabbage? I think I remember reading somewhere that this is a myth and that no one in Ireland actually eats it. Guiness, of course, or a more general "the pint".

Spain - paella and sangria?

Aquavit to accompany smoked salmon, smorgasbord, black bread, etc. from the north.

[pedro]

Spain reduced to paella and sherry . Many people have argued about the non-existence of a national Spanish cooking as such, being a sum of very different regional cookings. I won't refuse or adhere to this argument, but to my mind comes many dishes that well could fight to represent Spain in the world:

gazpacho, ajoblanco, roasted suckling pork or milk fed lamb, fabada, pil-pil cod fish, pisto, arroz caldoso, escudella i carn d'olla, menestra, tripes Madrid style, morteruelo, migas con chorizo, gachas, ...

[Gifted Gourmet]

Israeli foods .... longish thread but full of great dishes!

Israeli foods but not in a thread here ...

[origamicrane]

Portugal - piri piri chicken, egg tart nata.

Iran - caviar?

Pedro sorry about reducing Spain to Paella and Sherry

but don't worry i've reduced France to escargot and wine

hahaha!!!!

but you have to admit for Spain paella sherry and chorizo would be the most synonymous, could add turron too?

Edited July 20, 2004 by origamicrane (log)

[Batuta]

Egypt : Melokheya (a chicken based soup with a slimy, green leafy vegetable). If you were raised with it you love it. If not, despite what Jeffery Stiengarten says, it's tough to eat.

Nigeria Peanut stew

England : HP sauce???

Edited July 20, 2004 by Batuta (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Austria: Wienerschnitzel, Sachertorte and Viennese Coffee

And Tafelspitz!!! And Apfelstudel!!!

[sashimi]

Canada -- Poutine.

[ludja]

Austria:  Wienerschnitzel, Sachertorte and Viennese Coffee

And Tafelspitz!!! And Apfelstudel!!!

Aber naturlich!

For Hungary, it would seem like Beef Goulash, Stuffed Crepes (Palatcsintak) and maybe also Strudel...

(I think Austria and Hungary have to share this one).

Would Russia be Borscht, Coulibiac and a shot of vodka?

Poland, Bigos (Hunter's stew) and Kielbasa?

Yugoslavia, Cevapcici? (grilled ground beef and lamb skewers)

edited to add: Morocco: bastilla

Edited July 21, 2004 by ludja (log)

[cakewench]

ah yes, Laksa, barramundi! Thanks for the memory jog.

My brain kept getting stuck on 'barracuda', and that led the Heart song running through my head repeatedly, and clearly I couldn't think straight while that was happening.

[tryska]

Singapore!?  Yeah, after they stole those dishes from Malaysia!!  The national "dessert" of Malaysia could well be "Ais Kacang" (lots of posts here on eG about that).  If I'm pressed to name a national drink, I'd probably say Milo.

Edited to add: Hmm... on second thoughts, I think "teh tarik" is really Malaysia's national drink.

Description and picture  of teh tarik.

i dunno - i believe hte pulled tea came with the muslims from india. chai is made the same way.

as for India's national dish - it's NOT curry.

You'd really have to break it down to North India and South India -

North India - Tandoori Chicken, Naan

South India - Masala Dosai

(okay - i jsut chose my particular favorites but i'm desperately trying to rid the world of the notion that Indian food is all about the amorphous "curry")

and to add some others -

Puerto Rico - Mofongo and cuchifrito

Morocco - Tajines (don't know if i spelled that right)

Portugal - Salt Cod, Pork and Clams, Porto

Edited July 21, 2004 by tryska (log)

[tryska]

australia - meat pies and mushy peas?

Saudi Arabia from what i remember - Kibbeh, Pita bread (don't know their name for it) and mint tea.

Edited July 21, 2004 by tryska (log)

[Laksa]

Singapore!?  Yeah, after they stole those dishes from Malaysia!!  The national "dessert" of Malaysia could well be "Ais Kacang" (lots of posts here on eG about that).  If I'm pressed to name a national drink, I'd probably say Milo.

Edited to add: Hmm... on second thoughts, I think "teh tarik" is really Malaysia's national drink.

Description and picture  of teh tarik.

i dunno - i believe hte pulled tea came with the muslims from india. chai is made the same way.

You're probably correct. That doesn't mean it can't be Malaysia's national drink, does it? I've never been to India, so I wonder if pulled tea is as common (pervasive?) there as it is in Malaysia.

As for mushy peas, isn't that more English? Meat pie - yes.

[Squeat Mungry]

Cuba: ajiaco and ropa vieja.

[Laksa]

England: Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding? Steak and Kidney pie? Beef Wellington? And warm lager.

China: Peking duck, and tea.

[tryska]

the mushy peas may be more english, laksa - i just got that from some dopcumentary or some such thing where people went to a stall and got their meat pie with mushy peas, and i remember the girl going on about them.

as for the pulled tea - yeah tea-stalls are quite pervasive in India as well. but yeah i suppose it could be malaysia's national drink too.

Edited July 21, 2004 by tryska (log)

[peppyre]

Ukraine: Perogies (or if you're in Manitoba it's a staple).

Scotland: Mincemeat pies, Black Pudding, Fried Tomato, Tatie Scones, Streaky Bacon...Fat, Fat, and more FAT! Now I want breakfast.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Moroccan national dishes such as mechoui, whole lamb roasted between two charcoal fires until very tender and eaten sprinkled with salt and cumin, and bisteeya (sometimes spelled pastilla), a large flat pie made of ouarka, layers of thin pastry similar to filo. The pie is filled with pigeon or chicken, almonds, eggs, and vegetables and spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron. For serving, it’s dusted with confectioners’ sugar and decorated with criss-cross rows of cinnamon.

and I forgot about the mint tea served at every meal ... and we have mentioned tagines and couscous and lamb already ... and sheep eyeballs given to the guest of honor ... Bourdain did a show on ACT on mechoui ...

[origamicrane]

also i said that its the dish people most associate with a country.

It doesn't matter about its true origins as that will take forever to argue over:)

hmmm.. schanpps for germany

I know Hawaii isn't a country but whats their most famous dish?

[pedro]

Pedro sorry about reducing Spain to Paella and Sherry

but don't worry i've reduced France to escargot and wine

hahaha!!!!

but you have to admit for Spain paella sherry and chorizo would be the most synonymous, could add turron too?

Let's agree with some simplification. But just for the sake of the game.

And yes, add turrón, please. It reflects one of the main influences of Spanish cooking, the Muslim one.