A great Greek moussaka — the layered gratin of eggplant, potato, lamb-tomato sauce and cheesy béchamel — is about as delicious as Mediterranean-inflected comfort food gets. “Moussaka is the urban cosmopolitan showpiece of lamb-and-eggplant combinations, a pairing as fundamental to Middle and Near Eastern cuisines as pasta and tomatoes are to Italy and potatoes and cream to the French,” wrote Anya von Bremzen in her 2004 book The Greatest Dishes: Around the World in 80 Recipes. Yet Greece’s most famous dish has gotten weirdly short shrift in our love affair with Eastern Mediterranean cooking. It’s not easy to find great versions (stateside, anyway), whether in restaurants or as recipes.
This comparatively new addition to Dublin’s culinary landscape features fried chicken and potatoes coated in a fiery, tingly Sichuan sauce. While TikTok virality has brought the dish to America, none of the stateside versions quite compare to the one that’s become a staple in Dublin—peppered with strips of fried onion and sweet pepper and served with a curry sauce that can be poured over the whole affair. This version uses a spice blend that includes Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and onion powder, five-spice, white pepper, and sugar, plus two big umami boosters: MSG and chicken bouillon powder. If you don’t want to tackle deep-frying, you can use store-bought chicken nuggets and fries. It’s the perfect thing to eat after you’ve put away more than a few Guinness.
Haitian Griot is a delicious, bite-sized, fried pork shoulder that is packed with flavor. Griot is tender, crispy, juicy, and delicious. This delicacy is also referred to as Fritay, or fried Haitian foods. This delicious griot is perfect as an appetizer or as the main event on your dinner plate. Try this recipe to enjoy a delicious mouthful of tender Haitian flavor.
The one, the only Spanish omelet has its origins in the region of Extremadura. This is what expert Javier López Linage attests. His is not just any opinion, as he is nothing less than a scientist from the Center for Human and Social Sciences of the CSIC. Within this acronym hides the Higher Council for Scientific Research, a council which is funded directly by the Government of Spain. In addition, López Linage, PhD, has edited numerous research books, some of them on the potato itself.He tells us something that he researches to this day: according to the primary source documents that he has found, the conceptual origin of the famous Spanish potato omelet lies in Villanueva de la Serena, during the end of the 18th century.
Chawanmushi is a savory Japanese flan steamed in a cup (“chawan” means teacup or rice bowl and “mushi” means steamed) that is typically eaten as an appetizer or part of a meal. The silky-smooth custard, made with eggs, dashi, soy sauce and mirin, is very delicate in flavor and texture. It generally contains a variety of fillings, perhaps most classically chicken or shrimp (or both), shiitake or shimeji mushrooms, fish cake, a gingko nut and mitsuba (Japanese parsley). Ginko nuts and mitsuba are difficult to find in the States, but you can substitute a few edamame for the gingko nut and some chopped scallion green for the mitsuba, if you like.
JAMAICA: Curry Goat
Another iconic Jamaican dish that is serve Peixe Grelhadod almost everywhere on the island. Curry was introduced to Jamaica by Indian immigrants who came to work on the sugar plantations. It quickly grew to become an inseparable part of the country’s culinary landscape.
Different from traditional curry, Jamaican curry is heavy with allspice and packs a spicy wallop on the palate. When slowly simmered with goat meat, the brisket soaks up the aroma of the spice and becomes succulent enough to slide off the bones — a perfect foil for steamy bowls of rice and peas.
PORTUGAL: Pastel de Nata
Portugal’s famous egg custard tart, in fact the mother of all custard tarts, Pastel de Nata doesn’t just have a continental standing but a global one. Sent all over the world, the best have lemon juice squeezed through their custard and a little nutmeg sprinkled upon their glossy film of a lid. Pastel de Nata has a rich history dating back to the 18th century in Lisbon.
Spain's jamon, or cured ham, is pretty legendary and you’ll see legs of salty jamon hanging at market stalls and on restaurant and bar menus all across the country. There are two types of jamon – serrano from white mountain pigs and Iberico from black Iberian pigs. You can eat slices of plain jamon on fresh bread as a snack or as part of a cheese board washed down with a glass of sherry.
Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake (Hjónabandssæla)
Hjónabandssæla – which translates to Marriage Bliss – is a simple but good everyday cake. It is straightforward to make, which adds to its popularity. Hjónabandssæla has its origins in the Austrian Linzertorte but has changed considerably through the decades, and it can be said that Hjónabandssæla has become unique to Iceland. It is important not to bake it for too long because it can become chewy – but if you like chewy cakes, you just do what you feel like!
Churrasco: Rio de Janeiro
For meat lovers visiting southern Brazil, eating at a churrasqueria is an authentic experience. This dish features skewered and grilled meats over an open flame, with picanha, linguiça, and frango as must-try cuts in Brazil, including beef, pork, and chicken. Local churrasquerias are the best option to try these, as the all-you-can-eat rodizio format is pretty popular and you usually spend less than when trying each cut on its own.
