How Many of These Delicious National Dishes Have You Tried?

One of the great joys of traveling the world is all the different food you get to try. Here are a few of our favorite national dishes–how many have you sampled?

Canadian Poutine

Poutine might be the unhealthiest thing you can eat–but it’s oh so delicious! The dish is a little like nachos, in the sense that it starts with fried carbs and piles on cheese, sauce, and toppings. In this case, a bed of French fries gets smothered with gravy and cheese curds.

Many poutine officiandos prefer to stop there, but you can also add other toppings such as smoked meat, shredded chicken, or bacon.

Austrian Weiner Schnitzel

First of all, did you know that this dish is properly pronounced “vee-en-er shnit-zel”? It’s named after the Austrian capital city of Vienna. A simple dish of thin veal cutlet, breaded and then lightly fried in butter, it’s nonetheless incredibly tasty.

It’s common to see wiener schnitzel served with a Kopfsalat–lettuce tossed with vinaigrette–on the side.

Korean Bulgogi

Bulgogi literally translates to “fire meat,” and it lives up to its name. The dish consists of very thin slices of marinated beef that’s been grilled or pan-fried. The seasonings include garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

Bulgogi chefs will sometimes throw a few sliced scallions or mushrooms in the mix, too. The meat is served with rice, cellophane noodles, or lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Greek Moussaka

Moussaka is a filling dish made from ground veal or lamb, creamy white sauce, and thinly sliced eggplant. It looks a little like lasagne in construction, with the ingredients arranged in layers and then baked.

The meat is cooked with tomatoes and spiced with cinnamon and allspice, and the whole thing is topped with Bechamel.

Hungarian Goulash

Goulash is a thick, hearty stew that dates back to at least the 16th century. The recipe relies on paprika for its distinctive color and flavor. Chopped bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and potatoes all feature in traditional goulash, but the real star of the show is sauteed beef.

Grab some crusty bread and dig in!

English Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding

Some people would joke that England’s national dish is actually chicken tikka masala since they eat so much of the Indian dish. But if you want classic English cuisine, it’s got to be roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.

The puddings aren’t sweet but similar to a popover made from a simple batter. You’ll typically have roasted or mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and horseradish sauce on the side.