Around the World discussion

What are your favorite dishes from around the world? It could be a traditional dish, an appetizer, dessert, street food, a snack or even a favorite local drink - we'll take anything yummy! Also, post suggestions here for books where lots of eating occurs and there's good descriptions/focus on the food of the country where the book is set. Bon Appetit!

I read - The Temporary Bride: A Memoir of Love and Food in Iran in the second half of last year. Lots of great food was eaten and described - made me very hungry!

Mexican food is my favorite. Lots of food in Like Water for Chocolate.

French ~ Babette's Feast

Chocolat

Also fond of Cuban Sandwiches.

Here are a few (I haven't read them all):
http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/delicious-...

One of my all-time favourites is the memoir, Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China by Fuchsia Dunlop. This is where my love affair with China began, I think. Does it say something, that I loaned my copy to a Chinese friend, and she returned it largely unread, saying it was a bit too graphic for her??!!

Two of the Chinese novels on Val's list are firm favourites too - The Last Chinese Chef and Kitchen Chinese: A Novel About Food, Family, and Finding Yourself.

Can you see a theme developing here? But I do like other food too... I'll be back (to this thread). Thanks for setting it up Lilisa.

I was saying that I read The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, but I've now realised it wasn't that book at all (I am blaming the heat). It was Valmiki's Daughter, which was not a great book.

But it starts with girls going out of school in Port of Spain at lunchtime and getting these delicious sounding pancakes with curry and pickles on them for lunch outside the school gates. I obviously paid much more attention to this scene than the rest of the book. Sounded lovely.

Then when we visited Trinidad, we were told to find a Doubles vendor on a street corner somewhere. Which we did, and it turned out to be these pancake things. You get two soft pancakes (hence doubles), with vege/lentil curry, cucumber pickles, chilli and coconut, with some kind or yoghurty sauce. And you roll them up and eat it on the side of the road or as you walk along. It was heavenly. And made Lexx (my partner) white boy hiccup in front of the locals. Been trying to find a good recipe to replicate them.

Cutting for Stone was also a great book to make you hanker for Ethiopian, and I remember Jenny and I discussing this a while ago.

Every meal is a delicious curry (wat or otherwise) with mountains of injera bread. Seriously, if you read this book find your closest Ethiopian restaurant and book a table for a week.

Okay first I'm going to bombard you with recipes I've made over the years to accompany around the world reading.

Armenia: nutmeg cake (book club favorite!)
lavash
nazook

Australia: anzac biscuits
lamington

Austria: sachertorte

Caribbean: rum cake

Chile: mil hojas (thousand layers cake)

China: cong you bing (this recipe comes from the Dunlop Andrea mentions above)

Croatia: paprenjaci

Egypt: basbousa

Finland: pannukakku (now a holiday favorite at my house, birthday breakfast rotation!)

Germany: mohnkuchen
Apfel quark kuchen (I had to make the quark!)

Hungary: palacsintas

Iceland: ponnukokur

Indonesia: spekkoek
Pandan chiffon cake

Italy, Sicily specifically: cassata, a traditional Easter cake

Jewish diaspora: kugel also sufganiyot

Marquesas: fried banana cakes

New Zealand: pavlova
maori bread
rock cakes
Sydney special aka doormat

Papua New Guinea: banana pancakes

Palestine: warbat

Paraguay: alfajores (a shortbread cookie sandwiched with dulce de leche)

Peru: arroz zambito

Puerto Rico: Cremita de maiz

Russia: kulebiaka (this recipe comes from Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing)

Rwanda: Mandazi
honey bread with banana jam

Samoa: panipopo
Coconut shortbread

South Africa: malva pudding

Sudan: kisra (sorghum crepes) with peanut stew
Baseema

Sweden: lingonberry snitter

Tahiti: po'e

Turkey: spinach feta borek, also gozleme

Ukraine: oladi

United Kingdom: sticky toffee pudding

As far as foodie reads that fit within the context of this group, I'd recommend:

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing
The Language of Baklava: A Memoir
The Temporary Bride: A Memoir of Love and Food in Iran
Shark's Fin And Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China
Super Sushi Ramen Express: One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan
The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It
The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese
The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese
Yes, Chef
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City
Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo
Pomegranate Soup

Also to answer the original question, my favorite international food so far (even more than Ethiopian, which is my great love) is Mauritian food. I've only had it at a food truck in Portland but it was amazing. Self described as "inspired by African, French, Indian, Chinese and Creole cuisines." Check out the menu.

I live across the country from this beloved food truck and even farther from the actual country. Wah.

Love the posts - it's a good thing I've already had dinner! So hard, but I think I'm going to have to say Indian is my favorite - no one dish, everything is yummy, except anything goat/lamb related. Although Mauritian food sounds amazing - what a great combo. Now we have more books to add to our TBR list. Jenny - you think you could have us all over for an international meal? Ok - many meals! We'll all help you know! :-) that's impressive and so fun. Another book I remember, besides some of the ones listed already Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran - read it awhile ago but vivdly remember all the references to food and socializing around it.

Rusalka wrote: "I was saying that I read The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, but I've now realised it wasn't that book at all (I am blaming the heat). It was Valmiki's Daughter, whi..."

Doubles is definitely up my alley - I love Indian, I'm sure I'll love it!

Andrea wrote: "One of my all-time favourites is the memoir, Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China by Fuchsia Dunlop. This is where my love affair with..."

Ok I read the summary and I don't think I'd be that adventurous :-)

I was going to say Jenny, I can't believe you haven't made a pav for Australia, and then I see pavlova next to New Zealand. Contentious call!!! lol We fight over who invented it.

I can also recommend Jenny's Finnish recipe of pannukakku. I remember when you first made it, and I had heaps of eggs so made it too. Delicious.

I read Under the Tuscan Sun and it made me feel so hungry! So when husband and I were planning our trip to Italy, I had to stop at Cortona. The white bean stew was delicious, just as delicious as it sounded on the page! I have to visit Florence to try the hazelnut gelato the author raved about.

I love altering travel plans because of books.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Okay first I'm going to bombard you with recipes I've made over the years to accompany around the world reading.

Armenia: nutmeg cake (book club favorite!)
lavash
nazook

Australia: anzac biscuits..."

You are a goddess. What a fantastic list and resources. Yum.

My first reading experience that I recall having, and that fits this category, was reading Like Water for Chocolate.

More recently, Refuge by Dina Nayeri created non-stop hankering and consumption of Persian and (closely related Lebanese) food.

All of Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri series, set in Laos, makes me, first, hungry, and soon thereafter, seek Laotian foods.

Malaysian - roti canai, rendang and laksa! Thai - so many including kow soi. I love blended cuisines - Malaysian is a combo of indigenous, Indian, Chinese, etc. influence. Also love Peruvian - any suggestions for a Peruvian read that has a smattering of food references?

Carol wrote: "....All of Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri series, set in Laos, makes me, first, hungry, and soon thereafter, seek Laotian foods. ..."

Oh I forgot about Dr. Siri. Love the series as well.

Almeta wrote: "Carol wrote: "....All of Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri series, set in Laos, makes me, first, hungry, and soon thereafter, seek Laotian foods. ..."

Oh I forgot about .... "

EEK!~! Spoilers!!

Rusalka wrote: "....EEK!~! Spoilers!! ..."

Sorry, didn't think about the changes from earlier books. Spoiler removed.

All good :D I kinda saw that one coming, but still.
I'll try and forget it now (pretty good at forgetting things). But thank you for removing!!

I do like Dr Siri too for food. I was thinking of him while eating my Banh Mi yesterday.

Rusalka wrote: "All good :D I kinda saw that one coming, but still.
I'll try and forget it now (pretty good at forgetting things). But thank you for removing!!

I do like Dr Siri too for food. I was thinking of h..."

Actually, when I first typed it, I was thinking about book one, when he used to meet with his colleague at lunchtime and they'd sit on a log or some such and eat wraps or whatever. It always struck me as the best kind of meal and comradery.

And no matter where he travels, in any volume, he is welcomed and fed well by the locals. Then he's attacked by someone who might want to kill him, but that's a story for a different day. Lol.

Then the series continued on :) I'm up to book six and they all make me hungry.

Lilisa wrote: "Malaysian - roti canai, rendang and laksa! Thai - so many including kow soi. I love blended cuisines - Malaysian is a combo of indigenous, Indian, Chinese, etc. influence. Also love Peruvian - any ..."

Oh yes Malaysian is also my favorite. Haha! Roti canai and chicken rendang, yum yum yum.

I don't know of any novels that really talk about food a lot, although I believe I got the reference to arroz zambino from one of the Llosa books. However there is this one beautiful cookbook that I paw at every time I'm in the bookstore: Peru: The Cookbook

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Malaysian - roti canai, rendang and laksa! Thai - so many including kow soi. I love blended cuisines - Malaysian is a combo of indigenous, Indian, Chinese, etc. influence. Also love ..."

I can talk food all day - and eat as well! :-) my library has the Peru cookbook. I'm going check it out, not so I can try my hand at the recipes but to check out the food photos. Then I'll head over to to the Peruvian restaurant for some pescado a lo macho!

We have one called "Cocina Peruana" (Peruvian Cooking). It has some good recipes, but is not all that precise in the measurements. In one of our favourites we have to add 'a small stream' of white wine and evaporated milk and 'some' achiote, and then we guess how bright pink it is going to be this time.

Val wrote: "We have one called "Cocina Peruana" (Peruvian Cooking). It has some good recipes, but is not all that precise in the measurements. In one of our favourites we have to add 'a small stream' of white ..."

Lol Val! Have you mastered the imprecise recipe now that it's one of your favorites?

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Okay first I'm going to bombard you with recipes I've made over the years to accompany around the world reading.

Armenia: nutmeg cake (book club favorite!)
lavash
nazook

Australia: anzac biscuits..."

Love this! I often make food to accompany my books, but I haven't taken beautiful pictures of them or blogged about them so wonderfully. This is awesome.

Lilisa wrote: "Lol Val! Have you mastered the imprecise recipe now that it's one of your favorites? "
Yes, the book now has some added notes, but there were a few early attempts which were different each time.

I have read one book recently which has quite a bit about food in it: A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee. It is a collection of loosely connected stories set in India, across different levels of society. (It is also an homage to In a Free State by V.S. Naipaul, which does not have as much about food.)

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Okay first I'm going to bombard you with recipes I've made over the years to accompany around the world reading.

Armenia: nutmeg cake (book club favorite!)
lavash
nazook

Australia: anzac biscuits..."

Jenny, have you been to Buford Farmer's Market in Atlanta yet? I think you'd really like it. It's been around for about a year and a half.

Diane wrote: "Jenny, have you been to Buford Farmer's Market in Atlanta yet? I think you'd really like it. It's been around for about a year and a half. "
Nope! I had heard of another legendary market in Atlanta but it was around longer, one with international food and a restaurant etc. Same beast, different location?

Atlanta is such a problem. It's not hard to get to but impossible to get around in! I once spent an hour going 5 miles in midtown....

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Diane wrote: "Jenny, have you been to Buford Farmer's Market in Atlanta yet? I think you'd really like it. It's been around for about a year and a half. "
Nope! I had heard of another legendary mar..."

The other market you heard about is probably H-Mart. There are 2 or 3 of them and they are huge and have food courts, etc. They carry mostly Asian groceries, but have a lot of hard to find products from other places. Atlanta can be a pain to navigate. The good thing about Buford Farmer's Market and at least one of the H-Marts is that they are right off the highway.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Malaysian - roti canai, rendang and laksa! Thai - so many including kow soi. I love blended cuisines - Malaysian is a combo of indigenous, Indian, Chinese, etc. influence. Also love ..."

So I got Peru: The Cookbook from the library! And Jenny's absolutely right - it is a cool book - yum! I haven't made anything, but makes me want to head over for Peruvian food!

Lilisa wrote: "So I got Peru: The Cookbook from the library! And Jenny's absolutely right - it is a cool book - yum! I haven't made anything, but makes me want to head over for Peruvian food! ."

Woohoo! I hope you post what you make.

We actually have a Peruvian restaurant in town that is so successful, they've opened a second location. It's called the Golden Llama, and I really liked what I had there, seafood and quinoa, yum!

This book The Damned Balkans: A Refugee Road Trip explores among other things the food and drink of the Balkans - in war and peace. A place where people still spit roast lambs and piglets on holidays, and make their own brandy. A place where the lack of modern farming techniques means that organic food is the norm, and only the elite can afford junk food. Also includes recommendations of restaurants in various towns in Croatia and Bosnia.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "So I got Peru: The Cookbook from the library! And Jenny's absolutely right - it is a cool book - yum! I haven't made anything, but makes me want to head over for Peruvian food! ."

W..."
Pescado a lo macho is what I had for lunch yesterday -- at the Peruvian restaurant - yum! Oh, and flan. And I was drooling at Golden Llama's dishes, sighing and thanking you...😋

I'd forgotten all about this thread until someone mentioned it just recently. So far it's been a bit rainy today in Melbourne, but it's also #loveyourbookshop day, so I'm planning to spend the afternoon browsing at one of my favourites called Books for Cooks. They've recently moved to a new location at Victoria Market, so hopefully I'll pick up a new book and then go looking for some amazing produce/ingredients to whip up something special to eat with it.

I haven't read a good foodie memoir for ages, so I'll be looking for something in the area of Nepal/Tibet/India. For the past few weeks I've been dipping into my Nepali cookbooks to get in the mood for my upcoming trip, and even trying a few Nepali/Tibetan dishes like this chicken thukpa I made a couple of weeks ago; https://www.instagram.com/p/BlzTOGoHG...

But if I can't find anything that fits the bill, I'll come back to this thread for ideas from other regions. I really like the sound of the Soviet one that Jenny recommended.

The good thing about this bookshop (well, apart from almost everything) is that the owners actually read pretty much everything in the store, so you know you can rely on their advice and recommendations.

Andrea wrote: "I'd forgotten all about this thread until someone mentioned it just recently. So far it's been a bit rainy today in Melbourne, but it's also #loveyourbookshop day, so I'm planning to spend the afte..."

Sorry Andrea - don't have any food-related recommends for Nepal/Tibet. Only Tibetan dish that comes to mind are momos. The chicken thukpa sounds good similar to other Asian noodle soups - is it, but with it's own special local twist?

Well, I ended up with 3 new books. One had been on my TBR forever - Ant Egg Soup: The Adventures of a Food Tourist in Laos. I remember asking in this same shop about it years ago, and although they knew of it, they hadn't seen a copy for some time, so I was quite excited to get my hands on that. I also bought Postcards from Kitchens Abroad, which I thought sounded quite good. And finally, one from India, which is not exactly what I had in mind but I think it sounds really interesting; Following Fish: Travels Around the Indian Coast. That should keep me going for a while.

While I was there I checked out the actual cookbooks as well. They had one Tibetan cookbook, which I will keep in mind, but I expect I'll be able to buy one there for maybe 1/10th the price.

The heat in the thukpa comes from Sichuan pepper (or Timur, as it is called in Nepal) and it doesn't have a souring agent like many other Asian noodle soups.

Andrea wrote: "Well, I ended up with 3 new books. One had been on my TBR forever - Ant Egg Soup: The Adventures of a Food Tourist in Laos. I remember asking in this same shop about it years ago, and..."

Sounds like a successful book trip! I checked out the summaries and the ant soup one references fried cricket. for someone who is a pretty adventurous eater I refused to try the fried cricket when I was in Cambodia - it was the thought of those spindly things in my mouth that threw me off, not necessarily what it would taste like - no regrets!

Got it in the chicken thukpa - I love both hot and sour in my soup though!

It’s peak cookbook-publishing month here (leading up to Christmas), and I am sitting, waiting patiently for my new book to arrive: Lands of the Curry Leaf : A vegetarian food journey from Sri Lanka to Nepal. Can’t wait to hold it in my hot little hands!

Oh yum, Andrea. I just perfected Egg Hoppers last week, so I think I need to find this one too for accompaniments!

I read this one toward the end of 2018 The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World: A History of Honey, Salt, Chile, Pork, Rice, Cacao, and Tomato - really interesting with a combo of history and recipes.

Here's the thread Andrea - one on my TBR is An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude I want to read.

Lilisa wrote: "Here's the thread Andrea - one on my TBR is An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude I want to read."

This thread is a huge inspiration for me! I’ll be stealing and adding along the way.

Rusalka, does this look right? Doubles from Trinidad and Tobago. It’s got me drooling anyway!

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/d...

I’m back in this thread looking for something on Sri Lanka to add to my list. Why? 😁 because I just booked a return visit! So excited! I’ll be exploring more of the north this time, which was still practically closed when I was last there.

So, I’ve got a few Sri Lankan cookbooks (the recipe + family anecdote style) but I was hoping to find something more like a foodie travelogue or memoir. Or even just fiction that includes a lot of food. Any ideas?

Update - my search has uncovered Reef by Romesh Gunesekera, which sounds like it might work for me. Anyone read it?

Andrea wrote: "I’m back in this thread looking for something on Sri Lanka to add to my list. Why? 😁 because I just booked a return visit! So excited! I’ll be exploring more of the north this time, which was still..."

That’s super exciting Andrea! Unfortunately, don’t have food book recommendations for Sri Lanka, although great reads are Nayomi Munaweera books. I recall running across Reef not too long ago, but haven’t read it.