If you love trying new things, are adventurous and love discovering new cultures, then trying recipes from all over the world is probably one of your hobbies. In fact, there’s nothing quite like sampling traditional foods to immerse yourself in a country or region’s cuisine. Typically, these foods are also healthier, as they focus on seasonality, as well as the use of local ingredients.
Here in the UK, we make lots of hearty stews and roasts, where we are rich in veggie and potato recipes, meat dishes and heartwarming comfort meal ideas.
If you’ve been looking to improve your cooking and try new things, here are some global cuisines you can replicate at home.
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Japanese
Japanese food is famous across the world. There’s a considerable amount of savoury and sweet dishes to try. The recipes often feature traditional ingredients such as umeboshi, miso and katsuobushi. One of the best parts of Japanese cuisine is the focus on seasonality, with the ingredients used being the ones that could typically be grown during a given season. And while sushi and tempura are perhaps the most widely recognised Japanese dishes, there are many others you can try.
Japanese curry, served over udon or rice, is made from root vegetables like onions, carrots and potatoes cooked in a flavourful roux. You can also make it as part of katsu curry, served with a breaded pork cutlet on top, or as curry break, essentially curry in a bun. Gyoza, the classic dumplings, can have meat fillings, but you can also choose to make them with plant-based ingredients such as spring onions, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms and tofu for some extra protein.
Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake cooked on a griddle. The most common additions include seafood, dried seaweed, bonito flakes, and Japanese mayonnaise. This mayo is unique because it only uses yolks instead of the whole egg, meaning the texture is richer and less acidic. And, of course, we cannot forget about wagashi, the traditional Japanese desserts. Anmitsu, mochi, yokan and dango are the simplest to reproduce in your kitchen.
French
There are few cuisines with as much universal appeal as the French one. You should ensure you have all the necessary equipment before cooking. The right ingredients, cooking utensils and grey gloss kitchen units are some of the things you should consider, as the material will help you clean faster and more efficiently after you’re done cooking. And while France is known for haute cuisine and high dining, that doesn’t mean there aren’t many recipes you can try at home too.
French onion soup uses meat stock, such as beef or chicken, grated cheese, croutons and, of course, onions. There are many versions of the recipe, so you can let your creativity loose. You can substitute stock for water or add milk. Flour and eggs are also added sometimes for a thicker consistency. Beef bourguignon, a classic stew, has red Burgundy wine as its key ingredient, as well as pearl onions and lardons. Despite the name, many now believe the recipe isn’t actually native to Burgundy. Serve it with pasta or boiled potatoes.
If you want to elevate your breakfast, you should make a croque madame. This hot sandwich is made with cheese and ham and is served hot. Pain de mie, with a soft crust, boiled ham and Gruyère cheese make up the classic recipe. But you can tweak it however you see fit, and switch to other types such as Emmental or Comté, while some brasseries have started adding bechamel sauce to their recipes.
Irish
Irish cuisine is a straightforward affair, using simple ingredients. So, if you’re looking for unpretentious, hearty dishes, Ireland is the place for you. Colcannon is one of the most emblematic dishes for the area, a mix of mashed potatoes with kale and cabbage. Additional ingredients include onions, chives, scallions or leeks, and laverbread, a food product made from edible seaweed. The most common side dishes to enjoy with it are bacon or salted pork, and it also goes along with corned beef and cabbage.
Irish stew, including ingredients such as lamb, carrots, parsley and carrots, and seafood chowders, are also everyday Irish recipes. Soda bread, boxty, shepherd’s pie, and the traditional Irish breakfast are some of the other simple recipes you can try. They’re ideal, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen and want to cook something simple but which will definitely taste great.
Nigerian
Nigerian food is flavourful and includes many tasty soups, sauces and stews. Palm and groundnut oil are popular, just in all other West African cuisines. Ofada rice is served with a sauce of spicy and sweet peppers, onion, meat and beans. Coconut rice is a similar dish, which includes coconut milk, spices and pureed tomatoes as ingredients. And if you have leftovers, you can mix them with vegetables, eggs, prawns or chicken to create fried rice.
Egusi soup contains vegetables, meat and vegetables, as well as ground melon seeds, known as egusi. It is typically eaten with fufu, a dough-like staple usually made from cassava. Draw soups are another popular Nigerian food, with the name deriving from their thick, somewhat gelatinous consistency. After okra is cooked, it develops a viscous texture, making it draw out of a bowl when eaten.
Indian
Indian cuisine is one of the most complex in the world, featuring a huge variety of spices and herbs. It is also heavily influenced by religion, particularly Hinduism, as well as the country’s diversity. The climate and soil of different regions, as well as the ethnic groups living in the area, significantly impact the food. Aloo matar is a vegetarian North Indian dish with tomatoes and peas as its main ingredients. It also uses cilantro, onions, cumin seeds, turmeric, garam masala, ginger and garlic.
If you’ve been thinking about making your own bread, try your hand at making bhatura, a deep-fried sourdough. Butter chicken, also known as murgh makhani, is similar to chicken tikka masala and is so popular outside of India that it is often mistakenly believed to be of Western origin. India is also known for its spectacular desserts. Gulab jamun is traditionally made from khoya, an Indian dairy product. However, modern recipes use powdered milk, as well as dried cashews, almonds, sugar syrup, rose water, saffron, cardamom and kewra. If served hot, you can have ice cream or Indian kulfi as side dishes.
Food is an integral part of cultures all over the world. If you want to experience new tastes, don’t be afraid to try creating them in your kitchen.
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