NATIONAL DISH QUEST

We’ve made it our mission to try every country’s national dish(es). And if possible, Ren will recreate it as well. Aside from sharing our own stories, we’d love to hear yours too. If you’d like to contribute to our National Dish Quest, then please visit THIS PAGE for more information.

CHINA: Peking Duck, Four Classic Ways to Enjoy Beijing’s Bird

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 22 Sep 2017 Michael Evans

A Peking duck dinner is on the must-do list of every visitor to China’s capital, usually sandwiched between a long day getting lost in the labyrinth of the Forbidden City and sweating their way to the top of the Great Wall.

SLOVENIA: Obara, a Simple and Rich One Pot Slovenian Stew (Recipe)

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 4 Sep 2017 Mateja Brescak

"Obara" is a thick soup. It can be made only with vegetables or you can also add some meat. The favourites are the "Obara" with chicken or beef. It's a simple, rich one pot dish. One pot, that means only one pot to clean, but most important all the flavours will come together making a great combo.

ICELAND: Hakarl, An Acquired Rotten Taste

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 31 Aug 2017 Chanie Hyde

Hakarl is a national dish of Iceland, consisting of Greenland shark meat, that has been buried, rotten and fermented. The reason for the fermentation process? Well, the Greenland shark is poisonous to eat in it’s natural state due to extremely high levels of trimethylamine oxide and uric acid in the flesh.

VIETNAM: Phở, the Quintessential Vietnamese Food (Recipe)

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 3 Sep 2017 JB Macatulad

Even if you aren't familiar with Vietnamese food, chances are you've heard of phở. It's a popular Vietnamese street food and is considered a national dish of Vietnam. For me, it's the quintessential Vietnamese food and the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the cuisine.

VIETNAM: Gỏi Cuốn Vietnamese Spring Rolls are Fresh! (Recipe)

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 3 Sep 2017 JB Macatulad

There are many varieties of fresh spring rolls but my hands down favorite is the Vietnamese gỏi cuốn. Translucent with alternating hues of orange and green, not only are they some of the tastiest fresh spring rolls, they’re also among the prettiest.

NEW ZEALAND: On The Lamb in New Zealand

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 7 Aug 2017 BJ Macatulad

The most oft-repeated statistic about New Zealand is that the country has 4 million people and 40 million sheep. No matter where you go in New Zealand, you will find lamb on the menu, cooked in every way imaginable, and it will be unfailingly delicious.

CHINA: A Dumpling by Any Other Name

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 7 Aug 2017 BJ Macatulad

Lumping this polymorphous staple of Chinese cuisine into one generic term is much like saying your favorite hue is “color” --- there are literally endless variations and it would be impossible for one single description to embody all the different types of dumplings that exist in the multiple regions of the Middle Kingdom.

NEW ZEALAND: Pavlova, Quintessentially Kiwi (Recipe)

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 3 Sep 2017 BJ Macatulad

Pavlova is a meringue-like dessert made from egg whites beaten stiff with caster sugar and cornstarch, baked just enough to have a crisp outer shell but a soft, gooey inside. It is topped with whipped cream and fruit, especially kiwifruit and summer berries.

CHILE: Pastel de Choclo, Chilean Comfort Food

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 4 Aug 2017 Kyle Roesler

Comfort food, South American style. That’s how I think of pastel de choclo, a casserole-like dish that is common in many Andean countries.

CHILE: Empanadas on Easter Island

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 16 Jul 2017 Kyle Roesler

The best place we found anywhere in Chile to get delightful empanadas is on Easter Island. The restaurant is on the main street in the only city, Hanga Roa, and is called Empanadas Tia Berta.

USA: The Best Burger Joints of Phoenix, AZ (and their Signature Burgers)

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 29 Jun 2017 Jayson Goetz

The burger is America’s quintessential comfort food. It can be enjoyed in a number of ways, but every Phoenix burger joint worth its salt is able to craft the classic burger with cheese with its own spin. As a burger enthusiast and a follower of burger news, I’ve singled out the best burgers in Phoenix at these seven restaurants.

MALTA: “Good Morning, Dave” and the Cheese Pastizzi

NATIONAL DISH QUEST 14 Jun 2017 Thomas Hicks

A pastizzi is a Maltese pastry that comes in 2 varieties, either cheese or pea. A pastizzi is incredibly cheap and delicious. It costs 35 euro cents each in Sliema, the high rent district of the island. In the middle of this sleepy island, just 100km or 60 miles from Sicily, prices are significantly less.

ISRAEL: Sabich, the Israeli Pita Sandwich That Will Win You Over

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 3 Sep 2017 Dan Barmatz

When debating on the national dish of Israel, most will say it's falafel. While falafel has all the fame, it is its lesser known cousin – sabich – that will be declared as the national dish by many Israelis. It sure is my personal favorite among all our local street food.

VIETNAM: Banh Mi, A Vietnamese National Treasure

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 14 Jul 2017 Mike

Banh mi dates from the French colonial period and is perhaps one of the original fusion foods of Vietnam. It literally means ‘wheat cake’ but it’s now come to mean a type of sandwich – with an extensive range of ingredients from both Vietnamese and French cuisine.

MALAYSIA: When It Comes to Laksa, Are You on Team Asam or Team Curry? (Recipe)

NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: 3 Sep 2017 JB Macatulad

If I understand correctly, every laksa can be categorized as one of three basic types, though the variations within each style are immense. The three types of laksa are asam laksa, curry laksa, and a combination of the two.