NATIONAL DISH QUEST

We fly for food so we’ve made it our mission to try every country’s national dish(es). 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.

UNITED KINGDOM: What is the True Origin of Chicken Tikka Masala? (Recipe)

Europe / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Aug 25, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

Chicken tikka masala is a heavenly dish made with boneless chunks of roasted marinated chicken swimming in a delicious creamy curry. Though it's clearly an Indian-influenced dish, its exact origins are unknown.

HONG KONG: Dim Sum, Evolve or Die?

Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine. It can be found in different forms throughout the country, though it's most closely associated with Hong Kong and Guangdong Province – ie Cantonese cuisine.

CHINA: Fried Rice – Rice on Steroids (Recipe)

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Aug 19, 2019 Joseph Simborio

Fried rice is believed to have started as a means to deal with leftovers, specifically meat and vegetables from yesterday that have passed their prime but are still good to consume. The standard ingredients are generally shrimp, pork, and egg, which are stir-fried in chopped garlic and vegetables, and seasoned with soy sauce.

HONG KONG: The Best Char Siu in the Universe

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Aug 11, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

Char siu refers to barbecued pork and is the most popular type of siu mei in Cantonese cuisine. The term char siu literally means "fork roasted" and refers to the traditional method of skewering seasoned boneless pork with long forks and cooking it over an open fire.

THAILAND: The Magical Concoction Known as Tom Yum Goong

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Aug 3, 2019 Joseph Simborio

Tom yum goong is a hot and sour shrimp soup generally touted as the dish that defines Thai cuisine. It’s derived from the Thai words “tom,” which refers to the boiling process, “yam,” a Thai spicy and sour salad, and “goong” for shrimp.

INDONESIA: Soto and National Identity. Don’t Call Me Sop!

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Aug 3, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

Soto is a traditional Indonesian soup made with different types of meat and vegetables. It's consumed throughout Indonesia in many forms, its myriad variations named after the region where it's from or the primary ingredient used.

GREECE: Souvlaki vs. Gyros, so What’s the Difference?

Europe / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Aug 7, 2019 JB & Renée Macatulad

A souvlaki is a popular Greek food consisting of grilled pieces of meat served with vegetables, tzatziki, and pita. A gyros is a popular Greek food consisting of grilled pieces of meat served with vegetables, tzatziki, and pita. So what's the difference??

LITHUANIA: Cepelinai, Delicious Dumplings Shaped like the Zeppelin (Recipe)

Europe / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Kamilė

The main reason cepelinai is so fatty is that it was meant to feed hungry workers or to help survive cold winters. The crazy thing is that cepelinai was named after Graff von Zeppelin because those dumplings look just like the airship he invented.

GERMANY: The Currywurst Phenomenon & the 7 Best Places to Try It in Hamburg

Europe / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Mateja Brescak

Currywurst is said to originally come from Berlin. Miss Herta Heuwer from Berlin was the first to invent the curry sauce after the Second World War and from there on the Currywurst phenomenon has evolved and spread all over Germany.

BRUNEI: What You Need to Know About the Ambuyat Dish of Brunei (Recipe)

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 12, 2019 Ryan Smith

Ambuyat is a dish made from the interior trunk of the sago palm. Do you know what sago is? It is white solids being derived from the trunk of a Rumbia tree. And Ambulung is the local term for sago.

SLOVAKIA: Bryndzové Halušky, a Staple of Slovak Cuisine

Europe / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Peter Korchnak

The national dish of Slovakia, bryndzové halušky, is potato-dough gnocchi smothered in salty sheep bryndza cheese, and topped with fried bits of smoked, fatty bacon along with some of the fat. The ingredients are staples of the Slovak cuisine, and the dish itself exemplifies its nature.

MALTA: What You Need To Know About Fenkata, The Traditional Maltese Dish (Recipe)

Europe / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Esther Bajada

In the Maltese way of life, partaking in Fenkata is a way of expressing joy and a welcoming ritual for friends and visiting relatives. Pans of simmering Fenkata fill the air with inviting aromas during festive celebrations, or a momentous life event.

THAILAND: The Global Street Food Dish that is Pad Thai (Recipe)

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 12, 2019 Jakob Polaco

Pad Thai is a street food item that everyone has pretty much heard of at this point. It is a global dish, and one which can taste completely different depending on where it was served.

USA: Where to Find the Best Poke in Hawaii

NATIONAL DISH QUEST / North America Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Jayson Goetz

Poke, a dish that is very much the result of multicultural influences, came to existence in the 19th century when Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino plantation workers arrived in Hawaii to work the sugar and pineapple fields.

USA: Julian, Your Ticket to World-Class Apple Pie

NATIONAL DISH QUEST / North America Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Shu Yi Ho

In California, some things are a given. There’s always traffic on Interstate-5. Sunsets along Route 101 are sensational. And like Disneyland, In N Out Burger, and the DMV, there’s always going to be a line outside of every Julian apple pie location.

SINGAPORE: 5 Best Places to Eat Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 13, 2019 Lionel Lee

Hainanese chicken rice is one of the most popular Singaporean dishes and often considered by locals and foreigners as one of our National Dishes. In this post, I will share with you the top 5 Chicken Rice places you should check out when you visit Singapore.

QATAR / BAHRAIN / KUWAIT: Machboos, A Delight That Will Make You Crave for More! (Recipe)

Asia / NATIONAL DISH QUEST Last Updated: Jun 6, 2019 Ayushi Bhatnagar

Machboos is the national delicacy of Qatar. Also popular in other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and UAE, this dish is slow-cooked to give it the most sumptuous flavor that one could possibly think of.