Afghan cuisine is influenced to a certain extent by Persian, Central Asian and

Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties.[1][2] The
cuisine is halal and mainly based on mutton, beef, poultry and fish with rice and
Afghan bread. Accompanying these are common vegetables and dairy products, such as
milk, yogurt, and whey,[3] and fresh and dried fruits such as apples, apricots,
grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, pomegranates, sweet melons, and raisins.[4] The
diet of most Afghans revolves around rice-based dishes, while various forms of naan
are consumed with most meals.[5] Tea is generally consumed daily in large
quantities, and is a major part of hospitality.[6] The culinary specialties reflect
the nation's ethnic and geographic diversity. The national dish of Afghanistan is
Kabuli palaw, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb or beef.[7]
Background
The cuisine of Afghanistan is halal and has elements from various places, for
example garam masala from India, coriander and mint from Iran, dumplings and
noodles from Uzbekistan and Xinjiang, China, and baklava from Turkey.[8][9] The
similarities can be seen in the use of spices like cumin and cinnamon (as in Indian
cuisine), green cardamom flavors (as in Chinese tea), and kebabs and yoghurts (as
in Turkish and Arab cuisines).[10]
Staple foods
Rice
Rice is a core staple food in Afghan cuisine and the most important part of any
meal.[9] Biryani is one of the less popular rice dishes in Afghanistan. It is
consumed mostly in cities closer to neighboring Pakistan, such as Kandahar,
Jalalabad and Khost. Challow, or white rice cooked with mild spices,[11] is served
mainly with qormas (korma: stews or casseroles). Palaw is cooked similarly to
challow, but a combination of meat, stock, qorma, and herbs are also mixed in
before baking, resulting in the elaborate colors, flavors, and aromas from which
the rice got its name. Sometimes caramelized sugar is used to give the rice a rich
brown color. Examples of palaw include:
Kabuli palaw (the national dish[7]) – meat and stock are added, plus a topping of
fried raisins, slivered carrots, and pistachios,Yakhni palaw – meat and stock are
added to give the rice a brown color,Zamarod palaw – spinach qorma is mixed in
before the baking process, hence zamarod, meaning "emerald",Bore palaw – lawand is
added giving the rice a yellow color,Landi palaw – a traditional meal of rice (with
stock made from chicken or mutton that has been salted and dried in the
sun),Bonjan-e-roomi palaw – bonjan-e-roomi (tomato qorma) is added during baking
giving the rice a red color,Serkah palaw – similar to yakhni pulao, but with
vinegar and other spices,Shibet palaw – fresh dill and raisins are added during
baking,Narenj palaw – a sweet elaborate rice dish made with saffron, orange peel,
pistachios, almonds, and chicken,Maash palaw – a strictly vegetarian sweet-and-sour
pilaf baked with mung beans, apricots, and bulgur wheat,Alou balou palaw – a sweet
rice dish with plums and chicken
Afghan bread
Afghan bread is flat and cooked in a tanoor or tandoor (a vertical ground clay
oven). The bread is slapped onto a stone wall to cook. Tabakhai is a flatbread
cooked on a flat upside-down pan.
Major dishes
Steamed dumplings
There is a wide variety of dumplings. Known under the name khameerbob and often
eaten as dumplings, these native dishes are popular. Due to the long time required
to make the dough for the dumplings, they are rarely served at large gatherings,
such as weddings. They are instead served on special occasions at home.[citation
needed]
Aushak – dumplings filled with a mixture consisting mainly of leeks, topped with
either garlic-mint qoroot or a garlic yogurt sauce, sautéed tomatoes, red kidney
beans, and a well-seasoned ground-meat mixture (It is a dish associated with Kabul,
the capital of Afghanistan.)
Mantu – steamed dumplings filled with onion and ground beef or lamb, usually topped
with a tomato- and yogurt- or qoroot-based sauce and then garnished with dried mint
and coriander (The yogurt-based topping is usually a mixture of yogurt, garlic, and
split chickpeas. The qoroot-based sauce is made of goat's cheese and also mixed
with garlic; a qoroot and yogurt mixture will sometimes be used.)
Qormah
Qormah (also spelled "korma" or "qorma") is an onion- and tomato-based stew or
casserole usually served with challow rice.[3] First, onion is caramelized, for a
richly colored stew. Then tomato is added, along with a variety of fruits, spices,
and vegetables, depending on the recipe. The main ingredient, which can be meat or
other vegetables, is added last. There are hundreds of different types of qormahs
including:
,Qormah e gosht (meat qormah) – usually the main qormah served with palaw at
gatherings,Qormah e alou-bokhara wa dalnakhod – onion-based using veal or chicken,
sour plums, lentils, and cardamom,Qormah e nadroo – onion-based, using lamb meat or
veal, yogurt, lotus roots, cilantro, and coriander,Qormah e lawand – onion-based,
using chicken, lamb, or beef, plus yogurt, turmeric, and cilantro,Qormah e sabzi –
lamb, sautéed spinach, and other greens,Qormah e shalgham – onion-based using lamb,
turnips, and sugar (sweet and sour taste)
Kabob
Afghan kabob is most often found in restaurants and at outdoor street vendor
stalls. Most of the time, it contains lamb meat. Kabob is made with naan instead of
rice. Customers have the option to sprinkle sumac or ghora (dried ground sour
grapes) on their kabob. Pieces of fat from the sheep's tail (jijeq) are usually
added to the skewers to add extra flavor.
Other popular kabobs include the lamb chop, ribs, kofta (ground beef), and chicken.
Chapli kebab, a specialty of eastern Afghanistan, is a patty of minced beef. It is
a popular barbecue meal in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is prepared flat and
round and served with naan. The original recipe of chapli kabob dictates a half-
meat, half-flour mixture which renders it lighter in taste and less expensive.
Chicken
Afghan chicken or murgh-e is a classic example of one of the most famous dishes of
Afghanistan. Chicken dishes are usually found in restaurants and at outdoor street
vendor stalls. Unlike in the Indian cooking style, chicken in Afghan cuisine is
often used with the intention that it be halal. Cream, butter, and curd are
customary ingredients in all chicken recipes, whether served as an appetizer or a
main course.
Quroot
Quroot (or qoroot) is a reconstituted dairy product, traditionally a by-product of
butter made from sheep's or goat's milk. The residual buttermilk remaining after
churning butter is soured further (by keeping it at room temperature for a few
days), treated with salt, and then eventually boiled. The precipitated casein is
filtered through cheesecloth, pressed in order to remove liquid, and then shaped
into balls; the product is thus a hard and very sour cottage cheese. Though it can
be eaten raw as a savory snack, it is typically served with cooked Afghan dishes
such as aushak, mantu, and kichri qoroot.
Miscellaneous
Afghan burger,Afghan Chatni[12] made with fresh coriander leaves
,Afghan Kofta (meatballs)[13],Afghan salad,Aush (hand-made noodles),Baamiyah or
Bhindi (cooked okra),Badenjan (cooked eggplant with potatoes and
tomatoes),Badenjan-Burani (fried slices of eggplant, topped with a garlic sour
cream sauce and sprinkled with dried mint),Badenjan Salad (eggplant salad with
garlic),Bichak (small turnovers with various fillings, including potato and herbs,
or ground meat),Bolani also called “Buregian” in southern Afghanistan (somewhat
similar to a quesadilla),Chakida or chakka (type of sour cream),Chopan
(Pashto/Persian: ‫چوپان‬, meaning "shepherd") kabob (Pashto/Persian: ‫( )کباب‬skewered
lamb chops grilled on charcoal),Dampukht (steamed rice),Delda or Oagra (mainly a
Southern dish, whose main ingredient is a mixture of split wheat and a variety of
beans),Dolma (stuffed grape leaves),Gosh e feel (thin, fried pastries covered in
powdered sugar and ground pistachios),Halwaua-e-Aurd-e-Sujee,Kaddo Borwani (sweet
pumpkins)[1],Kalah Chuquki or Kalah Gunjeshk (battered deep-fried bird heads),Kalah
Pacha (lamb or beef head/feet cooked in a broth, served in bowls as a soup dish or
in a stew or curry),Kebab (similar to Middle Eastern and Central Asian
style),Khoujoor[14] (Afghan pastry, deep-fried, oval-shaped, similar to doughnuts
in taste),Kichri (sticky medium-grain rice cooked with mung beans and
onions),Londi, or gusht-e-qaaq (spiced jerky),Maast or labanyat (type of plain
yogurt),Maushawa (mixed beans and tiny meatballs, served in a bowl),Moraba (fruit
preserves, sugar syrup and fruits, apple, sour cherry, or various berries, or made
with dried fruits. "Afghan favorite is the Alu-Bakhara".),Nargis kabob (egg-based
angel hair pasta soaked in sugar syrup, wrapped around a piece of meat),Narenge
Palau (dried sweet orange peel and green raisins with a variety of nuts, mixed with
yellow rice glazed with light sugar syrup),Osh Pyozee (stuffed onion),Owmach (made
from flour; a soup-like dish, very thick and pasty),Salata (tomato and onion-based
salad, often incorporating cucumber),Rosh (cooked lamb and mutton with no spices)
[15],Shami kabob (cooked beef blended with spices, flour, and eggs, and rolled into
hot dog shapes or flat round shapes and fried),Shola Ghorbandi,Shor-Nakhood
(chickpeas with special toppings),Torshi (eggplant and carrot mixed with other
herbs and spices, pickled in vinegar and aged)
Desserts and snacks
As a desert after a meal, most Afghans generally eat fresh fruit. For snacks, they
may drink tea with something sweet like cakes, cookies or pastries. On occasions,
they also eat dried fruits which are widely available in every Afghan market. Other
typical desserts include the following:
Afghan cake (similar to pound cake, sometimes with real fruit or jelly
inside),Baklava (pastry),Bastani,Cream roll (pastry),Falooda or
Faloodeh,Firini[16],Fernea, sometimes spelled feereny, (milk and cornstarch help
make this very sweet, similar to rice pudding without the rice),Kolcha (variety of
cookies, baked in clay ovens with charcoal),Sheer yakh, a traditional wet ice
cream,Sheer khurma, a traditional dessert,Sheer berinj (rice pudding)
Soups
Shorba (Afghan soup similar to borscht),Shorwa-E-Tarkari[17] (meat and vegetable
soup),Peyawa or Eshkana (a soup based on flour, similar to a gravy, but mixed with
chopped onion, potatoes, and eggs),Aushe Sarka (vinegar-based flat noodle soup)
Drinks
Chai
Chai is tea in Afghanistan, which can either be green or black. It is consumed at
all times, especially a short time after finishing a meal or with guests during any
social gathering. Most people drink green tea with no sugar. Some add cardamom,
saffron, or sugar.
Sheer chai (which translates from "milk tea") is also consumed but mostly in the
morning and on special occasions. It is a type of Kashmiri chai. Many people of
Afghanistan also drink masala chai, particularly in cities such as Asadabad,
Jalalabad, Khost and Kandahar.
Doogh
Doogh (also known by some Afghans as shomleh or shlombeh) is a cold drink made by
mixing water with yogurt and then adding fresh or dried mint. Some variations of
doogh include the addition of crushed or diced cucumber chunks. It is the second
most widely consumed drink in Afghanistan (the first being tea), especially during
lunchtime in summer. Doogh can be found at almost every Afghan grocery store and is
served in restaurants.
Eating habits
Sub-cuisines
While Afghans have a common cuisine, certain ethnicities form sub-variations of it.
Pashtun cuisine
Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group of Afghanistan, constituting about 42% of the
country's total population.[18] A major dish in Pashtun culture are Rosh (cooked
lamb and mutton with no spices)[15] and Sohbat, found at traditional gatherings and
events.[19][20] Other major Pashtun dishes include lamb-skewered sajji and chapli
kebab. The name dampukht stands for steamed meat, and Khaddi kebab is the Afghan
shashlik, which is grilled on an open fire, on a spit.[21]
Although it differs from region to region, Pashtun cuisine is meat-heavy and often
includes caramelized rice. For example, the dish known as bolani in the north and
east is often called borogyen in the south and west of Afghanistan.
Common summer beverages include shlombeh, also known in Persian as doogh, a drink
consisting of liquid yogurt, mint, and bedreng (Afghan cucumber). Sherbet is an
ice-sugared cold drink. Sheer yakh is a sweet ice-like product, literally
translating to "cold milk".[21]
Hazara cuisine
The Hazara people in central Afghanistan (in the region of Hazarajat) and western
Pakistan (Balochistan province) have their own fare. The Hazaragi cuisine shares
some similarities with neighboring regional cuisines, so it is mainly influenced by
Central Asian, Persian, and South Asian cooking. However, cooking methods vary in
some of the dishes of these neighboring cuisines.
Dining etiquette
Traditionally, dinners are served on a tablecloth on the floor, which is called the
dastarkhan. Meals are normally eaten with the right hand. After a meal, tea with
dessert is served.[9]
Special occasions
Serving tea and white sugared almonds (called nuql) is customary during Afghan
festivals.

Albanian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of the Mediterranean. It is

also an example of the Mediterranean diet based on the importance of olive oil,
fruits, vegetables and fish.[1] The cooking traditions of the Albanian people are
diverse in consequence of the environmental factors that are more importantly
suitable for the cultivation of nearly every kind of herbs, vegetables and fruits.
[2] Olive oil is the most ancient and commonly used vegetable fat in Albanian
cooking, produced since antiquity throughout the country particularly along the
coasts.[3][4][5][6][7]
Hospitality is a fundamental custom of Albanian society and serving food is
integral to the hosting of guests and visitors. It is not infrequent for visitors
to be invited to eat and drink with locals. The medieval Albanian code of honour,
called besa, resulted to look after guests and strangers as an act of recognition
and gratitude.[8]
Albanian cuisine can be divided into three major regional cuisines.[9] The cuisine
of the northern region has a rural, coastal and mountainous origin. Meat, fish and
vegetables are central to the cuisine of the northern region. The people there use
many kinds of ingredients that usually grow in the region, including potatoes,
carrots, maize, beans, and cabbage, and also cherries, walnuts and almonds. Garlic
and onions are as well important components to the local cuisine and added to
almost every dish.
The cuisine of the central region is threefold of rural, mountainous and coastal.
The central region is the flattest and rich in vegetation and biodiversity as well
as culinary specialties. It has Mediterranean characteristics due to its proximity
to the sea, which is rich in fish. Dishes here include several meat specialties and
desserts of all kinds.
In the south, the cuisine is composed of two components: the rural products of the
field including dairy products, citrus fruits and olive oil, and coastal products,
i.e. seafood. Those regions are particularly conducive to raising animals, as
pastures and feed resources are abundant.
Besides garlic, onions are arguably the country's most widely used ingredient.[10]
Albania is ranked fifth in the world in terms of onion consumption per capita.[11]
[12]
History
Caracteristics and meals
The location of Albania in the western Balkan Peninsula and on the Mediterranean
Sea has a large influence on Albanian cuisine. Many foods that are common in the
Mediterranean Basin, such as olives, wheat, chickpeas, dairy products, fish, fruits
and vegetables, are prominent in the Albanian cooking tradition. Albania has a
distinctly Mediterranean climate.[13] Across the country, a range of microclimates
due to differing soil types and topography allows a variety of products to be
grown. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, figs and olives thrive.
Every region has its own typical breakfast. Breakfast is generally light. Bread is
common, served with butter, cheese, jam and yogurt, and accompanied with olives,
coffee, milk, tea or raki. Trahaná (tarhana) is also a common breakfast in many
rural areas. It is common to have only fruit or a slice of bread and a cup of
coffee or tea for breakfast. Coffee and tea are enjoyed both in homes and in cafés.
[citation needed]
Lunch is traditionally the biggest meal of the day, for everyone from school
children to shop workers and government officials. In the past, people went home to
have lunch with their families, but it is now common to have lunch with friends at
restaurants or cafeterias. Lunch sometimes consists of gjellë, a main dish of
slowly cooked meat with various vegetables, accompanied by a salad of fresh
vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions and olives. Salads
are typically served with meat dishes and are dressed with salt, olive oil, white
vinegar or lemon juice. Grilled or fried vegetables and sausages and various forms
of omelettes are also eaten. Common beverages are coffee, tea, fruit juices and
milk.[citation needed]
Supper in Albania is a smaller meal, often consisting only of a variety of breads,
meat, fresh fish or seafood, cheese, eggs and various kind of vegetables, similar
to breakfast, or possibly sandwiches.[citation needed]
Ingredients
Located in Southern Europe with a direct proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the
Albanian cuisine features a wide range of fresh fruits, growing naturally in the
fertile Albanian soil and under the warm sun. In consideration of being an
agricultural country, Albania is a significant fruit importer and exporter.[14]
Besides citrus fruits, cherries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are
among the most cultivated fruits.[14] Many Albanians keep fruit trees in their
yards. Fresh and dried fruits are eaten as snacks and desserts.
Fruits that are traditionally associated with Albanian cuisine include apple,
grape, olive, orange, nectarine, blackberry, cherry, persimmon, pomegranate, figs,
watermelon, avocado, lemon, peach, plum, strawberries, raspberry, mulberry and
cornelian cherry.
A wide variety of vegetables are frequently used in Albanian cooking. Due to the
different climate and soil conditions across Albania, cultivars of cabbages,
turnips, beetroots, beans, potatoes, leeks and mushrooms can be found in a rich
variety.[14] Dried or pickled vegetables are also processed, especially in drier or
colder regions such as in the remote Albanian Alps, where fresh vegetables were
hard to get out of season. Particularly used vegetables include onion, garlic,
tomato, cucumber, carrot, pepper, spinach, lettuce, grape leaves, bean, eggplant
and zucchini.
Herbs are very popular. A wide variety are readily available at supermarkets or
local produce stands across the country. The proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and
the ideal climatic conditions allows the cultivation of about 250 aromatic and
medical plants. Albania is among the leading producers and exporter of herbs in the
world.[15] Further, the country is a worldwide significant producer of oregano,
thyme, sage, salvia, rosemary and yellow gentian.[16][17] Most commonly used herbs
and other seasonings in Albanian cooking include artichoke, basil, chili pepper,
cinnamon, coriander, lavender, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, bay, vanilla,
saffron.
Drinks
Tea is a widely consumed beverage throughout Albania and particularly served at
cafés, restaurants or at home.[citation needed] The country is rich in the
cultivation of a wide range of herbs. The most popular varieties of tea drinking in
Albania include Albanian-style mountain tea, which grows in the Albanian mountains
and villages, and Russian- and Turkish-style black tea with sugar to tea with
lemon, milk or honey.[18][19]
Coffee is another popular beverage in Albania, but more particularly in the cities
and villages. There are various varieties of coffee popular in Albania, such as
espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha and latte. As Albania was formerly part of
the Ottoman Empire, coffee in the Turkish style is also common. Filter coffee and
instant coffee are also available. Cafés are found everywhere in urban areas and
function as meeting places for socializing and conducting business. Almost all
serve baked goods and sandwiches and many also serve light meals. Tirana is
particularly well known for its café culture.[20]
In 2016, Albania surpassed Spain by becoming the country with the most coffee
houses per capita in the world. In fact, there are 654 coffee houses per 100,000
inhabitants in Albania, a country with only 2.5 million inhabitants.[citation
needed]
Dhallë is a traditional and healthy yogurt-based drink in Albania made by blending
yogurt with water or milk and spices. It is especially popular during the summer
month and it may be served with salt, according to taste.[citation needed]
Boza is a malt drink made from maize (corn) and wheat which is widely consumed with
desserts in Albania.
Raki is the most popular spirit in Albania. It is considered as the national spirit
beverage of the country.[21] The most common types of raki in the country are
grape, plum or blackberry. It is commonly served to the older people and is heated
and sweetened with honey or sugar, with added spices. Although in the south of the
country, Raki rigoni is very popular among the people and is made of white oregano,
that is cultivated in the region.
Albania is a traditionally wine drinking country. The people of Albania drink wine
in moderation and almost always at meals or social occasions. Albanians drink about
5.83 liters of wine per person per year, which has been increasing since the
Albanian production of high-quality wine grows to meet demand.[22] The origins of
wine production in Albania can be traced back to 6,000 years and evidence
suggesting wine production confirm that Albania is among the earliest wine
producers in Europe.[23][24][25]
Pastries and desserts
There is a strong tradition of home baking in the country and pâtisseries are
present in every city and village across the country. Entirely Albanian desserts
and pastries consist primarily of fruits including oranges and lemons that grow as
well as in the country. Traditionally, fresh fruits are often eaten after a meal as
a dessert. Those dishes are inspired from both Western and Eastern civilizations.
[citation needed]
Kanojët is a typical Sicilian pastry and very common among the Arbëreshë people,
which brought that dish back into their homelands, Albania where it is
popular[citation needed]. It is made of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough,
filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta. The kanojët from
Piana degli Albanesi, an Arbëreshë village, are often referred to be the best
cannolo.
Baklava is made frequently in Albania, especially around certain religious holidays
of Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox. It is prepared on large trays and cut into a
variety of shapes. Baklava is either with hazelnuts or walnuts sweetened with
syrup.
Petulla is a traditional fried dough made from wheat or buckwheat flour, which is
as well a popular dish among the Albanians and served with powdered sugar or feta
cheese and raspberry jam.
Pandispanjë is a traditional base for several Albanian desserts and cakes based on
flour, sugar, butter and eggs. A variety of fillings are used, such as jelly,
chocolate, fruit and pastry cream.
Ballokume is an Albanian cookie, which originated in Elbasan during the Middle Ages
and prepared every year on Summer Day, a public holiday in the country. It has to
be brewed in large copper pots, tightly whipped with a wooden spoon and baked in a
wood oven.[citation needed]
Fruit jam, also known as Reçel, is enjoyed all year in Albania and a major
component of the Albanian cooking tradition. The fruit preserve is made by cooking
the juice of the fruit or the fruit itself, which usually grow in Albania, with
sugar. It is served to many dishes as a side dish.[citation needed]
Zupa is a popular dessert and assembled by alternating layers of cookies or sponge
cake with pastry cream. Another similar dessert is an Albanian custard dessert
called krem karamele very similar to crème brûlée. This dessert is made with milk,
cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and flavored with orange or lemon zest and
cinnamon.
arious kinds of hallvë are prepared across the country with some of the most common
types being flour halva. Although home-cooked semolina halva and shop-produced
sesame halva are also consumed. It is a typical sweet in local religious fairs
around Albania.[citation needed]
Tambëloriz, also known as sultjash, is a popular sweet among the Albanian
population across the world. It is a kind of rice pudding made from milk, rice,
cinnamon and nuts, raisins can be added, too.
Tollumba is a fried, crispy, and sweet dessert traditionally eaten in the Balkan
Peninsula. Further, it is made of bits of fried dough, similar to doughnuts,
steeped in much lemony syrup. The dough contains starch and semolina, which keeps
it light and crispy.
Akullore is the Albanian word for ice cream and it is enjoyed both summer and
winter.
Kadaif is a pastry made from long thin noodle threads filled with walnuts or
pistachios and sweetened with syrup, it is sometimes served alongside baklava.
Kabuni is a traditional cold-served Albanian dessert made of rice fried in butter,
mutton broth, raisins, salt and caramelized sugar. It is then boiled before sugar,
cinnamon, and ground cloves are added.
Pastashu is made from choux pastry, filled with a cream, vanilla, coffee or
chocolate-flavoured custard and then topped usually with fondant icing. This
dessert is known as Éclair in France and Bignè in Italy
Trileçe is an Albanian adaptation of the Spanish Tres leches. It is a sponge cake
made of three milks from cow's, goat's and water buffaloes, while cow's milk and
cream are used commonly. According to Hürriyet, Albania was the first country to
introduce the dessert from South America into the area. It is believed that the
popularity of Brazilian soap operas in Albania led local chefs to reverse-engineer
the dessert and then the speciality spread over to Turkey.[26][27]
Ashure, the world oldest dessert, is served especially during Muslim (Bektashi)
holidays in Albania. It is a congee that is made of a mixture consisting of grains,
nuts as well as fruits and dried fruits.[28]
Appetizers and salads
Popular appetizers in Albania includes wheat bread or cornbread, which remains one
of the most important foods and are ever-present on the Albanian table. Hence the
expression for 'going to eat a meal' (Albanian: për të ngrënë bukë) can be
literally translated as 'going to eat bread'. In Albania, bread is also used in the
authentic Albanian hospitality saying of "bread, salt and heart" (bukë, kripë e
zemër).[citation needed]
Vegetable salads are almost served along with both lunch and dinner, which in
majority are dishes based on meat. The ingredients that are used always in salads
are green or red peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives and cucumbers. Salads that are
representative of the Albanian cuisine are dressed with salt, olive oil or lemon
and vinegar. The usual dressings are based on garlic, lemon and black pepper.
[citation needed]
An Albanian-style meze of fresh and cooked vegetable salads, pickled cucumbers and
other vegetables, hard boiled eggs, prosciutto ham, salami and feta cheese,
accompanied with roasted bell peppers, olive oil and garlic is served at festive
meals and in restaurants. Nowadays, the modern interpretations of the Albanian meze
blend traditional and modern combination of various appetizers.[citation needed]
Fërgesë verorë (summer fërgesë) is the vegetarian version of fërgesë,[29] a
national dish in Albania made of green and red peppers, along with skinned tomatoes
and onions and often served as a side dish to various meat dishes.
Japrak is a stuffed vegetable dish made with grape leaves, olive oil and stuffed
with rice, grilled beef and chopped onions and generally served cold with bread and
tarator.
Tarator is a cold appetizer and usually served cold as a side dish during the hot
summer months. The ingredients of tarator include cucumber, garlic, olive oil, salt
and yoghurt. Fried and grilled vegetables and seafood are usually offered with
tarator.
Large white kidney beans (fasulle plaqi) are a typical appetizer or side dish,
baked in an earthen pot with tomatoes, onions, peppermint, oregano, bay leaves and
black pepper.[29]
A variety of soups are enjoyed, particularly in the winter. Especially popular
soups are potato, cabbage, bean and fish soups. Trahana is a popular soup in the
Eastern Mediterranean. It based on a fermented mixture of wheat and fermented milk.
Other dishes include Groshët and Shqeto, which originated from Lunxheri region of
Gjirokastër.[citation needed]
Other dishes include mëlci pule, eggplant appetizers, panaret which is famous among
Arbëreshës, stuffed peppers composed of green peppers stuffed with rice, meat,
other vegetables and herbs, turshi lakre, fried sardele me Limon, papare, which are
bread leftovers cooked with water, egg, butter, and Gjizë (salted curd cheese) and
bread and cheese referred as Bukë me djathë.[citation needed]
Meat and fish
The country's cuisine is largely meat-based. Beef and veal are the most commonly
consumed meats in Albania, followed by pork.[30] Albania has many small eateries
specializing in beef and lamb, goat and veal. In high elevation localities, smoked
meat and pickled preserves are common. Animal organs are also used in dishes such
as intestines and the head among other parts, which are considered a delicacy.
Fresh fish is readily available and caught off the coastal areas of the Adriatic
and Ionian Sea inside the Mediterranean Sea but also from the Lake Butrint, Lake
Shkodër, Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa as well as Karavasta Lagoon, Narta Lagoon and
Patos Lagoon. Fresh fish is served whole, in the Mediterranean style, grilled,
boiled, fried whole or in slices, dressed only with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Fish dishes are often flavoured with white vinegar and virgin olive oil, which
particularly grows in Southern Albania.[citation needed]
Albanians living in the coastal cities, especially in Durrës, Sarandë and Vlorë are
passionate about their seafood specialties. Popular seafood dishes include trout,
calamari, octopus, cuttlefish, red mullet, sea bass, gilt-head bream and other.
Baked whiting, carp, mullet or eel with olive oil and garlic are also widely
consumed in the country.[citation needed]
Fërgesë is the most iconic dish from Tirana and Central Albania. It consists of
peppers, tomatoes, onions and gjizë (Albanian ricotta).[29] Ingredients are cooked
on the stove and then in the oven to make a relatively dense sauce. Some versions
of the dish include liver or cooked beef. Fërgesë with liver is considered more
traditional in Tirana and is thus sometimes called just fërgesë tirane.[citation
needed]
Tavë kosi is a national dish in Albania that is beloved throughout the country.[31]
The speciality is a simple dish of baked lamb and rice, served with a flavored
yogurt sauce. Recently, it has become very popular among the Greeks and Turks
associated to the large Albanian diaspora in Greece and Turkey.[citation needed]
Qebapa are small homemade grilled meat skinless sausages made of lamb and beef mix.
It is primarily served with onions, sour cream, ajvar and pita bread called
pitalka.[citation needed]
Gullash, or tasqebap, is actually eaten very frequently in the mountainous areas of
Albania. It's a traditional paprika-spiced meat stew originating in Hungary that is
popular throughout Central Europe and the Balkans.[citation needed]
Gjel deti me përshesh (turkey with përshesh) is the usual New Year's dish in many
Albanian families and also consumed in other kind of celebrations. Turkey is first
boiled and then roasted and served with përshesh, which is prepared by baking
pieces of kulaç (a kind of bread) with turkey broth, along with mint and other
spices.[29]
Paçe is traditionally common in Albania. It is made with a sheep's, pig's or any
cattle's head, boiled until meat comes off easily. It is then stewed with garlic,
onion, black pepper and vinegar. Sometimes a little flour is added to thicken the
stew.[citation needed]
Proshute is a term used in Albania for many types of salami and ham, which has been
seasoned, cured and air-dried. It is served rather at breakfast or lunch as an
appetizer. Dishes which consist of proshute include omelete me proshute dhe djathe,
role buke me proshute and sallate orizi me pjeper dhe proshute.[citation needed]
Qofte are fried meatballs, which are usually made of minced meat, herbs and spices
and cooked with tomato sauce and vegetables or beans. Throughout the country there
are few specialized shops called qofteri, which offer qofte and beer.[citation
needed]
Pies
Pite is considered as well one of the national foods of Albania by most Albanians.
Several internationally renowned musicians of Albanian heritage such as Rita Ora,
Dua Lipa and Action Bronson spread their passion about this Albanian dish.[32][33]
[34]
It is often served hot, fresh and with pickled vegetables, honey, yogurt or fruit
jam. Nowadays, flia mainly features in large social gatherings, weddings, births
and other ceremonies and events. Fli is a dish mainly cooked in Kosovo. It is
important to note that the dishes may differ depending on the region of Albania.
[35] Bakllasarëm is a layered pie, otherwise known as pite, without anything
inside, which is covered with yogurt and garlic and then heated again. It is
particularly eaten for lunch. Another popular dish is Kungullur, which is made of
filo pastry layers filled with mashed pumpkin, butter, salt or sugar.[citation
needed]
Notable pies include Byrek, Pepeq, Shaprak, Qollopita or Lakror. Lakror is a pie
that has layers of dough thinner than a byrek and it is traditionally cooked on
embers, covered with a metal semispherical lid. Common fillings are leek and gjizë
or tomato and onion. It is a specialty of Southern Albanian regions, like Lunxheri
or Korça.[citation needed]
Health effects
Albanian cuisine falls within the category of the "Mediterranean diet," which
includes a high consumption of seafood, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and olive oil;
however, beef, veal, lamb, and pork are commonly consumed as well.[36] It is
believed that because of this diet Albania has a very high life expectancy when its
economic power is compared to other countries, characterized by some researchers as
the "Albanian paradox".[36]

The cuisine of Algeria is influenced by Algeria's interactions and exchanges with

other cultures and nations over the centuries. It is based on both land and sea
products. Conquests or demographic movement towards the Algerian territory were two
of the main factors of exchanges between the different peoples and cultures. The
Algerian cuisine is a mix of Arab, Berber, Turkish and European roots.[1]
Algerian cuisine offers a variety of dishes depending on the region and the season,
but vegetables and cereals remain at its core. Most of the Algerian dishes are
centered around bread, meats (lamb, beef or poultry), olive oil, vegetables, and
fresh herbs. Vegetables are often used for salads, soups, tajines, couscous, and
sauce-based dishes. Of all the Algerian traditional dishes available, the most
famous one is couscous, recognized as a national dish.
Ingredients
Algeria, like other Maghreb countries, produces a large range of Mediterranean
fruits and vegetables and even some tropical ones.[2] Lamb is commonly consumed.
Mediterranean seafood and fish are also eaten.[3]
Meats
Algerians consume a high amount of meat, and it is found in almost every dish.
Mutton is the most eaten meat in the country.[4]
Poultry and beef are also used—other, more uncommon types of meat such as game,
birds and venison are considered a delicacy. In the south, dromedary (camel meat)
is also eaten.
Meat could traditionally be dried in regions such as Kabylia as a way to preserve
the meat for long amounts of time.[citation needed]
The merguez is a type of sausage originating from the Berber people.[5][6][7]
Vegetables
Vegetables that are commonly used include potatoes (batata/betetè), carrots
(zrodiya/sennariya), turnip (lefft), onions (bsel/besla), tomatoes
(tomatish/tømètish/t'matem), zucchini (corget/qar'a /khyar), garlic (ethoum),
cabbages (cromb), eggplant (bidenjan), olives (zéton), pennyroyal (fliou), cardoon
(korchef), broad bean (fool), chickpea (homoss), and chili pepper (felfel).
Vegetables are often used in stews (tagine/jwaz/djwizza) and soups
(chorba/harira/jari) or simply fried or boiled.
Fish and seafood
Sardines, hake, shrimp, octopus, tuna and cod are the main items of seafood
commonly eaten in Algerian cuisine, mostly in stews or fried.
Spices
Many spices are used in Algerian cuisine, including dried red chilli of different
kinds, caraway, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, paprika, coriander, saffron,
mace, cloves, fennel, anise, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, fenugreek, and black pepper.
Some spice mixes are also traditional to the North African region, such as ras el
hanout, which can be made of up to 27 spices. Hror is a spice mix typical of
Algerian cuisine mainly made from galangal, cubeb, nutmeg and cinnamon, but recipes
may vary and include more spices and herbs such as liquorice or pellitory.[citation
needed]
Dishes
Starters and appetizers
Some small starters can be eaten either before the main dish (traditionally done
during Ramadan). These starters are generally soups (most famously chorba) but also
include kemia, some small dish of offal (such as liver or kidneys) or carrots with
cumin (zorodiyya mcharmla). Some traditional salads such as chlata felfel (a salad
of roasted/smoked peppers, tomatoes, onions or scallions and garlic with olive oil
and vinegar, generally served cold), zaalouka (ratatouille of eggplants and
tomatoes mainly, served hot or cold) or salads made with beets, corn, cucumber,
tomatoes and eggs can also be served before a meal.
Main dishes
A common and one of the most favorite dishes of Algerian cuisine is couscous.[8]
The semolina is traditionally made from wheat but can also be made with barley. The
grains can also be fermented to make el Hammoun couscous.[9] The dish can be
prepared in many ways, generally with a sauce with beef or lamb and zucchini,
carrots, chickpeas and green bean, chicken, lentils and black-eyed pea. Couscous
can also be consumed in a masfouf (or thameqfoult in Kabyle), a dry version with no
sauce and vegetables such as broad beans, peas or also with raisins and dates,
traditionally along with fermented milk.
Several pasta dishes can be found in the traditional Algerian cuisine: rechta,
chakhchoukha, berkoukes, tikourbabine (also called asban), Aftir oukessoul[10]
tlitli or trida.[11] These traditional pasta dishes are prepared in a red stew,
with the exception of rechta which is generally made in a white stew in Algeria,
with meat and vegetables.
Vegetarian dishes in Algeria are also a main part of the diet with karantita
(chickpeas flan), tbikha (vegetable stew), shakshouka (sort of ratatouille, often
cooked with eggs), zaalouka (ratatouille of eggplants and tomatoes mainly, served
hot or cold). These dishes are often consumed with bread.
Tajine or djouez are traditional dishes prepared in a stew or cooked in a similar
way, originally in an earthen pot. They can be vegetarian, but are generally made
of a meat (either lamb or chicken) and vegetables. Particular tajines made in a red
sauce are called chtitha (for example chtitha djaj is a chicken dish cooked in a
red sauce with chickpeas). Other famous dishes include Koubeb (chicken cooked in a
white sauce with cinnamon and chickpeas and served with thick fries and parsley),
zviti, marqa bel a'assel (a speciality from Tlemcen).
Some additional dishes include:
Bourek—fried spring rolls with various stuffing, including meat, tuna, potato, and
cheese. A popular variant, the bourek annabi, from Annaba, is bigger and stuffed
with mashed potatoes, ground beef meat, mushrooms, cheese, eggs and
parsley.,Mhadjeb—flat bread stuffed with onions and tomato sauce.,Shakshouka,
chakshoka, shakhshosha—a mixture of onions, tomato, bell peppers, zucchini and
eggs. There many versions, depending on the region.
Chorba frik or jari—a tomato-base soup with lamb,Frites-omelette—French fries with
eggs,Dobara—chickpea soup,Dolma—stuffed vegetables cooked in a stock
Soups
Algeria has four well-known traditional soups consumed throughout the country:
chorba frik (which is also cooked with kadaif in some regions in place of the
frik), harira, djari and tchicha. These traditional Algerian soups are served at
the beginning of the meal as an entree and are mainly prepared from lamb, mutton or
chicken, chickpeas, tomatoes, vermicelli, wheat, spices and different vegetables
and legumes. These varied soups are the most popular during the holy month of
Ramadan. The gaspacho oranais is an Algerian version of a Manchego dish.[12] The
chorba has another variant, the chorba bida (white chorba) which is cooked with
chicken, kadaif, chickpeas and pasley without any tomato. It is traditionally eaten
with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Desserts
Typically, seasonal fruits served as a dessert at the end of meals. These fruits
include watermelon, loquat, grape, pomegranate or dates (which can also be served
at the beginning of the meal).
Common pastries include dziriyat, garn ghzal (similar to Gazelle ankles), baqlawa,
bradj, makroudh, kalb elouz, zlabiya, and griwech (a deep-fried pretzel-shaped
dough, soaked in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds).
Many pastries are prepared for special occasions like for Eid-al-fitr and weddings.
For example, the mouna was traditionally served by newlywed women to other women
during their traditional hammam. The tamina is a kind of paste made with semolina,
butter, hror or other spices and honey usually served after a woman gave birth.
msemen, sfenj or baghrir are generally served with tea and can be topped with
honey, jam or even olive oil and sugar.,Creponne, a sorbet which originated in
Oran, is a specialty in Algeria.[13] Other desserts and cakes such as sfenj and
kroki mchawcha are also commonly eaten.
Drinks
Green tea with mint is generally drunk in the afternoon and during ceremonies with
pastries.[14] When fresh mint is not available, dried leaves can be used instead.
Geranium tea can also be prepared with geranium leaves instead of mint. Generally,
tea is prepared with green tea leaves, either of the gunpowder blend or chaara
sandook (green tea with a lighter taste than the bitter gunpowder blend).
Algerians are heavy coffee consumers; thick espresso and black coffee are very
popular, Algerian breakfast consists of a latte coffee with croissants or bread
with butter or any Algerian sweets like Algerian baklawa, msemen or baghrir topped
with honey or jam. Mazagran which is said to be the “original iced coffee”
originated in Algeria, it is a cold sweetened coffee drink.[15][16]
Cherbet mazhar is a traditional beverage drunk during marriages in the northern
parts of the country. It is a syrup made with water, sugar and orange flower water
(mazhar).[11] Sherbet Miliana is another traditional syrup made from cherries
originating from Miliana.
Fruit juice and soft drinks, called gazouz, are common and often drunk daily, the
most famous Algerian soda is Hamoud Boualem, an Algerian soft drink manufacturer
that makes drinks popular in Algeria and exports them abroad, primarily for
consumption by Algerian emigrants. It is one of the country's oldest companies,
having been founded in 1878. Their products include sodas like "Selecto," "Hamoud,"
and "Slim", each in multiple flavors, as well as syrups in different flavors.[17]
Algeria previously produced a large quantity of Algerian wine during the French
colonization but production has decreased since its independence; Alcohol
consumption is frowned upon in Algeria but is not legally prohibited, which does
not prevent the winegrower from producing a wide variety of wines mainly from the
slopes of Mascara, Médéa and Tlemcen.[18]
Sauces and condiments
Algerian cuisine is characterized by its use of flavorful spices and herbs, and a
variety of sauces play an important role in many dishes. Two popular Algerian
sauces are harissa and dersa.
Harissa is a spicy chili paste that is made from dried chili peppers, garlic, olive
oil, and various spices such as cumin and coriander. It is often used as a
condiment to add heat and flavor to stews, soups, and grilled meats. Harissa can
also be used as a marinade for meat or seafood.,Dersa is a milder sauce that is
made from garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and a variety of herbs such as parsley,
cilantro, and mint. It is often used as a dipping sauce for bread, vegetables, or
grilled meats. Dersa can also be used as a marinade or dressing for
salads.,Zaalouk: a traditional dip used in Algeria made from eggplant, tomatoes,
garlic, and spices, typically served as an appetizer or side dish.,Chermoula, a
marinade made from garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, and spices, commonly used to
flavor seafood and meat dishes.,Toum: a garlic sauce made from garlic, lemon juice,
and olive oil, similar to aioli, often served with grilled meats or as a
dip.,Shakshuka sauce: a spicy tomato sauce made with onions, peppers, and a variety
of spices, often used in the popular egg dish of the same name.,Hmiss is another
popular condiment in Algerian cuisine. It is a spicy tomato sauce made from roasted
red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and chili peppers. Hmiss is usually
served as a dip or spread with bread or grilled meat, and it can also be used as a
topping for sandwiches or pizza. The roasted red peppers give hmiss a smoky flavor,
while the chili peppers add heat, making it a flavorful and spicy condiment. In
some parts of Algeria, hmiss is also made with the addition of spices such as cumin
and paprika, giving it a unique regional variation. Hmiss is a versatile sauce that
adds a delicious kick to many dishes, and it is a favorite condiment among
Algerians.
Bread
Between 1976 and 1984, the average Algerian family spent around 56% of their income
on food and drink, and more than 10% of that number was spent on bread and other
cereal products. Bread is thought to contain God's blessing, baraka. It is
traditionally seen as a symbol of life and functions in rituals symbolic of life,
fertility and abundance.[19]
Types of breads
Khubz as-dar-wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. Traditionally flat and round, a
few centimeters thick, made at home and commonly baked in a gas oven or communal
oven.,Khubz at-tajin or matl—-wheat semolina, yeast, water and salt. Flattened pan-
bread (French: galette), baked in a previously heated earthenware or cast-iron
plate on a fire. Variations are made by the quality of the leavening agent, by
adding barley or sorghum, bran, or by making it corn-based.,Khubz-ftir, raqaq, rfîs
or tarîd—well-kneaded, unleavened dough, baked for half a minute on a convex sheet
of brass or iron, balanced on stones over a fire. This is a preferred method for
those living nomadic lives due to easy transportation of pan and little amount of
fuel necessary.,Batbout is a small bread resembling Greek pita bread, albeit
thicker (similar to matlû). It is eaten with stuffing inside.,French baguettes-
white, leavened wheat flour. Bought at bakery or street vendor, but never made at
home due to access to mills powered by electricity. Power shortages prevent
consumption of this bread, and often Algerians turn to home-made breads that are
milled by women's hands.[19]
Algerian bread
French bread tends to be given more value in terms of taste and quality in that it
was commonly associated to being more suitable to higher standards. However, the
white inner parts of a baguette are thought to be unhealthy and will regularly be
thrown away, and the bread is frequently associated with constipation.
Algerian breads, on the other hand, are considered more nutritive, rich and
tasteful and seldom go to waste. Because French breads harden over night or become
chewy when put away in plastic bags, it is hard to find usage for them, so they are
thrown away with more frequency than Algerian breads that can be reheated or
reutilized as edible food utensils or even bird feed.
In the context of rituals, only Algerian bread is thought suitable. Breads offered
to guests should be homemade, as it signifies the essence, intimacy, and qualities
of the family. In daily practices, it is also a sign of wealth and affluence if one
has extra bread at the table, and making bread at home can be considered a sign of
familial economic independence.[19]
Commonly eaten breads in Algeria consist of Kesra, Matlouh, Mtabga and Mouna.

Angolan cuisine has many dishes popular among nationals and foreigners, including
funge (which is made from cassava or corn flour), mufete (grilled fish, plantain,
sweet potato, cassava, and gari), calulu, moamba de galinha, moamba de ginguba,
kissaca, and mukua sorbet.
History
Angolan cuisine in its modern shape is a combination of indigenous African
ingredients and cooking techniques, and Portuguese influences and ingredients
brought over from other Portuguese colonies, such as Brazil.[1]
Ingredients
Staple ingredients include beans and rice, pork and chicken, various sauces, and
vegetables such as tomatoes and onions. Spices such as garlic are also frequently
seen.[2] Funge, a type of porridge made with cassava, is a staple dish.[3]
There are many influences from Portuguese cuisine like the use of olive oil.
Piripiri is a local hot sauce.
Dishes
Funge are very common dishes, and in poorer households often consumed at every
meal. The dish is often eaten with fish, pork, chicken, or beans. funge de bombo,
more common in northern Angola, is a paste or porridge of cassava (also called
manioc or yuca), made from cassava flour. It is gelatinous in consistency and gray
in color. Pirão, yellow in color and similar to polenta, is made from cornflour and
is more common in the south. Fuba ([fuˈβa]) is the term for the flour that is used
to make either funge and pirão, also used to make angu, the Brazilian polenta. Both
foods are described as bland but filling and are often eaten with sauces and juices
or with gindungo (see below), a spicy condiment.[4]
Moamba de galinha (or chicken moamba) is chicken with palm paste, okra, garlic and
palm oil hash or red palm oil sauce, often served with rice and funge. Both funge
and moamba de galinha have been considered the national dish.[4][5] A variant dish
of moamba de galinha, moamba de ginguba, uses ginguba (peanut sauce) instead of
palm paste.[4][6]
List of dishes
Other dishes common in Angolan cuisine include:
Arroz (rice) dishes, including arroz da Ilha (rice with chicken or fish), arroz de
garoupa da Ilha (rice with grouper), and arroz de marisco white rice with seafood,
typically prawns, squid, white fish, or lobster).[4],Cabidela, a dish cooked in
blood, served with rice and funge. Frequently chicken (galinha de cabidela, galinha
à cabidela), served with vinegar, tomatoes, onion and garlic. It was also
incorporated to Brazilian cuisine.[4],Caldeirada de cabrito, goat meat stew served
with rice, a traditional dish for Angolan independence day, November 11.[4],Fish
stews, including caldeirada de peixe, made with "whatever is available" and served
with rice, and muzongue, made from whole dried and fresh fish cooked with palm oil,
sweet potato, onion, tomato, spinach, and spices, and served with rice, spinach,
funje, and farofa; some Angolans believe that the stew is a hangover cure if eaten
before the onset of the headache.[4],Calulu, dried fish with vegetables, often
onions, tomatoes, okra, sweet potatoes, garlic, palm oil, and gimboa leaves
(similar to spinach); often served with rice, funge, palm oil beans, and farofa.
[4],Caruru, a shrimp and okra stew, of Brazilian origin.[7],Catatos , caterpillar
fried with garlic, served with rice; a specialty in Uíge[4],Chikuanga, a bread made
from manioc flour, served in a wrap of banana leaves; a specialty of northeast
Angola.[4],Cocada amarela, yellow coconut pudding made with sugar, grated coconut,
egg yolks, and ground cinnamon, a dessert in both Mozambique and Angola.[8][9] It
is very different from what is known as cocada in Brazil.,Doce de ginguba, peanut
candy.[4],Farofa, rice and beans with toasted manioc flour on top; a dish of
Brazilian origin common in Angola.[4],Feijão de óleo de palma or dendem, beans,
onion, and garlic cooked in palm oil; often served with fish, banana and farofa.
[4],Frango (grelhado) piri-piri, native to Angola and Mozambique, also a former
Portuguese colony; a grilled chicken in a very hot marinade of piri piri hot pepper
and sometime also minced chili peppers, salt, and lemon or lime juice.[10]
[11],Gafanhotos de palmeira, toasted grasshopper from a palm tree, a Cuanza Norte
specialty; often served with funge.[4],Gindungo, a spicy condiment made of chili
pepper, garlic, onion, and sometimes brandy; thought by some Angolans to be an
aphrodisiac[4],Jinguinga, goat tripe and blood, a specialty of Malanje, often
served with rice and funge.[4],Kifula, game meat served with boiled and toasted
palm tree grasshoppers, a specialty of Cuanza Norte, served with funge.[4],Kissuto
rombo, roasted goat with garlic and lemon juice, served with rice and chips.
[4],Kitaba or quitaba, a crunchy peanut paste seasoned with chilli pepper.
[4],Kitetas, clams, often cooked in a white wine sauce and served with bread.
[4],Kizaka, the leaves of the manioc plant, similar to spinach and often prepared
with ginguba (peanut) and finely chopping and seasoned Kizaka com peixe is kizaka
with fish, onion, and tomato, served with rice and funge.[4],Leite azedo com pirao
de milho, a Huila specialty, sour milk with maize porridge.[4],Mafuma, frog meat, a
Cunene specialty.[4]
Mariscos cozidos com gindungo, lobsters, prawns, and clams cooked in seawater,
served with rice and hot sauce[4],Mousse de maracuja, a mousse of passionfruit
native to Brazil but popular in Angola.[4],Mufete de kacusso (or cacusso,), grilled
fish, often river tilapia, in a rich sauce of onion, vinegar, and spices, variously
served with palm oil beans and cooked manioc,[4] rice, sweet potato, or farofa.
[2],Mukua, dried fruit of the baobab tree, often made into ice cream.[4],Molho cru,
sauce or paste served with seafood and fish, made of garlic cloves, scallions
(spring onions), parsley, cumin, salt, vinegar, and water.[12],Ngonguenha, toasted
manioc flour, sugar, and milk, a savory dish.[4],Papaya with port wine.[13]
[14],Pave de ginguba, peanut sponge cake dessert.[4],Pe-de-moleque, peanut-and-
caramel candy.[4],Quiabos com camarao, prawns with okra, garlic, onion, and tomato,
served with rice.[4],Tarco, radishes with peanuts, palm oil, tomatoes, and onions,
served alongside meat or fish.[4]
Beverages
A number of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are typical to Angola.[4]
Various homemade spirits are made, including capatica (made from bananas, a Cuanza
Norte specialty), caporoto (made from maize, a Malanje specialty); cazi or
caxipembe (made from potato and cassava skin); kimbombo (made from corn), maluva or
ocisangua (made with palm tree juice, sometimes described as "palm wine,"[2] a
Northern Angola specialty), ngonguenha (made from toasted manioc flour), and
ualende (made from sugarcane, sweet potato, corn, or fruits, a Bie specialty).[4]
Other beverages are Kapuka (homemade vodka), ovingundu (mead made from honey), and
Whiskey Kota (homemade whisky).[4]
Popular non-alcoholic drinks including Kissangua, a Southern Angola specialty, a
traditional non-alcoholic drink made of cornflour, have been used in indigenous
healing rituals.[4][15] Soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mirinda, Sprite, and
Fanta are also popular. While some soft-drinks are imported from South Africa,
Namibia, Brazil, and Portugal, the Angolan soft-drink industry has grown, with
Coca-Cola plants in Bom Jesus, Bengo, and Lubango opening since 2000.[2]
Mongozo is a traditional homemade beer made from palm nuts, a specialty of the
Lundas (Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul).[4] Mongozo was brewed by the Chokwe people
before the arrival of Europeans, and mongozo is now commercially produced for
export, including to Belgium, where it is produced by Van Steenberge.[2]
Various commercial beers are brewed in Angola, the oldest of which is Cuca, brewed
in Luanda. Others include Eka (brewed in Dondo in Cuanza Norte), N'gola (brewed in
Lubango), and Nocal (brewed in Luanda).[4]

Antigua and Barbuda cuisine refers to the cuisines of the Caribbean islands Antigua
and Barbuda. The national dish is fungie (pronounced "foon-jee") and pepperpot.[1]
Fungie is a dish similar to Italian polenta, made mostly with cornmeal.[1] Other
local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish and lobster (from Barbuda).
There are also local confectioneries which include sugar cake, fudge, raspberry and
tamarind stew, and peanut brittle.
These foods are indigenous to Antigua and Barbuda and to some other Caribbean
countries, the local diet has diversified and includes local dishes of Jamaica,
such as jerk meats, or Trinidad, such as roti, and specialties of other Caribbean
countries.
Common foods and dishes
Breakfast dishes include saltfish, eggplant (also known as troba), eggs, and
lettuce. Lunches typically include a starch, such as rice, macaroni or pasta, with
vegetables or salad, an entree (such as fish, chicken, pork, or beef) and a side
dish such as macaroni pie, scalloped potatoes or plantains. On Sundays, many people
in the country go to church and afterward prepare a variety of foods at home.
Dinner on Sundays is often eaten earlier (around 2:00 pm) because people are often
off work. Dinners may include pork, baked chicken, stewed lamb, or turkey,
alongside rice (prepared in a variety of ways), macaroni pie, salads, and a local
drink. Dessert may be ice cream and cake, apple pie (mango and pineapple pie in
their season), or gelatin. Antiguan butter bread is also a main staple of Antiguan
cuisine, a soft buttery loaf of bread that needs no butter added once baked. Many
locals enjoy fresh-baked butter bread and cheese for breakfast and throughout the
day. There are many homes in neighborhoods all over Antigua that have small
bakeries built onto them, where locals can go and purchase these fresh-baked
loaves. They are coupled with cheese, sardines, and/or a bright red sausage that
locals sometimes call salami, as well as many other foods. Most meals also include
what is called "provisions" usually a root or starch like potatoes, yams, sweet
potatoes, or eddo. During Carnival, souse, a type of soup made very spicy with
pigs' feet, knuckles, and tails with many onions, is a popular snack, sold by
vendors on the side of the road. Black pudding, also known as blood sausage, is a
well-seasoned sausage made with rice, meat, and blood that is also enjoyed by
locals in Antigua. In the countryside, locals roast fresh picked corn for sale,
usually in the husk, on makeshift grills. The Antiguan pineapple is a very small
fruit, but often juicy and sweet. There are small pineapple crops throughout the
island.
Beverages
Local drinks include mauby, seamoss, tamarind juice, raspberry juice, mango juice,
lemonade, coconut milk, hibiscus juice, ginger beer, passion fruit juice, guava
juice, soursop juice and ginger beer, a soft drink. Alcoholic drinks include beer,
malts and rums, many of which are made locally, including Wadadli beer (named after
the original name of the island) and the award-winning English Harbour Rum. Many
locals drink bottled sodas that they call sweet drink. One popular flavor is punch.
The locals also enjoy Red Stripe beer, Malta, Guinness stout and Heineken beer. For
the Christmas holidays a special celebratory alcoholic drink that is very popular
in Antigua is called Ponche Kuba Cream Liqueur, a thick, creamy tan colored drink
that is also very sweet and high in alcohol content.[citation needed]

Argentine cuisine is described as a blending of cultures, from the Indigenous

peoples of Argentina who focused on ingredients such as humita, potatoes, cassava,
peppers, tomatoes, beans, and yerba mate, to Mediterranean influences brought by
the Spanish during the colonial period. This led to cultural blending of criollos
(gauchos and early Spanish settlers), Indigenous, and sub-Saharan African (due to
slave trading) in the cuisine. Later, this was complemented by the significant
influx of Italian and Spanish immigrants to Argentina during the 19th and 20th
centuries, who incorporated plenty of their food customs and dishes such as pizzas,
pasta and Spanish tortillas.
Beef is a main part of the Argentine diet due to its vast production in the
country's plains. In fact, Argentine annual consumption of beef has averaged 100 kg
(220 lb) per capita,[1] approaching 180 kg (400 lb) per capita during the 19th
century; consumption averaged 67.7 kg (149 lb) in 2007.[2]
Beyond asado (the Argentine barbecue), no other dish more genuinely matches the
national identity. Nevertheless, the country's vast area, and its cultural
diversity, have led to a local cuisine of various dishes.[3][4]
The great immigratory waves consequently imprinted a large influence in the
Argentine cuisine, after all Argentina was the second country in the world with the
most immigrants with 6.6 million, only second to the United States with 27 million,
and ahead of other immigratory receptor countries such as Canada, Brazil,
Australia, etc.[5][6]
Argentine people have a reputation for their love of eating.[3] Social gatherings
are commonly centred on sharing a meal. Invitations to have dinner at home are
generally viewed as a symbol of friendship, warmth, and integration. Sunday family
lunch is considered the most significant meal of the week, whose highlights often
include asado or pasta.[3]
Another feature of Argentine cuisine is the preparation of homemade food such as
French fries, patties, and pasta to celebrate a special occasion, to meet friends,
or to honour someone. Homemade food is also seen as a way to show affection.[3]
Argentine restaurants include a great variety of cuisines, prices, and flavours.[3]
Large cities tend to host everything from high-end international cuisine to
bodegones (inexpensive traditional hidden taverns), less stylish restaurants, and
bars and canteens offering a range of dishes at affordable prices.[3]
History
Amerindians lived in Argentina thousands of years before European explorers
arrived. They mostly lived off of agriculture, as well as hunting, gathering, and
fishing. Generally, the most common crops at this time were maize, potatoes, common
beans, quinoa, and squash.[7]
The Argentinian native people could be divided in three groups based on their main
modality of acquiring food:
Hunters and gatherers who inhabited the Patagonia, Pampa, and Chaco regions.
Farmers in the northwestern, Cuyo, and Cordoba's mountain regions who mostly grew
squash, melons, and sweet potatoes. These groups had great influence from Andean-
Incan tradition.
Farmers in the Mesopotamia plains who belonged to the guaraní culture.[7]
Spanish settlers came to Argentina in 1536 and began building chacras where
Amerindians would work to harvest the food. The arrival of Europeans brought
Argentina into the Columbian Exchange, with ingredients from the Old World such as
wheat, grapevine, figs, and several kinds of fruits being introduced to the country
for the first time. It was also during the Spanish colonial period that cattle,
goat, and pig farming were first introduced to Argentina, forming the foundation of
the large Argentine beef industry.[7]
Between 1853 and 1955, 6.6 million immigrants came to live in Argentina from Europe
(especially from Italy, Wales, Germany and Switzerland), the Near and Middle East,
Russia and Japan. They contributed to the development of Argentine cuisine by
encouraging the production of a wider variety of foods. They also bought lands
where they built chacras and encouraged the growth of farming. By this point,
Argentina was the country with most immigrants only second to the United States.[5]
[6][7]
During the XIX century, social standing was not associated with access to food. The
price of beef, fish, and bird meats was cheap and accessible. However, grains and
wheat was scarce so bread was very expensive. Some of the most common dishes during
this time were soups with pork chunks, cooked partridge with legumes, spinach
bread, beef slices, and lamb stew. The most prominent spices were garlic, parsley,
and pepper.[7]
By the turn of the century, Argentine Cuisine was on a constant decline due to
shortage of several ingredients. However, eating habits began to shift with further
immigration which facilitated a gastronomic revolution.[7] Most immigrants in the
1900s came from Italy and Spain. The Italians introduced pizza, as well as a
variety of pasta dishes, including spaghetti and lasagna. British, German, Jewish,
and other immigrants also settled in Argentina, all bringing their styles of
cooking and favorite foods with them. The British brought tea, starting the
tradition of teatime. All of these cultures influenced the dishes of Argentina.[8]
At this time, Italian cuisine began to really become a part of the cuisine. The
neighborhood of La Boca, Buenos Aires, was the first big Italian hub, and from here
plenty of traditionally Italian ingredients and eating habits expanded across the
country. Different kinds of pastas such as long noodles or tallarines, gnocchi,
ravioli, and cannelloni filled with ricotta cheese became popular along with pizza,
fainá (Argentinian version of the traditional Italian farinata), and milanesas.
Different ways of preparing dishes were also adopted from Italian immigrants. These
included the preparation of ice cream, fish, and shellfish. Spanish immigrants also
left their mark, popularizing eating dry nuts, tomato sauce, pesto, olives, and
olive oil. Additionally, deli stores started to incorporate traditional Iberian
hams and sausages and great varieties of cheeses yet these were more limited. They
were also mainly responsible for the massive diffusion of wine consumption, amongst
some other habits. This occurred at the same time that other global products began
arriving to Argentina such as saffron, cod, different varieties of beans,
chickpeas, additional spices, chocolates, and tea.[7]
Typical foods
Most regions of Argentina are known for their beef-oriented diet. Grilled meat from
the asado (barbecue) is a staple, with steak and beef ribs especially common. The
term asado itself refers to long strips of flank-cut beef ribs.
Popular items such as chorizo (pork sausage), morcilla (blood sausage),
chinchulines (chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbread), and other parts of the animal
are also enjoyed.
In Patagonia, however, lamb and chivito (goat) are eaten more frequently than beef.
Whole lambs and goats are traditionally cooked over an open fire in a technique
known as asado a la estaca.
The most common condiment for asado is chimichurri, a sauce of herbs, garlic and
vinegar. Unlike other preparations, Argentines do not include chilli in their
version of chimichurri, but it does include a still-spicy, but milder form of red
pepper, ají molido.
Breaded and fried meats (milanesas) are used as snacks, in sandwiches, or eaten
warm with mashed potatoes, purée. Empanadas, small pastries of meat, cheese, sweet
corn, and many other fillings, are a common sight at parties and picnics, or as
starters to a meal. They also vary in their looks, since they are folded with a
traditional decorative edging called repulgue. The repulgue is not just aesthetic,
but also serves as a way to identify the flavor of each empanada since they are
traditionally ordered in dozens where people mix and match flavors. Empanadas are
one of the most important staples of this country due to the wide array of
varieties.[9]
The empanadas seen in Argentina today originate from a Spanish dish from the
fifteenth century where travelers used easy-to-carry bread and filled it with a
variety of ingredients. Eventually it evolved into a popular gastronomic item and
spread across the world.[9] Variations of empanadas both inside and outside of
Argentina include the empanada gallega (Galician empanada), a large round meat pie
made most commonly with tuna and mackerel (caballa in Spanish).
Vegetables and salads are also eaten by Argentines; tomatoes, onions, lettuce,
eggplants, squashes, and zucchini are common side dishes.
Italian staples, such as pizza and pasta, are eaten as commonly as beef. Fideos
(noodles), tallarines (fettuccine and tagliatelle), ñoquis (gnocchi) are
traditionally served on the 29th day of the month, ravioles, and canelones
(cannelloni) can be bought freshly made in many establishments in the larger
cities. Italian-style ice cream is served in large parlours and even drive-through
businesses. Other Italian staples are polenta, tarta pascualina, and pastafrola.
In Chubut, the Welsh community is known for its teahouses, offering scones and
torta galesa, which is rather like torta negra.
A fosforito is a ham and cheese sandwich using puff pastry as the bread.[10][11]
[12] Sandwiches de miga are delicate sandwiches made with crustless buttered
English bread, very thinly sliced cured meat, cheese, and lettuce. They are often
purchased from entrepreneurial home cooks and may be eaten for a light evening
meal.
A sweet paste, dulce de leche is another treasured national food, used to fill
cakes and pancakes, spread over toasted bread for breakfast, or served with ice
cream. In terms of sweets, Alfajores are another key staple. These are shortbread
cookies sandwiched together with chocolate and dulce de leche or a fruit paste. The
"policeman's" or "truck driver's" sweet is cheese with quince paste or dulce de
membrillo. Dulce de batata is made of sweet potato/yam: this with cheese is the
Martín Fierro's sweet. Additionally, ice cream shops or heladerias are a big boom
especially in the city of Buenos Aires. Argentinian ice cream comes in plenty of
flavors (from fruits to cheesecake and even duce de leche flavors) and has a
special smoothness as it follows a recipe very similar to that of Italian gelato.
[13]
Apples, pears, peaches, kiwifruits, avocados, and plums are major exports.
A traditional drink of Argentina is an infusion called mate (in Spanish, mate, with
the accent on the first syllable [MAH-teh]). The name comes from the hollow gourd
from which it is traditionally drunk.
The mate (gourd) or other small cup is filled about three-quarters full with yerba
mate, the dried leaves and twigs of the Ilex paraguariensis. The drink, which is
rather bitter, is sipped through a metal or cane straw called a bombilla. Mate can
be sweetened with sugar, or flavoured with aromatic herbs or dried orange peel.
Hot but not boiling water is poured into the gourd, drunk, then the mate is
refilled. The mate is nearly full of leaves, so each refill only makes a small
drink, but many refills are possible before the yerba is spent. In small gatherings
it is traditional for one mate to be passed from person to person, filled by
whoever has the kettle. It is customary not to thank the refiller routinely; a
final gracias (thank you) implies that the drinker has had enough.[14]
Drinking mate together is an important social ritual. Mate cocido is the same leaf,
which rather than brewed is boiled and served, like tea, with milk and sugar to
taste.
Other typical drinks include wine (sometimes with soda water added); tea and coffee
are equally important. Quilmes is the national brand of pale lager, named after the
town of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, where it was first produced.
Ingredients
Argentine cuisine uses locally-grown cereals, grains, oil seeds, fruits and
vegetables, as well as meat.
Meat products have been dominant in the country since the 16th century.[15] The
country is regarded as a major beef, pork and poultry producing and consuming
country. Certain areas such as those located in the south are usually engaged in
activities involving sheep and lamb breeding, and shellfish, crustaceans, molluscs
and salmonides fishing.
The vast breeding activity involving any type of cattle has given rise to a highly
developed dairy industry that includes products like cow, sheep and camelide, dulce
de leche and yogurts. Some of the cheeses from Argentina are reggianito, sardo,
provoleta and cremoso. Argentina can also be conceived as a great industry engaged
in the production of dried fruits, olives, all types of oils and spices.[3]
In the Mesopotamia region, river fish such as silverside, surubi, dorado or boga
are common.[3]
Regional differences
Argentine cuisine is heavily influenced by its European roots and has regional
variations. Asado, dulce de leche, empanadas, and yerba mate are found throughout
Argentina. In many parts of the country, food is prepared differently and different
kinds of foods are made; this includes to a smaller degree food from pre-Columbian
times, as in the Northwest.
Central region and la Pampa
This region is composed of the city of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province,
Córdoba, La Pampa, Santa Fe, and Entre Ríos.
This region, especially within the larger urban areas of Buenos Aires, Rosario, and
Córdoba welcomed European immigrants. These were especially of Italian and Spanish
descent. Nevertheless, there was also a migratory flow of German, Swiss, and Middle
Eastern immigrants arriving in Argentina. As a result, dishes such as pasta, pizza,
pucheros (stews), croquetas (fritters), sauces, embutidos (sausages), and chicken
and meat courses brought a wider scope of options to daily menus. The bread-making,
dessert, pastry, and dairy industries have achieved considerable development in
this region.
The above-mentioned dishes have developed a distinctively Argentine nuance. That is
why, for example, Argentine pasta includes a wide variety of dishes ranging from
spaghetti, fusiles (fusilli), ñoquis (gnocchi), ravioli, cintas (pasta ribbons),
and lasagne to the Argentine-made sorrentinos, agnolottis (agnolotti), canelones
(cannelloni), and fetuchines (fettuccine).
Pizza—made with very thin, and sometimes thick, high-rising doughs, with or without
cheese, cooked in the oven or a la piedra (on a stone oven), and stuffed with
numerous ingredients—is a dish which can be found in nearly every corner of the
country. Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Córdoba also serve it with fainá, which is a
chick pea-flour dough placed over the piece of pizza. People say that what makes
Argentine pizza unique is the blending of Italian and Spanish cultures. At the turn
of the 19th century, immigrants from Naples and Genoa opened the first pizza bars,
though Spanish residents subsequently owned most of the pizza businesses.
Bread products are consumed all around the country. The deeply rooted bread,
pastry, and dessert-making tradition derive from blending the above nationalities'
products. Bakeries sell not only a wide scope of bread, cookies, and cakes, but
also pastries. The latter resembles a sort of roll pastry whose main dough
ingredient is either butter or fat and which may be simple or stuffed with dulce de
leche, milk, jam, crema pastel, or quince or apple jelly, among other fillings. The
most popular type of pastry is said to be that of medialunas (singular: medialuna,
literally half-moon, that is to say, crescent), based upon French croissants.
Sandwiches de miga are another type of bread products; they are made only with thin
layers of white bread (generally referred to as crustless bread) and stuffed with
food items ranging from ham and cheese to other more sophisticated combinations
such as raw ham, tomatoes, olives, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, lettuce, red pepper, and
the like.
Desserts and sweets are usually stuffed or covered with dulce de leche. The latter
can be eaten alone or on top of cakes, alfajores, panqueques (crepes), and
pastries, or as a topping spread over flan de leche. Chantilly cream is widely
consumed and used in preparing sweets and desserts. Additionally, cakes, sponge
cakes, and puddings are very popular dishes. Italian ice creams in this region also
achieved a significant degree of development by adding local flavours that somehow
preserved the local spirit involved in their preparation.
Although asado is eaten all over the country, its origin may be traced back to the
Pampas. It entails many types of meat, which are generally eaten as follows:
achuras (offal), morcilla (blood sausage), and sometimes also a provoleta (a piece
of provolone cheese cooked on the grill with oregano) are eaten first. Then comes
the choripán (a kind of spiced sausage made with pork or lamb and placed between
two slices of bread), and finally meat such as asado de tira, vacío (flank steak),
lomo (tenderloin), colita de cuadril (rump), matambre (rolled stuffed steak cut
into slices and served cold), entraña (hanger steak); the list is never-ending.
Cabrito al asador (roast kid or goat) is frequently eaten in the province of
Córdoba.
Northwest and Cuyo
This region includes the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca, Tucumán, Santiago
del Estero, La Rioja, San Juan, Mendoza, and San Luis. It is also regarded as the
one most influenced by Native Americans, and its foods are closely linked to the
Andean-Incan tradition. When preparing regional dishes, potatoes and corn or wheat
are almost always used, including quinoa (a cereal typically used in Incan
cuisine), peppers, squashes, tomatoes and in some provinces beans. The most
celebrated dishes are humita and tamal, in which the corn husk is stuffed with the
corn filling itself, seasonings or meat.
This region is the most suitable to taste empanadas, particularly those stuffed
with meat and offering different types of tempting varieties such as the meat
empanada, salteña also filled with potatoes, or the empanada tucumana, which is
stuffed with matambre and cut with a knife, or empanadas made with cheese.
Empanadas are individual-sized and closed savoury pastries which may be fried or
baked in the oven and are generally eaten with the hands.
Stews such as locro, carbonada, pollo al disco, and cazuelas (casseroles) are also
typical dishes characterizing this region, which also include pumpkin or potato
pudding stuffed with meat.
There are also some local holidays in this region related to food. For example, in
Salta they hold a festival dedicated to a locally grown bean similar to Edamame.
During this holiday, the traditional foods of corn and beans are celebrated. Meals
of all kinds are eaten, always with these two ingredients as a side dish, and even
competitions of who can eat a set number of beans in the shortest period of time
are held.[16]
Mesopotamia
The humid and verdant area of north-east Argentina known as Mesopotamia, comprising
the provinces of Chaco, Corrientes, Misiones and Formosa is another area heavily
influenced by Native Americans, particularly by the Guaraní tribe. Abounding in
rivers and shores, it offers a wide diversity of fish species, such as dorado,
pacú, surubi, boga and silverside.
Widely grown in this area, cassava is typically included in the region's dishes, as
are other components of meals, such as the chipá (cassava and cheese bread).
However, in this area Cassava is cooked alone too, boiled or fried, often as a side
dish for Asado and empanadas. As well, mbeyú, chipá avatí, sopa paraguaya, sopa
correntina, chipa solo or chipá con carne, el quibebé, el borí borí, chipá guasú o
pastel de choclo, mbaipy, chipá mbocá o chipá caburé and some other similar meals
that have as basis:manioc, corn, cheese and, sometimes, some meat.. Chipá from
Cassava is often eaten during breakfast with yerba mate, prepared with hot water,
or with café con leche. Sopa Paraguaya and pastel/Carta de Choclo are eaten for
lunch or dinner. As regards products made with sugar, Papaya (mamón in Argentine
Spanish) jam is typical of the north of this region.
The principal product of this region is certainly yerba mate. Consumed countrywide,
this product features a peculiarity of its own in this area: it is not only
prepared with hot water but, driven by the region's high temperatures, it is common
to see it prepared with cold water as well, in which case the beverage is known as
tereré.
Patagonia
The large southern region of Patagonia is made up of the provinces Neuquén, Río
Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego. This area also includes the
Antarctica and Islas del Atlántico Sur. (or southern atlantic islands). Their most
typical food ingredients include fish and seafood from the sea and rivers and the
products of the sheep that are widely farmed there.
Marine species such as salmon, spider crabs, squid and other shellfish and molluscs
may be caught in the Atlantic Ocean. There are trout in the rivers.
The many berries grown in the area include cherries, bilberries, strawberries, rosa
mosqueta and elders, which are made into jams.
The Northern and Central European settlements in this region have built up large-
scale production of chocolate and its by-products. Viennese and German cuisine and
pastries are also typically associated with this region.
Mutton and lamb, together with wild boar and venison tend to make up the region's
meat-based dishes. Also typical of the southern region are smoked products,
including salmon, stag, wild boar, and pheasant.
Patagonia has been profoundly influenced by the tribes living there since long
before Europeans arrived, in particular, the Mapuches and the Araucanos. A typical
dish prepared by the latter is the curanto (a term meaning "hot stone"). Its
preparation involves making a fire in a hole about 150 cm deep in the ground, and
heating stones in it. A bed of nalca or maqui leaves is arranged on top of the
stones, and ingredients are added in turn on top. Ingredients vary, but may include
beef, lamb, pork, chicken, Argentine chorizos (pork sausages), potatoes, sweet
potatoes, apples and holed squashes filled with cheese, cream and peas. The food is
covered with leaves and damp pieces of cloth to keep the heat in, and covered with
plenty of soil.
Alcoholic beverages
Though wine (vino) has traditionally been the most popular alcoholic beverage in
Argentina, beer (cerveza; the Italian birra is frequently used) in recent decades
has competed with wine in popularity. Breweries appeared in Argentina at the end of
the 1860s, started by Alsatian colonists. The first were nearly all in the downtown
of Buenos Aires (el égido de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), and soon Polish
brewers began industrial production of beer: San Carlos in the province of Santa
Fe, Río Segundo and Córdoba in the province of Córdoba, Quilmes and Llavallol on
the outskirts of La Plata (in Buenos Aires Province), San Miguel de Tucumán in the
province of Tucumán and on the outskirts of the cities of Mendoza and Salta.
The local consumption of beer has risen dramatically in the last generation:
Argentines consumed 233 million litres in 1980 and 1.57 billion in 2007 (40 litres
per capita).[17] Outpacing that of wine since 2001, the growing production and
consumption of beer have supported the existence of related events, for example,
beer festivals called Oktoberfests or "Fiestas de la Cerveza" in locations that
have a significant German population (Villa General Belgrano in Córdoba, San Carlos
and Esperanza in the province of Santa Fe, etc.). Such celebrations copy, in an
Argentine manner, Munich's Oktoberfest, and similarly are tourist attractions.
However, the presence of a vigorous population of Celtic lineage, principally of
Irish origin, has supported the creation of other celebrations of beer, often for
marketing purposes, such as Saint Patrick's Day (Día de San Patricio), patron of
Ireland, which is celebrated with abundant libations.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Argentina is similar to that of the
United States and somewhat lower than the Western European average.[18] Argentines
enjoy a variety of alcoholic beverages and Argentina can boast a varied array of
elaboraciones, whether industrial or artisanal. Besides beer and wine, Argentines
frequently drink cider (here again, the heritage comes from Spain and Italy, more
precisely from Asturias and Campania). Cider is the most popular beverage of the
middle and lowers economic classes at Christmas and New Year (the upper classes
proverbially preferring to celebrate with locally produced champagne, although real
old-line "creole" aristocrats will still drink cider, which is much more
traditional).
Other widely consumed spirits are aguardiente (firewater) made from sugar cane,
known as caña quemada ("burnt cane") or, simply, 'caña' ("cane").[19] A folkloric
note about caña quemada: until 21 June it is traditional to drink caña quemada with
ruda macho (a variant of common rue), it is supposed that this mixture prevents the
flu and other illnesses. Caña competes, mainly in rural areas, with gin ("ginebra"—
as in the Dutch kind of gin.)
The bitter spirit Fernet, and particularly the Italian brand Fernet-Branca, is
highly popular in Argentina. (A study in 2017 found that Argentines consume more
than 75% of all fernet produced globally.)[20] Fernet is most commonly enjoyed as a
mixed drink with Coca-Cola. Given Fernet's qualities as a digestive aid, it is a
common choice for an after-dinner digestif.
There are many artisanally produced liqueurs (distilled, flavoured alcoholic
beverages) in Argentina, for example, those flavoured with orange, egg, anise,
coffee, cherry and, inevitably, dulce de leche. The Hesperidina is a type of
liqueur made from orange peels, invented in Argentina around 1890. One may also
encounter chitronchelo or (in Italian) citronella, based on lemon. This beverage
arrived with immigrants from the Mezzogiorno and is produced both artisanally and
industrially (for example, at Mar del Plata).
Non-alcoholic specialties
Argentines enjoy a wide variety of non-alcoholic infusions (although now and then
both "families" are mixed; the yerbiao for example, is mate mixed with caña or
gin). Among these, mate has long been the most widely enjoyed; in 2006, over
700,000 metric tons were harvested in Argentina, mostly for domestic consumption.
Mate is also one of the top exports from Argentina, as it is valued all over the
world.[22]
The fact that mate is so prevalent in the Southern Cone, however, should not
necessarily make visitors think that other infusions are rare in the region; in
Argentina especially, given the strong European cultural imprint, the consumption
of coffee is very common (141 cups per capita, annually).[21] Chocolate infusions
are also popular (the eating of chocolate is a Spanish influence, although the
plant originated in Mesoamerica). This consumption grows during autumn and winter,
or in the cold regions of the country; there are two dates where consumption of
chocolate infusions is traditional in the primary educational centres: 25 May and 9
July, that is, the two national dates of Argentina.
English cultural influence (reinforced at the end of the 19th century and the
beginnings of the 20th by British contacts with the Far East) has also made the
consumption of tea very common.
Medicinal herbs are common in the whole country; among the most popular are:
chamomile, lanceleaf, boldo, poleo, peperina, carqueja, thyme, canchalagua, rue
(macho and hembra, that is, "male" and "female"), mallow, rosemary, passion flower,
bira bira, palán palán, muña muña, to mention only the main ones. Many of these
herbs are also used in apéritifs and bitters, whether alcoholic or not.
Popular short-order dishes
Common restoranes or restaurantes and rotiserias (grill restaurants) nearly
anywhere in Argentina today serve (into the small hours) quickly prepared meals
that in the course of the 20th century came to be known as minutas, "short-order
dishes". Some of the dishes included in the category of minutas are milanesas,
churrascos, bifes (beefsteaks), escalopes, tallarines, ravioles (ravioli), ñoquis
(gnocchi), although some are very typical of locations that sell food: "bifes" and
"milanesas" are served "a caballo" ("on horseback", with fried egg on top),
"milanesa completa" (a milanesa with two fried eggs and French fries), "revuelto
Gramajo", "colchón de arvejas" (an omelette made with peas), "suprema de pollo"
(chicken supreme, usually breaded as a milanesa), matambres, "lengua a la
vinagreta" (pickled tongue), and "sandwiches" (sandwiches de miga) are made with
sliced white bread, rather than, say, rolls.
The most common sandwiches are those made of milanesa, baked ham and cheese, pan de
miga, toast, pebetes, panchos (hot dogs), choripanes, morcipanes, etc.; from
Montevideo comes a different species of sandwich called the chivito, even though it
contains no goat meat.
Picadas, which are consumed at home or in bars, cafés, "cafetines" and "bodegones"
are also popular; they consist of an ensemble of plates containing cubes of cheese
(typically from Mar del Plata or Chubut), pieces of salame, olives in brine, french
fries, maníes (peanuts), etc.; picadas are eaten accompanied by an alcoholic
beverage ("fernet", beer, wine with soda, to give some common examples).
The people of Argentina greatly enjoy helado (ice creams of Italian lineage or
sorbets Spanish lineage). In Spanish colonial times a type of sorbet was made from
hail or snow.[23]
Eating habits
Breakfast typically is small and consists of coffee (or mate) and pastry. In most
parts of Argentina, lunch is the largest meal of the day. Excluding the largest
cities, such as Buenos Aires, Rosario or Cordoba, most towns close for lunchtime.
This is when most people return home to enjoy a large meal and siesta. Traditional
lunches in Argentina are long and well developed. Argentines often have a light
evening snack (called a "merienda" – typically a coffee or mate and a pastry) and
it is common to not eat dinner until 9 at night, or even later on weekends.

Armenian cuisine (Armenian: Հայկական խոհանոց) includes the foods and cooking
techniques of the Armenian people and traditional Armenian foods and drinks. The
cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived and where
Armenian empires existed. The cuisine also reflects the traditional crops and
animals grown and raised in Armenian-populated or controlled areas.
The preparation of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes in an Armenian kitchen often
requires stuffing, frothing, and puréeing.[1] Lamb, eggplant, and bread (lavash)
are basic features of Armenian cuisine. Armenians traditionally prefer cracked
wheat to maize and rice. The flavor of the food often relies on the quality and
freshness of the ingredients rather than on excessive use of spices.
Fresh herbs are used extensively, both in the food and as accompaniments. Dried
herbs are used in the winter when fresh herbs are not available. Wheat is the
primary grain and is found in a variety of forms, such as whole wheat, shelled
wheat, bulgur (parboiled cracked wheat), semolina, farina, and flour. Historically,
rice was used mostly in the cities and in certain rice-growing areas (such as
Marash and the region around Yerevan). Legumes are used liberally, especially chick
peas, lentils, white beans, and kidney beans. Nuts are used both for texture and to
add nutrition to Lenten dishes. Of primary usage are not only walnuts, almonds, and
pine nuts, but also hazelnuts, pistachios (in Cilicia), and nuts from regional
trees.[2]
Fresh and dried fruit are used both as main ingredients and as sour agents. As main
ingredients, the following fruits are used: apricots (fresh and dried), quince,
melons, and others. As sour agents, the following fruits are used: sumac berries
(in dried, powdered form), sour grapes, plums (either sour or dried), pomegranate,
apricots, cherries (especially sour cherries), and lemons. In addition to grape
leaves, cabbage leaves, chard, beet leaves, radish leaves, strawberry leaves, and
others are also stuffed.
Background
A typical meal in an Armenian household might consist of bread, butter, buttermilk,
cheese, fresh and pickled vegetables, and radishes. Lunch might include a vegetable
or meatball soup with sour milk.[3]
Lamb, yogurt, eggplant and bread are basic features of the Armenian cuisine, but
there are some regional differences. In Soviet cookbooks the Armenian cuisine is
always stated to be the oldest of Transcaucasia and one of the oldest in all of
Asia. Armenian dishes make use of cracked wheat, while Georgian variations use
maize. Armenian cuisine also makes use of mixed flours made from wheat, potato and
maize, which produces flavors that are difficult to replicate. Armenians tail fat
dmak.[4] Archaeologists have found traces of barley, grapes, lentils, peas, plums,
sesame, and wheat during excavations of the Erebuni Fortress in Yerevan.[5]
Herbs are used copiously in Armenian cuisine, and Armenian desserts are often
flavored with rose water, orange flower water and honey.[4] Salads are a staple of
the Armenian diet, along with various yogurt soups and lamb stews, which sometimes
include apricots.[3] Pomegranate juice is a popular beverage.[6] Murat Belge has
written that both Armenian and Iranian cuisines have meat and fruit dishes, where
meat is cooked together with fruits like quince and plums, which are uncommon in
Ottoman cuisine.[7]
Mezes made with chickpeas, lentils, beans and eggplants play a role in Armenian
cuisine, often served with traditional lavash bread. Lavash may also be used as a
wrap for various combinations of fried meat, vegetables, cheese and herbs.[3]
Armenian cuisine also features filled pastry pies called boereg, various types of
sausages, toasted pumpkin seeds, pistachios, pine nuts, basturma, and dolma.[4]
Cinnamon is a very commonly used spice in Armenian cuisine; it is sprinkled on
soups, breads, desserts and sometimes even fish. Salads are served with a lemon-
cinnamon dressing alongside as an accompaniment to meat kebabs.[5] In a survey of
Armenian-American cuisine, ginger was rated an important spice.[8][3]
Sources
Armenians were affected by the ongoing Ottoman–Persian Wars (one text laments "The
whole land is enslaved by the cursed Suleyman") and produced many literary works in
the 16th and 17th centuries emphasizing the Christian identity of Armenians in
troubled Anatolia. Food became a central theme in this body of Armenian literature.
Despite prohibitions in early Armenian law codes against Armenians eating or
drinking with Muslims, a "sort of blasphemous" 17th century Armenian drinking song
describes a feast in Van attended by Armenian priests, laymen and Turks, with the
refrain repeating "Intercede to the great barrel, bountiful is its wine."[9] The
poem contains many Armenian terms for common foods. Some of the terms found in
Andreas are:
Halva,Porak,Paxlava,Herisa,Lahana,K'ufta,Xorovac
Ardashes H. Keoleian authored the Oriental Cookbook (1913) is a collection of
recipes from the Middle East "adapted to American tastes and methods of
preparation" is a mixed collection of recipes that includes some recipes from the
Armenian cuisine.[10]
Armenian-American cookbook author Rose Baboian made her collection of traditional
Armenian recipes accessible for young, English-speaking Armenians. Mark Zanger, a
Boston-based food reporter, wrote that Baboian's book "stands out as a model of
American ethnic food because she recorded so many traditions".[11] She is
considered to have anticipated Armenian American fusion cooking with recipes like
"chocolate yogurt".[12]
Grains and legumes
Grains used in traditional Armenian cuisine included millet, wheat, barley, rye,
peas and maize. Various legumes were also consumed such as lentils, chickpeas, and
beans.[13]
Grains are used for a variety of purposes: traditional lavash bread is made from
wheat flour and grains are also added to soups to give them a thicker consistency.
[3] Lavash is baked in a traditional clay tonir oven. Bread is a very important
staple of Armenian cuisine.[5]
Kofta can be made with bulgur, finely chopped vegetables, herbs and often lamb.
There are variations intended to be eaten cold or served hot. Sini keufteh is a
dish similar to kibbeh, but layered and baked in a baking dish. The two outer
layers are made with bulgur, lamb mince, onion and spices. The inner filling
includes butter, onion, lamb mince, pine nuts and spices.[14]
Harissa (Armenian հարիսա harisa, also known as ճիտապուր) is a thick porridge made
of wheat and meat cooked together for a long time, originally in the tonir but
nowadays over a stove. Ardashes Hagop Keoleian called it the "national dish" of
Armenians.[15] Traditionally, harissa was prepared on feast days in communal pots.
The wheat used in harissa is typically shelled (pelted) wheat, though in Adana,
harissa is made with կորկոտ (korkot; ground, par-boiled shelled wheat). Harissa can
be made with lamb, beef, or chicken. A small piece of butter is often put at the
top of the harissa.[16]
A common dish of Armenian cuisine is pilaf (եղինձ; yeghints). Pilaf is a seasoned
rice, bulgur, or shelled wheat dish often served with meats such as lamb or beef.
Armenian recipes may combine vermicelli or orzo with rice cooked in stock seasoned
with mint, parsley and allspice.[17] One traditional Armenian pilaf is made with
the same noodle rice mixture cooked in stock with raisins, almonds and allspice.
[18] Armenian rices are discussed by Rose Baboian in her cookbook from 1964 which
includes recipes for different pilafs, most rooted in her birthplace of Aintab in
Turkey.[19] Baboian recommends that the noodles be stir-fried first in chicken fat
before being added to the pilaf. Another Armenian cookbook written by Vağinag Pürad
recommends to render poultry fat in the oven with red pepper until the fat mixture
turns a red color before using the strained fat to prepare pilaf. Pilaf made with
bulgur and liver is a specialty of Zeytun (present day Süleymanlı).[20]
Lapa is a kind of savory rice porridge or gruel eaten in Armenia, but it also is an
Armenian word with several meanings.[21] One of which is "watery boiled rice, thick
rice soup, mush" and lepe which refers to various rice dishes differing by region.
[22] Antranig Azhderian describes Armenian pilaf as "dish resembling porridge".[23]
In Agn (present-day Kemaliye) a thin flatbread calling loshig was baked and dried.
It would be wetted again before being eaten. Badjoug was a pastry of fat and flour
stamped with designs and sent as a wedding invitation. Glodj was unleavened bread
made for Lent and klrdig was a bread made of semolina.[24]
Herbs, spices and sauces
Armenians make extensive use of various herbs in their dishes. One porridge
prepared from cereals and wild herbs is called kerchik. (The same name is used by
Yazidis.) Armenians usually eat kerchik with pickled cabbage, whereas Yazidis eat
it with knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare).[25] The Eastern Anatolia region, where
many Armenians lived prior to the Armenian genocide, has an immensely rich plant
biodiversity with over 3,000 vascular plant taxa—of these almost 800 are endemic
species. The inhabitants of this region often lived in inaccessible area and were
dependent on local cultivated and wild flora. Some of the most important areas of
the region, in terms of plant diversity, include Harput, Lake Hazar and Munzur.[26]
In Armenia there are more than 3,600 wild plant species. Those include stinging
nettle (mostly used for tea), asparagus and mallow an herb that formed the original
basis for marshmallows.[27]
Commonly used spices include black pepper, sumac, cumin, caraway, cardamom, mahleb,
clove, anise, curcuma, fennel, fenugreek, blue fenugreek, allspice, ziziphora,
saffron, paprika, cayenne, and cinnamon.[28] Some greens were dried and used to
season cooking including garlic, spinach, parsley, mint, coriander, dill, summer
savory, thyme, tarragon, leek, chive, celery, marjoram, bay leaves, and basil.[29]
[30] Red pepper pulp was dried in the sun. Sprigs of terebinth were dried and
infused in a mixture of water, olive oil and brine, then toasted and ground. The
ground terebinth was added as a seasoning for eetch, tabouleh, and baked breads.
[31][32]
An Armenian spice mix called cemen (Armenian: չաման), that consists of caraway,
paprika, blue fenugreek, fenugreek, black pepper, allspice, cumin, garlic, salt,
and cayenne(optional). When used as a marinade, (mostly for basturma) the spice
blend is added to tomato paste, parsley, crushed garlic cloves, and either olive
oil, or matzoon.[33][34][35] A sweet Armenian “spice mix” called khoritz, which is
used to prepare Armenian desserts like Gata or Nazook, is made of sugar, flour, and
butter. In some variations walnuts are added.[36][37]
One Armenian sauce that is also the base of some Armenian dishes, is Lecho
(Armenian: լեչո). It is made with tomato, peppers/paprika, parsley and salt, and it
is usually served hot.[38] Red jajek (Armenian: կարմիր ջաջիկ), also called
matsnaprtosh (Armenian: մածնաբրդոշ matsnaprt'oš) in Artsakh, is a yogurt sauce made
with matzoon, sour cream, red beet, onion, garlic, cucumber(optional), black
pepper, dill, and coriander.[39] Matzoon alone can also be used as a sauce, and
when used as one, spices and herbs are often added to it. Other popular sauces in
that are used in Armenian cuisine include ajika, and jajek.[40][41]
Dairy and cheese
Typical dairy items were present in the Armenian cuisine such as matzoon, strained
yogurt, butter, cream, and cheese.[31]
Cheese is a staple of Armenian cuisine and in the traditional cuisine it was
consumed daily. The process of making Armenian lori cheese begins by boiling,
similar to halloumi cheese. It is preserved in a brine solution.[42] Armenian-
American cookbook author Rose Baboian explains that Armenian cheesemaking
techniques date back to an era before refrigeration was widely available so cheeses
had to be preserved in brine solution.[43] Chechil is a type of smoked Armenian
string cheese.[44] Yeghegnadzor is an Armenian steamed cheese made from pasteurized
cows or goats milk that is mixed with local greens stored in clay pots then buried
in the mountains and left to mature for at least 6 months before consumption. The
texture is semi-soft, and crumbly.[45][46] Chanakh is Armenian soft cheese that is
soaked in pots and filled with brine. Its texture is slightly brittle.[47][48]
Motal is a white goat cheese flavored with wild herbs. Motal is prepared in locally
made terra cotta pots sealed with beeswax, a method that dates back at least 5,000
years.[49][50]
In Musa Dagh traditional cheese was made from curds called choukalig. Gij or
kebdzoudz baneyr was salted and dried thyme combined with curds and preserved in a
jug. Sourki cheese was a mixture of spices and curds shaped as a pyramid, dried,
and stored in glass until it began to turn moldy. Khiroubaneyr was made by adding
yogurt water to milk.[31]
Matzoon (Armenian: մածուն, matsun) and other yogurt-derived products are of
particular importance in the cuisine. Tahn (similar to ayran in Turkey) is a yogurt
based drink made by mixing yogurt with water and salt (Baboian's recipe also
includes sugar). This may have originated as a way of preserving yogurt by the
addition of salt.[51] Tan is the traditional Armenian name for strained yogurt.[52]
Strained yogurt that was boiled with water until completely solid was called yepadz
madzoun (cooked yogurt) and it could be stored for use in winter soups.[31] Butter
was made by beating matzoon in a churn.[31]
Baboian gives several different recipes that can be prepared with madzoon like
barley matsoon soup, jajek (which she calls Easter Spinach Salad) and sauce served
with koftas.[53] She has also a matsoon spice cake with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
served with coconut and walnut topping. Her recipe for fruitcake, also made with
yogurt, includes dried fruits, nuts, baking spices and assorted candied fruits.[54]
Baboian's recipes were published before yogurt was widely available in American
shops, so her recipe collection included instructions for preparing yogurt at home
from fresh milk when it was published.[12] In the 1950s, Sarkis Colombosian, an
Armenian who had fled Turkey in 1917, began selling yogurt from an Andover,
Massachusetts based dairy farm, which he purchased during the Great Depression. The
family made the matsoon themselves and also made tan. Armenian merchants in
Watertown, Massachusetts began ordering yogurt, labneh and string cheese from
Colombo Yogurt, and the product eventually made it on to supermarket shelves.[55]
Tarhana is a mixture of yogurt and bulgur wheat.[56] The yogurt and bulgur are
combined and left on a tray until the grains absorb the yogurt. Once the liquid is
absorbed, the grain is placed in the sun to dry and then rubbed into a powder. This
powder can be used to thicken soups or stews.[57] Traditionally, it was stored in
cloth bags.[31] Three types of tarhana are known from Agn (present-day Kemaliye):
the commonly known tahneh tarhana made from milled bulgur and ayran, chreh tarhana
from bulgur and water (for Lent) and shira tarhana with bulgur and grape juice.[24]
According to Stanley Kerr, a staff member at the Near East Relief orphanage for
Armenian children, when the massacres began during the Battle of Marash Armenians
sheltering at a soap factory sustained themselves on stores that included tarhana,
dried fruits and olive oil.[58]
Fruits and other sweets
The main ingredients in Armenian sweets are honey, fruits, nuts, yogurt and sesame.
Both dried and fresh fruits are used.[59] There are many fruit-based Armenian
desserts including smoked peaches and nuts cooked in honey and various fruit
compotes.[3] Sweet sujuk (called churchkhela in Georgia) are nuts that are coated
in fruit must, or juice. Matzoon, and nuts, that are sweetened with honey, are a
popular dessert in Armenia.[59] Cinnamon is heavily used as spice for desserts like
apricot compote, and kurabiye (a type of cookie).[5] The apricot species Prunus
Armeniaca is named after Armenia.[60] The scientific name armeniaca was first used
by Gaspard Bauhin in his Pinax Theatri Botanici(page 442), referring to the species
as Mala armeniaca "Armenian apple". It is sometimes stated that this came from
Pliny the Elder, but it was not used by Pliny. Linnaeus took up Bauhin's epithet in
the first edition of his Species Plantarum in 1753.[61] Armenian and Persian
peaches were reportedly traded westward during the era of Alexander the Great.[62]
One Soviet-era writer reports that Armenia's apricots, peaches, walnuts and quince
are "equal or superior to the world's best grades".[63] Another writes "Armenian
peaches are famous, and her brandies are popular throughout the world".[64] Grapes,
figs, and pomegranates are also popular.[5] Grapes and apricots are commonly used
to make bastegh (Armenian: պաստեղ), a dried "fruit leather" that resembles Fruit
Roll-Ups.[59] Alani (ալանի) are pitted dried fruits stuffed with ground walnuts and
sugar.
The Armenian version of the grain pudding ashure is called anoushabour (Armenian:
անուշաբուր). Since Armenians serve this pudding during Christmas and on New Year's
Eve, it is sometimes called "Armenian Christmas Pudding". The pudding may be
accompanied by kurabiye or nuts such as almonds and pistachios.[59] Like ashure,
the Christmas Pudding may be garnished with pomegranate seeds and flavored with
rose water, and shared with neighbors during the Christmas season. This festive
pudding is the centerpiece of the New Year's table, which is often decorated with
dried fruits, nuts and pomegranates.[65]
Armenian baklava, known in Armenian as pakhlava (Armenian: Փախլավա), is made of
layers of phyllo dough, a filling of cinnamon-spiced chopped walnuts, and a syrup
made from cloves, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar and water.[66][67] It is diamond-
shaped and often has either one hazelnut, almond, or half a walnut placed on each
piece.[68][69] It is often served at special occasions like Armenian christmas or
Armenian eastern.[70][71] Armenian baklava has some variations on how many phyllo
layers are supposed to be used. One variation uses 40 sheets of dough to align with
the 40 days of Lent Jesus spent in the desert.[72][73] Another variation is similar
to the Greek style of baklava, which is supposed to be made with 33 dough layers,
referring to the years of Jesus's life.[74] The city of Gavar makes Its own version
of baklava. It is made with 25 dough layers, has a filling of cleaned and dried
chopped walnuts, sugar and a syrup that is poured over the finished baklava
consisting of honey and flowers.[75][76] This type of baklava used to be prepared
in the then-Armenian city of Bayazet, but the people living there immigrated to
Gavar and surrounding regions in 1830.[77] Armenians say the name of the pastry,
which they call paklava, derives from the Armenian word bakh (Lent) and helvah
("sweet").[78]
Gata (Armenian: գաթա) is an Armenian pastry or sweet bread. There are many
variations of gata in Armenia.[79][80] One popular variety of it is koritz
(khoriz), a filling that consists of flour, butter and sugar. Gata can have other
fillings such as nuts, most commonly walnuts.[36][81]
Nazook (Armenian: նազուկ) is a rolled Armenian pastry made from flour, butter,
sugar, sour cream, yeast, vanilla extract and eggs, with a filling (khoriz) made
with sugar, flour, butter, and nuts, especially walnuts.[82][83]
Cigarette cookies (Armenian: սիգարետ թխվածքաբլիթներ) are soft cookies that are
rolled into the form of a cigarette. They are filled with either lokhum, a mixture
of sugar, cardamom, and walnuts, or a combination of both. The dough mainly
consists of matzoon, butter, eggs, and flour.[84][85][83] When finished the pastry
gets dusted with powdered sugar.[84]
Tahini rolls (Armenian: թահինի հաց) are made by rolling dough out, spreading it
with a mixture of tahini, cinnamon and sugar. After that it is rolled into a
cylinder. The dough is then sliced into smaller pieces and rolled up to form a
circle.[86][87]
The Mikado cake (Armenian: միկադո տորթ) is an Armenian layer cake made by stacking
up layers of baked dough (the dough mainly consists of flour, sour cream, butter,
and egg[88]) and a buttercream that mainly consists of butter, chocolate, brandy
and condensed milk on top of eachother. When finished the cake gets covered in the
aforementioned buttercream, and shreds of chocolate, or leftover dough-crumbles.
[89][90]
Murabba (Armenian: մուրաբա) is a sweet fruit, and nut perserve. It is usually
prepared with fruit, sugar, and spices. A unique variation only found in Armenia is
pumpkin murabba.[91] These fruit perserves often accompany beverages, like tea.[92]
[93]
Meats
Grilled meats are quite common as well and are omnipresent at market stalls, where
they are eaten as fast food, as well as at barbecues and picnic. Also, in modern
times, no Armenian banquet is considered complete without an entree of grilled
meat. Grilled meats vary from the simple (marinated meat on a skewer interspersed
with vegetables like eggplant) to the more elaborate. Certain regions in Eastern
and Western Armenia developed their own variations of grilled meat. Armenians eat
various meats like mutton, beef and goat but the most popular meat in Armenian
cuisine is pork.[5][94] Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Armenian writers in
Ottoman Anatolia considered eating pork an important marker of Christian identity.
An Armenian priest writing in the sixteenth century concluded, "If we didn't eat
the meat of the pig, then we wouldn't be Christian."[95]
Roasted piglet, called gochi, is a traditional holiday meal prepared for New Year's
celebrations. Roasted pork chops (chalagach) are a favored item for barbeques.[94]
Khorovats (Armenian: խորոված) is an Armenian-style barbecue that is usually made
from pork, but can also be made with lamb. This dish is prepared with vegetables
like eggplant, tomato and green pepper. It is made on skewers and cooked in a
tonir.[3] Lula kebab (Armenian: լուլա քյաբաբ) is a type of kebab cooked on skewers.
It is made from minced meat that is spiced with onion, tail fat, salt, black
pepper, and sumac.[5] It is usually served with lavash, grilled onions, and
pomegranates.[96]
Dolma (Armenian: տոլմա) and stuffed eggplant (Armenian: լցոնած սմբուկներ) dishes
are widespread in Armenia. Dolma is usually made with either stuffing wine leaves,
cabbage, eggplants, peppers, or other vegetables with a mixture of spiced ground
beef and rice. There is a Dolma festival in Armenia that appreciates the art of
tolma-making in Armenia.[97]
Basturma (Armenian: բաստուրմա) is a salted meat that is dried, and cured, before
being rubbed with a special spice-paste called cemen (See: Herbs, spices and sauces
section of this article). It is a common food item in Armenia.[5] According to some
sources, the first recorded mention of Basturma was between 95-45 BC in Armenia
during the reign of Tigranes the Great, where it was known as aboukh (Armenian:
աբուխ).[98][99]The word abookhd (Classical Armenian: apukht) was already used in
the Armenian translation of the Bible, in the fifth century AD, meaning “salted and
dried meat”.[100] While others say that the basturma we know today was invented in
the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.[101]
Other Armenian meat-based dishes:
Yershig (Armenian: երշիկ yershik or սուջուխ suǰux) – a spicy beef sausage that is
dried, and cured. Other than the Turkish version of sujuk, it is a lot denser and
spicier. This sausage is mostly served as a cold cut, but it can also be fried.
[102][103],Kiufta (Armenian: կոլոլակ kololak) – meaning meatball comes in many
types, such as Hayastan kiufta, Kharpert kiufta (Porov kiufta), Ishli kiufta,
etc.,Keshkegh (Armenian: Քեշքեղ) is a bulgur pilav-based dish with lamb or chicken;
it is cooked in a broth and flavored with butter, cinnamon and pepper.[104],Tehal
(Armenian: տհալ, also known as ghavurma) is potted meat preserved in its own
fat.,Tjvjik (Armenian: տժվժիկ) is an Armenian dish which is mainly based on liver
(lamb, beef, pork or chicken). In addition to liver it can include any other offal.
[105],Khashlama (Armenian: Խաշլամա) is a traditional Armenian vegetable and lamb
stew. It is usually cooked over a tonir, and when finished eaten togheter with
lavash.[106][107],Urfa kebab (Armenian: Կոլոլակ Ուրֆայից, lit. 'Meatballs from
Urfa'), is spiced minced meat interspersed with eggplant slices.[108],Orukh
(Armenian: օրուխ) and Khanum budu (Armenian: Խանում բուդու), are two Cilician
specialties. These fried patties are usually made with a combination of rice,
ground meat, eggs, parsley, oil, salt, and black pepper. They are cooked on
skewers.[109]
Doughs
Matnakash (Armenian: մատնաքաշ matnak’aš) – is a soft and puffy leavened bread, made
of wheat flour and shaped into oval or round loaves; the characteristic golden or
golden-brown crust is achieved by coating the surface of the loaves with sweetened
tea essence before baking.,Lavash (Armenian: լավաշ) - is a thin flatbread usually
leavened and traditionally baked in a tonir.[110][111],Bagharch (Armenian: բաղարջ)
– sweet ritual bread prepared for New Year's Eve, Mid-Lent, etc. It usually has a
pattern on its top.[112],Choereg or bsatir (Armenian: չորեկ, բսատիր) – braided
bread formed into rolls or loaves, also a traditional loaf for Easter.[113],Nshkhar
(Armenian: նշխար nšxar) is the communion bread used during mass (Badarak) in the
Armenian Church.[114] It always has a religious (Christian) image printed on top of
it.[115],Zhingyalov hats (Armenian: Ժինգյալով հաց) – Zhingyalov hats, are
flatbreads filled with seven different greens which include spinach, coriander,
parsley, basil, scallions, dill, and mint. There is a variety of combinations that
can be used in the bread and these greens can also be substituted for other greens.
The greens are placed in the bread, and then the bread is folded like a into the
shape of a boat. After that it is cooked and then eaten.[116][117]
Semsek (Armenian: սեմսեկ) - is an Armenian dish made with a smooth dough that is
topped with mixture of minced meat, herbs, and spices.[118]
Breakfast
The modern Armenian breakfast consists of coffee or tea, plus a spread of cheeses,
jams, meats, vegetables, eggs, and breads. Armenians living in the Diaspora often
adopt local customs. Thus, Armenians in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt may include "ful"
(stewed fava beans in olive oil).
Traditional Armenian breakfast dishes are hearty. They included:
Khash, sometimes colloquially called the "Armenian hangover cure", is a basic dish
of simmered cow's hooves.[119][120] Khash is mentioned in 12th century medieval
Armenian texts.[119],Byoreks (Armenian: բյորեկ), are pies made with phyllo pastry
and stuffed with cheese (panirov byorek, from Armenian: panir for cheese, Eastern
Armenians refer to this as Khachapuri) or spinach (similar to spanakopitain Greek
cuisine). They are a popular snack and fast food, often served as appetizer. Su
byorek lit. 'water burek' is a lasagna-style dish with sheets of phyllo pastry
briefly boiled in a large pan before being spread with fillings. Msov byorek is a
bread roll (not phyllo pastry) stuffed with ground meat (similar to Russian
pirozhki). They are thought to have entered Armenian cuisine in the middle ages
through the Byzantine Empire, when early versions of this dish were known as
plakous (savoury version). It was borrowed into Armenian as plagindi, plagunda, and
pghagund.[121] From the latter term came the later Arabic name iflaghun, which is
mentioned in the medieval Arab cookbook Wusla ila al-habib as a specialty of the
Cilician Armenians who settled in southern Asia Minor, where they later on had
interactions with the neighboring Crusader kingdoms. Thus, the dish may have
traveled to the Levant in the Middle Ages via the Armenians, many of whom migrated
there following the first appearance of the Turkish tribes in medieval Anatolia.
[122],Loligov dzvadzekh (Armenian: լոլիգով ձվաձեխ) is a very common breakfast-dish
in Armenia. Essentially a simple scramble with tomato as the base. Some iterations
of this dish can include, most commonly, onions and bell peppers. Herbs (tarragon,
purple basil, and coriander) also get added to the dish. It is usually served with
traditional lavash bread, and a variation called Pamidorov dzvadzekh (Armenian:
պամիդորով ձվաձեխ), which also adds cheese (like Chechil) to the dish.[123]
Appetizers
Meals in Armenia often start with a spread of appetizers served for "the table".
[124]
Lavash together with basturma/aboukh, soujoukh, cheeses (chechil, and other
armenian cheeses), and sauces (matsoon, jajek, lecho, or ajika) often get served as
an appetizer.[125]
Armenian appetizers include stuffed vine leaves (called yalanchy sarma, a type of
dolma), a fried cheese-stuffed pastry called dabgadz banir boerag,[104] stuffed
mussels (midye dolma)[126] and several types of pickled vegetables generally known
as torshi.[127] Toasted pumpkin seeds (Armenian: տուտումի գուդ, romanized: tutumi
gud) are a popular snack.[104]
Chickpea balls called topik are a common Armenian appetizer; they are spiced with
currants, onions, and cinnamon and served with a tahini sauce.[5][128]
Takuhi Tovmasyan discusses several Armenian mezzes in her book Sofranız Şen Olsun
including stuffed mackerel, a dish of beans in sauce served over stale bread
(leftover lavash may be used also) called fasulye pacasi, and a type of olive-oil
based appetizer with mussels called midye pilakisi.[129]
Salads
Many, if not most, Armenian salads combine a grain or legume with fresh vegetables—
often tomato, onions, and fresh herbs. Mayonnaise is used in Western or Russian-
inspired salads (such as Olivier salad). Examples of Armenian salads include:
Eetch – cracked wheat (Its typical red colour is derived from crushed or pureed
tomatoes) salad, additional ingredients include onion, parsley, olive oil, lemon,
paprika, and bell peppers. It is similar to the Middle Eastern tabouleh.
[130],Lentil salad – brown lentils, tomatoes, onions, in a dressing of lemon juice,
olive oil, and chopped parsley. This salad has many variations, with the lentils
being replaced by chick peas, black-eyed peas, chopped raw or roasted eggplant, or
other ingredients.
Soups and stews
All Armenian soups contain salt.
Spas (Armenian: Սպաս), which is a matzoon-based soup, and a traditional dish in
Armenia.[131][132] Besides matzoon, the main ingredient are herbs, and hulled wheat
berries (i.e. with husks removed). There are many varieties of Spas, like using
rice, barley, or bulgur instead of wheat berries. Butter, onions and meatballs
often get added for a richer taste.[133][134]
Khash, is considered an Armenian institution. Songs and poems have been written
about this one dish. It is made from cow's head, feet, stomach, and herbs cooked
into a clear broth. Tradition holds that khash can only be cooked by men, who spend
the entire night cooking, and can be eaten only in the early morning in the dead of
winter, when it is served with heaps of fresh garlic and dried lavash.[135]
Mantapour (Armenian: մանթապուր mantʿapur) is a soup typically made with matzoon,
beaten eggs, flour, garlic and meat broth, to which Manti, either raw or pre-cooked
are added. Wheat berries are often added to the soup. Matzoon-manti soup is
seasoned with dried mint and consumed hot. There is also another version of
mantapour, which consists of Manti simmered in a clear broth, and then eaten with a
dollop of matzoon or sour cream and parsley on top.[136]
Putuk (Armenian: պուտուկ putuk) is a soup made with broth, mutton, and pre-soaked
chickpeas in clay pots. During the cooking of the mutton and chickpeas, other
ingredients such as potatoes, onions, dried alycha, and saffron are added. Slow
cooking, which often lasts several hours, allows the flavors to fuse. The soup is
served in the clay pot it was cooked in and is often accompanied by an Armenian
leavened bread called Matnakash.[137]
Ajapsandal (Armenian: Աջափսանդալ) is a vegetable stew made of eggplant, onion,
tomato, and bell pepper, cooked in butter, or vegetable oil. It is seasoned with
black pepper, garlic, basil, coriander leaves, parsley and other seasoning.
Sometimes potato, chili pepper, and carrots are added although traditional recipes
do not include them.[138]
Arganak (Armenian: արգանակ arganak) – soup that is based on seasoned meatballs, and
onions, which are cooked in chicken broth, and flavored with lemon juice, egg yolks
and parsley.[139],Karshm (Armenian: կարշմ) is a local soup made in the town of Vaik
in the Vayots Dzor Province. This is a walnut-based soup with red beans, green
beans, chickpeas and spices. It is garnished with red pepper and garlic.
[140],Kyalagyosh (Armenian: քյալագյոշ) — Armenian matzoon soup served over toasted
pieces of Lavash. The soup is prepared with eggs, flour, matzoon, chicken bouillon,
and sour cream. The soup is then flavored with dried thyme, mint, coriander and
onions.[141] There also is a verison that adds lentils to the soup, making the
lentils the main component.[142],Vospapour (Armenian: ոսպապուր ospapur) – lentil
soup made with brown lentils cooked in broth togheter with chickpeas, carrots,
celery, coarse bulgur, and puréed dried fruits (especially apricot).[143] It is
flavoured with fried onions, mint, parsley, and cumin. Variations also include
spices and ingredients like cayenne pepper, cinnamon, tomatoes, eggplants, spinach,
and ground walnuts.[144],Kololik (Armenian: կոլոլիկ) – is a traditional meatball
soup. The meatballs are made with a combination of ground lamb, onions, parsley,
black pepper, salt and other seasonings. The soup is prepared with a combination of
onions, beaten eggs, rice, beef stock, tarragon, basil, and potatoes.[145]
[146],Kololak (Armenian: կոլոլակ, or կոլոլակով ապոր Kololakov apoor) – is a soup
made with meatballs, (consisting of ground meat, rice, onion, egg, and black
pepper) and vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions, that are cooked in a
broth made out of water, butter, green chilli, bay leaves, basil, dill, coriander,
black pepper, cumin, and a sauce called lecho (See: Herbs, spices and sauces part
pf this article).[147],Sokonov (Armenian: սոկոնով, or սոկոնով ապոր, romanized:
Sokonov apoor) – is a soup made with mushrooms, onions, egg, coriander, butter, and
black pepper. When the soup is finished garlic-matzoon, parsley, and red pepper get
put onto the soup for additional flavor.[148],T'ghit (Armenian: թղիթ) is made from
pastegh (thin rolled-up sheets of sour plum purée),[149] which are cut into small
pieces and boiled in water. Fried onions are added and the mixture is cooked into a
purée. After that, pieces of lavash are placed on top. It is eaten hot, and lavash
is used to scoop up the mixture by hand.[150],Snkapur (Armenian: սնկապուր snkapur)
– is a soup made with sautéed mushrooms, onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, cream,
and black pepper. It is made by puréeing all ingredients togheter.,Blghourapour
(Armenian: բլղուրապուր blġurapur) – a sweet soup made of hulled wheat that is
cooked in grape juice. It can be served hot, and cold.[151],Bozbash (Armenian:
բոզբաշ bozbaš) – a mutton or lamb soup that exists in several regional varieties
with the addition of different vegetables.[152] There is a special kind of bozbash
served in Armenia. It is mamed Shoushin bozbash (Armenian: շուշին բոզբաշ), and is
made from lamb, quince, apple, and mint. This variation of bozbash is "practically
unknown outside of Armenia".[153],Brndzapour (Armenian: բրնձապուր brndzapur) – rice
and potato soup cooked in broth, and garnished with coriander.[154],Dzavarapour
(Armenian: ձավարապուր dzavarapur) – soup made from hulled wheat, potatoes, and
tomato purée. Egg yolks are stirred into the soup before serving.[155],Flol –
(Armenian: ֆլօլ) beef soup made with millet, spinach leaves and sometimes also
cherry-sized dumplings, that are cooked in broth.[155][156],Katnapour (Armenian:
կաթնապուր kat’napur) – a milk-based rice soup, sweetened with sugar.,Katnov
(Armenian: կաթնով kat’nov) – a milk-based rice soup with cinnamon and sugar.,Krchik
(Armenian: Քրճիկ kṙčik) – soup made from pickled cabbage, onions, potatoes, tomato
purée, cracked wheat, potatoes, coriander, parsley, butter, black pepper, and salt.
[157][158],Sarnapour (Armenian: սառնապուր saṙnapur) – is a soup made with peas,
rice, beets and matzoon.,Tarkhana (Armenian: թարխանա t’arxana) – flour and matzoon
soupMatsnaprtosh (Armenian: մածնաբրդոշ matsnaprt'oš) – this soup is made with sour
clotted milk diluted with cold water, with less vegetation than okroshka itself.
Matsnaprtosh is served cold as a refreshment and supposedly normalizes blood
pressure.
The "everyday" Armenian stew is the Dzash (Ճաշ). This is a brothy stew consisting
of meat (or a legume, in the meatless version), vegetables, and spices. The dzhash
was typically cooked in the tonir. It is generally served alongside a pilaf of
rice, or bulgur. It is sometimes accompanied by bread, torshi or fresh vegetables
and herbs. A specific variety of dzhash is the porani (պորանի), a stew made with
matzoon. Examples of dzhash are:[159][160]
Meat and green beans or green peas (with tomato sauce, garlic, and mint or
dill),Meat and summer squash (or zucchini). It is characterized by the liberal use
of dried mint, tomatoes, and lemon juice.,Meat and pumpkin. This is a wedding stew
made with meat, chickpeas, pumpkin, tomato, pepper, and spices.Meat and leeks in a
matsoon.Urfa-style porani, made with small meatballs, chickpeas, chard, and desert
truffles.
Fish
Armenian cuisine includes many typical seafood dishes like fried mussels (midye
tava), stuffed calamari (kalamar dolma), mackerel (uskumru) and bonito (palamut).
[5]
The trout from Lake Sevan is called ishkhan and can be prepared different ways
including a filled version stuffed with dried fruits (prunes, damsons, or apricots)
and a poached version marinated with red peppers. Ishkhan is also sometimes served
in a walnut sauce.[4]
For a relatively land-locked country, Armenian cuisine includes a surprising number
of fish dishes. Typically, fish is either broiled, fried, or sometimes poached. A
few recipes direct the fish to be stuffed. Fish may have been used to stuff
vegetables in ancient times, though that is not common anymore.
There are several varieties of fish in Armenia:
Sig (Armenian: սիգ sig) – a whitefish from Lake Sevan, native to northern Russian
lakes (endangered species in Armenia).
Karmrakhayt (alabalagh) (Armenian: կարմրախայտ karmrakhayt) – a river trout,[161]
also produced in high-altitude artificial lakes (e.g., the Mantash Reservoir in
Shirak Province).[162],Koghak (Armenian: կողակ koġak) – an indigenous Lake Sevan
fish of the carp family, also called Sevan khramulya (overfished)
Main courses
Fasulya (fassoulia) – a stew made with green beans, lamb and tomato broth or other
ingredients,Ghapama (Armenian: ղափամա ġap’ama) – pumpkin stew,Kchuch (Armenian:
կճուճ kč̣uč̣) – a casserole of mixed vegetables with pieces of meat or fish on top,
baked and served in a clay pot,Tjvjik (Armenian: տժվժիկ tžvžik) – a dish of fried
liver and kidneys with onions
Ritual foods
Ritual foods of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is food consumed as part of
ceremonies, rituals, religious observances, and the like.
Nshkhar (Armenian: նշխար nšxar) is the holy communion bread used during mass
(Badarak) in the Armenian Church.[163] It always has a religious (Christian) image
printed on top of it.[164],Mas (Armenian: մաս mas) – literally means "piece"; a
piece of leftover bread from the making of nshkhar, given to worshippers after
church service.,Matagh (Armenian: մատաղ mataġ) – sacrificial meat; can be of any
animal such as goat, lamb, or even bird.
Drinks
Armenian coffee (Armenian: սուրճ) – is a type of strong coffee popular in Armenia.
The main difference between Armenian coffee and Turkish coffee is that cardamom is
used in Armenian coffee, while Turkish coffee doesn't use cardamom.[165] Armenians
introduced the coffee to Corfu when they settled the island, where it is known as
"eastern coffee" due to its Eastern origin.[166] According to The Reuben Percy
Anecdotes compiled by journalist Thomas Byerley, an Armenian opened a coffee shop
in Europe in 1674, at a time when coffee was first becoming fashionable in the
West.[167] In Armenian it is either called հայկական սուրճ, haykakan surč, 'Armenian
coffee', or սեւ սուրճ, sev surč, 'black coffee', referring to the traditional
preparation done without milk or creamer. If unsweetened it is called bitter (դառը
or daruh), but more commonly it is brewed with a little sugar. The coffee gets
poured into the cup from a srjeb (Armenian: սրճեփ).[168],Kefir (Armenian: կեֆիր) –
fermented milk drink,Tan (Armenian: թան) – matzoon drink (still or carbonated),
often flavored with herbs (like parsely and mint) and vegetables like cucumber.
[169],Herbal tea (Armenian: թեյ) – is a type of tea drunk in Armenia. The most
popular flavors are ziziphora, mint, chamomile, and thyme.[170][171],Jermuk
(Armenian: Ջերմուկ J̌ ermuk) – a brand of mineral water from the Jermuk area.
Hayk, Sari – a brand of bottled mountain spring water from the Jermuk area (in
Armenian Hayk stands for Armenian and Sari for from the mountains).,Tarkhun soda
(Armenian: թարխուն t’arxun) – tarragon-flavored soda.,Pomegranate juice (Armenian:
Նռան հյութ) – is a popular beverage in Armenia and can be found in almost all
Armenian cities and villages.[172]
Alcoholic drinks
Beer
Armenian-produced beer (Armenian: գարեջուր gareǰur) is considered to be one of the
favorite drinks of Armenian men. The beer industry is developing barley malt and
producing beer from it. The preparation of beer in Armenia was known from ancient
times. According to the Greek historian Xenophon the manufacture of beer existed in
Armenia when he first arrived there(in the 5-4th century BC). Armenians used beer
grains for brewing (barley, millet, hops).
In 1913 there were three beer factories that produced 54,000 deciliters of beer.
From 1952 to 1978, new factories in Yerevan, Goris, Alaverdi, Abovyan were built
while existing factories were expanded and improved upon. For providing raw
materials for beer production in Gyumri, a large malt plant was launched based in
the production of barley malt of Shirak valley farms (with the capacity of 10,000
tons of production). In 1985, 6,000,000 deciliters of beer were produced.
Popular brands
Kotayk,Kilikia,Erebuni (produced by Kotayk Brewery),Gyumri,Aleksandrapol Archived 1
August 2015 at the Wayback MachineDargettBrandy
Armenian brandy (Armenian: կոնյակ konyak), known locally as konyak is perhaps
Armenia's most popular exported alcoholic drink. It has a long history of
production. Armenian brandy made by Yerevan Wine & Brandy Factory was said to be
the favorite drink of British statesman Winston Churchill. It was the favorite
alcoholic drink of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill at
the Yalta conference at 1945.
The history of Armenian brandy (Ararat Brandy) begins in 1877, in the winery of
Armenian merchant N. Tairov (Yerevan). By 1890–1900 Yerevan was becoming a center
for the production of brandy, numbering a number of factories owned by Gyozalov
(1892), Saradjev (1894), Ter-Mkrtchian (1899), and others. In 1899, N. Tairov sold
his factory to Nikolay Shustov's well-known brand in Russia. In 1914, there were 15
factories in the province of Yerevan (the largest the one now owned by Shustov)
produced 210,010 deciliters of brandy. In 1921, the Soviet state took over
Shustov's factory, and it was renamed to "Ararat". This became the main factory for
wine manufacturing.
Despite the fact that only brandies produced in the Cognac region of France have
the legal permission to be called "cognac" according to Western trade rules,
Armenian brandy is called cognac inside Armenia. Yerevan Brandy Factory is now
negotiating to obtain an official privilege to market its brandy as cognac.
Armenian brandy is categorized by its age and method of aging. The rated stars
indicate the age of brandy since its fermentation starting from 3 stars. The most
expensive cognacs have passed additional vintage for more than 6 years and have
special names. The brandy is aged in oak barrels and is made from selected local
white grapes grown in the Ararat Valley which is giving it a shade of caramel
brown.
Popular Brands
AraratNoyArarat Erebuni[173]Ararat Taste, collection Apricot, Cherry, Coffee and
Honey.[174],Ararat Nairi[175],Ararat Akhtamar[176],Ararat Otborny[177],Ararat
Ani[178],Ararat Vaspurakan[179],Ararat Dvin[180]
Oghi
Oghi (Armenian: օղի òġi) – an Armenian alcoholic beverage usually distilled from
fruit;[181] also called aragh.[182] Artsakh is a well-known brand name of Armenian
mulberry vodka (tuti oghi) produced in Nagorno-Karabakh from local fruit.[183] In
the Armenian Diaspora, where fruit vodka is not distilled, oghi refers to the
aniseed-flavored distilled alcoholic drink called arak.[184][185]
Tuti oghi (Armenian: թթի օղի t’t’i òġi) - mulberry oghi. It is the most popular
variation of this alcoholic drink[186]Honi oghi – from hon, a small red berry
(cornelian cherry)Tsirani oghi – from apricots,Tandzi oghi – from pears,Khaghoghi
oghi – from grapes,Salori oghi – from plums,Moshi oghi – from blackberry,Tzi oghi –
from figs,Khundzori oghi – from apples
Wine
The alcoholic drink with the longest history in Armenia is wine. The oldest known
winery in the world was discovered in Armenia. Historically, wineries in Armenia
were concentrated along the Ararat valley. Of particular note was the district of
Koghtn (Գողթն, current Nakhichevan area). Today, Armenian wineries are concentrated
in the Areni region (district of Vayots Dzor).[187][188]
Armenian wine is mostly made from local varietals, such as Areni, Lalvari, Kakhet,
etc., though some wineries mix in better known European varietals such as
Chardonnay and Cabernet. Winemaking took a downward plunge in the years following
the collapse of the Soviet Union, but is undergoing a revival, with the addition of
world-class labels such as Zorah Wines. A yearly wine festival, held in Areni, is
popular with the locals and features wines from official wineries as well as
homemade hooch of varying quality. Armenian wines are predominantly red and are
sweet, semi-sweet (Vernashen, Ijevan), or dry (Areni).
Armenian Highland engaged in winemaking since ancient times. It has achieved
considerable development of Urartu times (9th – 6th centuries. BC). During
excavations in the castle of Teyshebaini around traces of 480 different types of
grapes were found, and in Toprakkale, Manazkert, Red Hill and Ererbunium 200 pots.
The evidences of high-level and large-scale wine production in Armenia are as
foreign (Herodotus, Strabo, Xenophon and others) and Armenian historians of the
5th–18th centuries, as well as sculptures of architectural monuments and protocols.
Armenia's current area began wine production in the 2nd half of the 19th century.
At the end of the 19th century, next to the small businesses in Yerevan, Ghamarlu
(Artashat), Ashtarak, Echmiadzin (Vagharshapat ), there were 4 mill.
In addition to grapes, wines have been made with other fruit, notably pomegranate
(Armenian: նռան գինի nran kini), apricot, quince, etc. In some cases, these fruit
wines are fortified.
Mineral waters
Among the soft drinks Armenian mineral water is known for its healing specialty and
is recommended by doctors. This spring water originates from the depth of earth and
flowing from ancient mountains in the city of Jermuk.
Armenia has rich reserves of mineral water. After the establishment of the Soviet
Union the study and development of multilateral disciplines in these waters began.
First industrial bottling was organized in Arzni in 1927. In 1949, Dilijan and
Jermuk mineral water factories were put into operation. In 1960–1980 “Sevan”,
“Hankavan”, “Lichk”, “Bjni”, “Lori”, “Arpi”, “Ararat”, mineral water bottling
plants and factories were launched, which are involved in the production unit
"mineral water of Armenia". ASSR in 1985 produced 295 million bottles of mineral
water.

Country or region Australia,Regional varietiesChristmas Island, Norfolk Island,

Tasmanian, other regional cuisines,National dishes,Fish and chips, meat pie,
sausage sizzle, Vegemite National drinks Beer, coffee, lemonade, wine
Australian cuisine is the food and cooking practices of Australia and its
inhabitants. Australia has absorbed culinary contributions and adaptations from
various cultures around the world, including British, European, Asian and Middle
Eastern.
Indigenous Australians have occupied Australia for some 65,000 years, during which
they developed a unique hunter-gatherer diet, known as bush tucker, drawn from
regional Australian plants and animals. Australia became a collection of British
colonies from 1788 to 1900, during which time culinary tastes were strongly
influenced by British and Irish migrants, with agricultural products such as beef
cattle, sheep and wheat becoming staples in the local diet. The Australian gold
rushes introduced more varied immigrants and cuisines, mainly Chinese, whilst post-
war immigration programs led to a large-scale diversification of local food, mainly
due to the influence of migrants from the Mediterranean, East Asia and South Asia.
[1]
Australian cuisine in the 21st century reflects the influence of globalisation,
with many fast-food restaurants and international trends becoming influential.
Organic and biodynamic foods have also become widely available alongside a revival
of interest in bush tucker.[2] Australia exports many agricultural products,
including cattle, sheep, poultry, milk, vegetables, fruit, nuts, wheat, barley and
canola.[3] Australia also produces wine, beer and soft drinks.
While fast food chains are abundant, Australia's metropolitan areas have
restaurants that offer both local and international foods. Restaurants which
include contemporary adaptations, interpretations or fusions of exotic influences
are frequently termed Modern Australian.[4]
History
Indigenous Australian bush food
Main article: Bush tucker
Indigenous Australians have lived off native flora and fauna of the Australian bush
for over 60,000 years.[5] In modern times, this collection of foods and customs has
become known as bush tucker.
It is understood that up to 5,000 species of Australian flora and fauna were eaten
by Indigenous Australians.[6] Hunting of kangaroo, wallaby and emu was common,[7]
with other foods widely consumed including bogong moths, witchetty grubs, lizards
and snakes.[8] Bush berries, fruits, and nuts were also used, including the now
widely cultivated macadamia nut, and wild honeys were also exploited.[1] Fish were
caught using tools such as spears, hooks and traps; in some areas, the construction
of complex weir systems allowed the development of forms of aquaculture.[9]
Resource availability and dietary make-up varied from region to region and
scientific theories of bush tucker plants being spread by hand have recently
emerged.[10] Food preparation techniques also varied; however, a common cooking
technique was for the carcass to be thrown directly on a campfire to be roasted.
[11]
Native food sources were used to supplement the colonists' diet following the
arrival of the First Fleet in Botany Bay in 1788.[12][13]
Development of Australian cuisine
Following the pre-colonial period, European colonisers began arriving with the
First Fleet at Sydney harbour in 1788.[14] The diet consisted of "bread, salted
meat and tea with lashings of rum (initially from the West Indies but later made
from the waste cane of the sugar industry in Queensland)."[15] The British found
familiar game in Australia including swan, goose, pigeon and fish, but the new
settlers often had difficulty adjusting to the prospect of native fauna as a staple
diet.[1] Meat constituted a large proportion of the Australian diet during the
colonial era and into the 20th century.[16]
After initial difficulties, Australian agriculture became a major global producer
and supplied fresh produce for the local market. Stock grazing (mostly sheep and
cattle) is prevalent throughout the continent. Queensland and New South Wales
became Australia's main beef cattle producers, while dairy cattle farming is found
in the southern states, predominantly in Victoria. Wheat and other grain crops are
spread fairly evenly throughout the mainland states. Sugar cane is also a major
crop in Queensland and New South Wales. Fruit and vegetables are grown throughout
Australia[17] and wheat is a main component of the Australian diet.[18] Today there
are over 85,681 farm businesses in Australia, 99 percent of which are locally owned
and operated.[19]
Barbecued meat is almost synonymous with Australian cuisine, though it is estimated
that more than 10% of Australians are now vegetarian.[20][21]
Modern Australian cuisine
After World War II, subsequent waves of multicultural immigration, with a majority
drawn from Asia and the Mediterranean region, and the strong, sophisticated food
cultures these ethnic communities have brought with them influenced the development
of Australian cuisine. This blending of "European techniques and Asian flavours"
came to be known as Modern Australian cuisine.[22]
Arguably the first Modern Australian restaurant was Sydney's Bayswater Brasserie
(est. 1982), which offered Mediterranean dishes with Asian and Middle Eastern
influences and "showed Sydney [...] that food can be adventurous without being
expensive".[23] The term itself was first used in print in the 1993 edition of the
Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide,[23][24] which placed 34 restaurants under
this heading, and was quickly adopted to describe the burgeoning food scene in
Sydney in the 1990s.[25] Leading exponents of the style include Tetsuya Wakuda,
Neil Perry and Peter Gilmore.[26]
As of 2014, the term is considered somewhat dated, with many restaurants preferring
to call their style "contemporary Australian cuisine" instead.[27]
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit
There are many species of Australian native fruits, such as quandong (native
peach), wattleseed, muntries/munthari berry, Illawarra plums, riberry, native
raspberries, lilli pillies, as well as a range of native citrus species including
the desert lime and finger lime.[28] These usually fall under the category of bush
tucker, which is used in some restaurants and in commercial preserves and pickles
but not generally well known among Australians due to its low availability.
[citation needed]
Australia also has large fruit-growing regions in most states for tropical fruits
in the north, and stone fruits and temperate fruits in the south which has a
mediterranean or temperate climate. The Granny Smith variety of apples originated
in Sydney in 1868.[29] Another well-known Western Australian apple variety is the
Cripps Pink, known locally and internationally as "Pink Lady" apples, which was
first cultivated in 1973.[30]
Fruits cultivated and consumed in Australia include apples, banana, kiwifruit,
oranges and other citrus, mangoes (seasonally), mandarin, stonefruit, avocado,
watermelons, rockmelons, lychees, pears, nectarines, plums, apricots, grapes,
melons, papaya (also called pawpaw), pineapple, passionfruit and berries
(strawberries, raspberries etc.).[31]
Vegetables
In the temperate regions of Australia vegetables are traditionally eaten
seasonally, especially in regional areas, although in urban areas there is large-
scale importation of fresh produce sourced from around the world by supermarkets
and wholesalers for grocery stores, to meet demands for year-round availability.
Spring vegetables include artichoke, asparagus, bean shoots, beetroot, broccoli,
cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, rhubarb, and
spinach; summer vegetables include capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, squash, tomato,
and zucchini.[32] Popular dishes include zucchini slice.
Meat and poultry
Chicken is the most commonly consumed of all meats or poultry by weight, with
approximately 47 kg of chicken consumed by the average Australian per year.[34]
As of July 2018 Australians ate around 25 kg of beef per person with beef having a
35% share of fresh meat sales by value, the highest of any fresh meat in 2018–19.
[35]
Lamb is very popular in Australia, with roasting cuts (legs and shoulders), chops,
and shanks being the most common cuts. Lamb will often form part of either a Sunday
roast or a barbecue. It is also commonly found as an ingredient in gyros and doner
kebabs, brought by Greek and Turkish immigrants in the 1960s and 1970s. Australia
consumes more lamb and mutton than any other country listed by the OECD-FAO (with
Kazakhstan in second place). In 2017, Australians consumed an average of 8.5
kilograms (19 lb) per person. By way of comparison, New Zealanders average 3.2
kilograms (7.1 lb) and Americans just 0.4 kilograms (0.88 lb).[36]
Lunch at an Australian pub is called a counter lunch, while the term counter meal
is used for either lunch or dinner.[37] Common dishes served at counter lunches and
counter meals are steak and chips, chicken parmigiana and chips, a mixed grill (an
assortment of grilled meats), and roast lamb or beef with roast vegetables.[38]
Game
Kangaroo meat is available as game in Australia, although it is not among the most
commonly eaten meats. In colonial-era recipes, kangaroo was treated much like ox
tail, and braised until tender forming a rich gravy. It is available today in
various cuts and sausages.[39][40] Kangaroo is, however, a common commercial dog
food in Australia.
Other less commonly eaten forms of game are emu and crocodile.
Seafood consumption is increasing, but it is less common in the Australian diet
than poultry and beef.[18] Australian cuisine features Australian seafood such as
southern bluefin tuna, King George whiting, Moreton Bay bugs, mud crab, jewfish,
dhufish (Western Australia) and yabby. Australia is one of the largest producers of
abalone and rock lobster.
Fish and chips is a take-away food that originated in the United Kingdom and
remains popular in Australia.[41] It generally consists of battered deep-fried fish
with deep-fried chipped (slab-cut) potatoes. Rather than cod which is more common
in the UK, the most popular fish at Australian fish and chips shops, at least in
southern Australian states, is flake, a fillet of gummy shark (Mustelus
antarcticus).[42]
Flathead is also a popular sport and table fish found in all parts of Australia.
Barramundi is a fish found in northern Australian river systems. Bay lobsters,
better known in Australia as Moreton Bay bugs, are common in seafood restaurants,
or may be served with steak as "surf and turf".[citation needed]
The most common species of the aquaculture industry are salmon, tuna, oysters, and
prawns. Other food species include abalone, freshwater finfish (such as barramundi,
Murray cod, silver perch), brackish water or marine finfish (such as barramundi,
snapper, yellowtail kingfish, mulloway, groupers), mussels, mud crabs and sea
cucumbers.[43]
While inland river and lake systems are relatively sparse, they nevertheless
provide freshwater game fish and crustacea suitable for dining. Fishing and
aquaculture constitute Australia's fifth most valuable agricultural industry after
wool, beef, wheat and dairy.[44] Approximately 600 varieties of marine and
freshwater seafood species are caught and sold in Australia for both local and
overseas consumption. European carp, common in the Murray River as an invasive
species, is not considered edible by most Australians despite being common in
cuisines across Europe.
Fish and other seafood dishes in Australia:Barramundi,Confit of Tasmanian ocean
trout
Dairy
Ever since the first British settlement of 1788, Australia has had a dairy
industry.[45] Today, the Australian dairy industry produces a wide variety of milk,
cream, butter, cheese and yoghurt products.
Australians are high consumers of dairy products, consuming on average some 102.4
litres (22.5 imp gal; 27.1 US gal) of milk per person a year, 12.9 kilograms (28
lb) of cheese, 3.8 kilograms (8.4 lb) of butter (a small reduction from previous
year, largely for dietary purposes) and 7.1 kilograms (16 lb) of yoghurt products.
[46]
Beverages
Tea
For most of Australia's history following the arrival of British settlers, black
tea was the most commonly consumed hot beverage; however, in recent years, coffee
has overtaken tea in popularity.[47] Since the 19th Century, billy tea was a staple
drink for those out in the Australian bush, such as those working on the land or
travelling overland. Boiling water for tea in a billy over a camp fire and adding a
gum leaf for flavouring remains an iconic traditional Australian method for
preparing tea.[1] Famously, it was prepared by the ill-fated swagman in the
renowned Australian folksong "Waltzing Matilda".
Tea and biscuits or freshly home-baked scones are common for afternoon tea between
friends and family.
Coffee
Today's Australia has a distinct coffee culture. The coffee industry has grown from
independent cafes since the early 20th century.[citation needed] The flat white
first became popular in Australia,[when?] and its invention is claimed by a
Sydneysider.[48][49] The iconic Greek cafés of Sydney and Melbourne were the first
to introduce locally roasted coffees in 1910.[citation needed]
In 1952, the first espresso machines began to appear in Australia and a plethora of
fine Italian coffee houses were emerging in Melbourne and Sydney. Pellegrini's
Espresso Bar and Legend Café often lay claim to being Melbourne's first 'real'
espresso bars, opening their doors in 1954 and 1956 respectively. This decade also
saw the establishment of one of Australia's most iconic coffee brands, Vittoria,
which remains the country's largest coffee maker and distributor. The brand has
existed in Australia since 1958, well before it moved to the US.[50]
To this day, international coffee chains such as Starbucks have very little market
share in Australia, with Australia's long established independent cafés existing
along with homegrown franchises such as The Coffee Club, Michel's Patisserie, Dôme
in WA, and Zarraffas Coffee in Queensland. One reason for this is that unlike with
the United States and Asia, Australia for many decades had already had an
established culture of independent cafés before coffee chains tried to enter the
market.[51]
Other hot beverages
The chocolate and malt powder Milo, which was developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney
in 1934 in response to the Great Depression, is mixed with cold or hot milk to
produce a popular beverage. In recent years, Milo has been exported and is also
commonly consumed in Southeast Asia even becoming a major ingredient in some
desserts produced in the region.[52]
Alcohol
Beer in Australia has been popular since colonial times. James Squire is considered
to have founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798 and the Cascade
Brewery in Hobart, Tasmania, has been operating since the early 19th century. Since
the 1970s, Australian beers have become increasingly popular globally – with
Foster's Lager being an iconic export brand. However, Fosters is not a large seller
on the local market, with alternatives such as Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught
outselling the popular export. Craft beer is popular, as well as distinctive
products from smaller breweries such as Coopers and Little Creatures.[53]
The Australian wine industry is the fifth largest exporter of wine around the
world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and
contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy. Australians consume
over 530 million litres annually with a per capita consumption of about 30 litres –
50% white table wine, 35% red table wine.[54] Wine is produced in every state, with
more than 60 designated wine regions totalling approximately 160,000 hectares.
Australia's wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country,
in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Amongst the
most famous wine districts are the Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley, Margaret River
and Yarra Valley, and among the best known wine producers are Lindeman's, Penfolds,
Rosemount Estate, Wynns Coonawarra Estate.[55] In Australia's tropical regions,
wine is produced from exotic fruits such as mango, passion fruit and lychees.[56]
In modern times, South Australia has also become renowned for its growing number of
premium spirits producers, with the South Australian Spirits industry quickly
emerging as a world leader with producers being recognised globally such as
Seppeltsfield Road Distillers, Never Never Distilling, Adelaide Hills Distilling
and many more.[57][58]
Rum served as a currency during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Australia
when metallic currency was in short supply.[59]
Take-away and convenience foods
The traditional places to buy take-away food in Australia has long been at a local
milk bar, fish and chip shop, or bakery, though these have met with stiff
competition from fast food chains and convenience stores in recent decades.
Iconic Australian take-away food (i.e. fast food) includes meat pies, sausage
rolls, pasties, Chiko Rolls, and dim sims. Meat pies, sausage rolls, and pasties
are often found at milk bars, bakeries, and petrol stations, often kept hot in a
pie warmer or needing to be microwaved; meat pies are also a staple at AFL football
matches.[60] Chiko Rolls, dim sims and other foods needing to be deep-fried are to
be found at fish and chip shops, which have the necessary deep fryers in which to
cook them.
Bread rolls, with a variety of fillings, are a common alternative to sandwiches,
with double-cut rolls (effectively two sandwiches) a South Australian specialty.
[61]
The Australian hamburgers and steak sandwiches are also found at fish and chip
shops. Australian hamburgers consist of a fried beef patty, served with shredded
lettuce and sliced tomato in a (usually toasted) round bread roll or bun. Tomato
sauce or barbecue sauce are almost always included. Bacon, cheese and fried onions
are also common additions, as is a slice of beetroot and/or a fried egg, with other
options including sliced pineapple. Pickles are rarely included, except in burgers
from American chains.[62] Steak sandwiches come with the same options, but instead
of a beef patty they consist of a thin steak and are served in two slices of toast,
not buns.
Pizza has also become a popular take-away food item in Australia.[63]
Commonly found at community and fundraising events are sausage sizzle stalls – a
stall with a barbecue hot plate on which sausages are cooked. At a sausage sizzle
the sausage is served in a slice of white bread, with or without tomato sauce and
with the option of adding fried onions, and eaten as a snack or as a light lunch. A
sausage sizzle at a polling station on any Australian state or Federal election day
has humorously become known as a Democracy sausage.[64] Similar stalls are held in
the car parks of most Bunnings hardware stores on weekends, by volunteers fund-
raising for service clubs, charities, societies or sporting groups. The company
supplies the infrastructure and enforces standards, including prices.[65]
The halal snack pack ("HSP", also known in South Australia as an AB[why?])
originated in Australia as a fusion of Middle Eastern and European flavours, common
at kebab shops around Australia. It consists of doner kebab meat served over hot
chips and covered in sauces (such as chilli, garlic, or barbecue sauce).[66]
Baked goods and desserts
Damper is a traditional Australian bread prepared by swagmen, drovers and other
travellers. It is a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a
campfire. Toast is commonly eaten at breakfast. An iconic commercial spread is
Vegemite – this is a salty, B vitamin-rich savoury spread made from brewers yeast
eaten on buttered toast, commonly at breakfast, or in sandwiches.[67][68] A common
children's treat dating back to the 1920s is fairy bread, [69] appearing around the
same time as the Boston bun.
A classic Australian biscuit is the ANZAC biscuit, which are often homemade and so-
called as they were sent by families and friends to Australian soldiers fighting in
Europe and the Dardanelles in the First World War. A popular commercial brand of
biscuit are Arnott's Tim Tams.
A classic Australian cake is the lamington, made from two squares of butter cake or
sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated
coconut. Another popular cake and dessert dish is the pavlova, a meringue-based
dessert, however the origins of this are contested as New Zealand also lays claim
to its invention.[70][71]
The mango pancake, a stable of Yum Cha restaurants in Sydney and elsewhere in
Australia, is believed to have originated in Sydney in the late 1980s and early
1990s.[72]
Regional foods
As well as national icons there are many regional iconic foods.[73]
South Australia has FruChocs, King George whiting, and a range of foods of German
origin including mettwurst, Bienenstich (beesting), streuselkuchen (German cake)
[74] and fritz. The state has its own iconic brands such as Farmers Union Iced
Coffee, YoYo biscuits and Balfours frog cakes. Jubilee cake is a specialty of South
Australia.[75] In Adelaide, a variant on the meat pie is the pie floater, which is
a meat pie served in a bowl of pea soup.
Victoria is famous for its home-grown Melbourne invention, the dim sim.[76]
Melbourne is also the home of the hot jam donut.[77] Tasmania has leatherwood
honey, abalone,[78] and savoury toast.[79] Queensland has Weis Fruit Bar and claims
the lamington.[80]
Cities
Brisbane
The cuisine of Brisbane derives from mainstream Australian cuisine, as well as many
cuisines of international origin. Major native foods of the Brisbane region and
commonly used in local cuisine include; the macadamia, lemon-scented myrtle,
Australian finger lime, bunya nut, and Moreton Bay bug. The city's cuisine culture
is often described as casual with an emphasis on outdoor dining.[81] Roof-top
dining has become an iconic part of the culinary landscape, as well as a large
street food scene with food trucks and pop-up bars common.[82] Brisbane also lays
claim to several foods including "smashed avo";[83] although popularised in Sydney
in the 1990s, smashed avocado was a common dish in Brisbane and Queensland dating
back to the 1920s.[84] Brisbane also claims the lamington and the Conut.

Austrian cuisine is a style of cuisine native to Austria and composed of influences

from Central Europe and throughout the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.[1] Austrian
cuisine is most often associated with Viennese cuisine, but there are significant
regional variations.
Mealtimes
Breakfast is of the "continental" type, usually consisting of bread rolls with
either jam or cold meats and cheese, accompanied by coffee, tea or juice. The
midday meal was traditionally the main meal of the day, but in modern times as
Austrians work longer hours further from home this is no longer the case. The main
meal is now often taken in the evening.
A mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack of a slice of bread topped with cheese or ham
is referred to as a Jause; a more substantial version akin to a British
"ploughman's lunch" is called a Brettljause after the wooden board on which it is
traditionally served.
Popular dishes of Vienna
Rindsuppe (beef soup), a clear soup with golden colour,Tafelspitz,[2] beef boiled
in broth (soup), often served with apple and horseradish and chives sauce,Gulasch
(goulash),[3]: 21 a hotpot similar to Hungarian pörkölt. Austrian goulash is often
eaten with rolls, bread or dumplings (Semmelknödel),Beuschel, a ragout containing
lungs and heart,Liptauer,[3]: 135 a spicy cheese spread, eaten on a slice of
bread,Selchfleisch, meat that is smoked, then cooked, served with Sauerkraut and
dumplings,Powidl, a thick sweet jam made from plums,Apfelstrudel, apple
strudel,Topfenstrudel, cream cheese strudel,Millirahmstrudel, milk-cream
strudel,Palatschinken, pancakes similar to French crêpes, filled with jam and
sprinkled with sugar or other toppings. They are also served in savoury versions,
such as with spinach and cheese.,Kaiserschmarrn, soft, fluffy pancake ripped into
bites and slightly roasted in a pan, served with compote, applesauce or stewed
plums.,Germknödel, a fluffy yeast dough dumpling filled with plum jam (Powidl),
garnished with melted butter and a mix of poppy seeds and powdered sugar, sometimes
served with vanilla cream,Marillenknödel, a dumpling stuffed with an apricot and
covered with streusel and powdered sugar. The dough is made of potatoes or
Topfen.,Saftgulasch (juicy stew), also known as Austrian or Viennese goulash, is an
Austrian twist on the traditional Hungarian dish. The characteristics of the
Saftgulash is that it is prepared exclusively with lean beef and a large quantity
of onions, at least two thirds of the quantity of meat used. No other vegetables
are added and it must be slow cooked for at least three hours. The end result is a
thick dark brown sauce with very tender pieces of beef.,Wurstsemmel (ham rolls),
basically sliced bread rolls containing a slice of ham, or sausage (Leberkäse), or
also ham and cheese,Krautfleisch or Szegediner Krautfleisch is a ragout of Austrian
cuisine - prepared from pork and Sauerkraut.,Krautspatzle, a dish consisting mainly
of small noodles (spatzle) and cabbage.
Meat
The most popular meats in Austria are beef, pork, chicken, turkey and goose. The
prominent Wiener Schnitzel is traditionally made of veal. Pork in particular is
used extensively, with many dishes using offal and parts such as the snout and
trotters.
Austrian butchers use a number of special cuts of meat, including Tafelspitz
(beef), and Fledermaus (pork). Fledermaus (German for "bat") is a cut of pork from
the ham bone that resembles the winged animal. It is described as "very juicy,
somewhat fatty, and crossed by tendons"; the latter fact makes it suitable for
steaming, braising or frying after tenderization in a marinade.[4]
Austrian cuisine has many different sausages, like Frankfurter, Käsekrainer,
Debreziner (originating from Debrecen in Hungary), or Burenwurst, Blunzn made out
of pig-blood and Grüne Würstl—green sausages. Green means raw in this context—the
sausages are air dried and are consumed boiled. Bacon in Austria is called Speck,
bacon can be smoked, raw, salted, spiced, etc. Bacon is used in many traditional
recipes as a salty spice. Leberkäse is a loaf of corned beef, pork and bacon—it
contains neither liver nor cheese despite the name. Vanillerostbraten is a garlicky
beef dish.
Game
Austria has an old hunting tradition since there are many woods across the country.
In the autumn season many restaurants in Austria traditionally offer game on their
menu along with seasonal vegetables and fruits like pumpkins from Styria. Usual
game are:
Deer (venison): Hirsch,Wild boar: Wildschwein,Roe deer: Reh,Fallow deer:
Damhirsch,Brown hare: Hase/Feldhase,Common pheasant: Fasan,Duck: Ente,Grey
partridge: Rebhuhn The German names of game animals followed by -braten signifies a
dish of roast game: Hirschbraten is roast venison.
Sweets
Cakes
Austrian cakes and pastries are a well-known feature of its cuisine. Perhaps the
most famous is the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot jam filling,
traditionally eaten with whipped cream. Among the cakes with the longest tradition
is the Linzer Torte. Other favourites include the caramel-flavoured Dobostorte and
the delicately layered Esterhazy Torte, named in honour of Prince Esterházy (both
originating from Hungary during the Austro-Hungarian empire), as well as a number
of cakes made with fresh fruit and cream. Punschkrapfen is a classical Austrian
pastry, a cake filled with cake crumbs, nougat chocolate, apricot jam and then
soaked with rum. Tirolerkuchen is a hazelnut and chocolate coffee cake. Mohr im
Hemd, while traditionally something closer to a chocolate custard, is now generally
prepared as a steamed cake.
These cakes are typically complex and difficult to make. They can be eaten at a
café or bought by the slice from a bakery. A "Konditorei" is a specialist cake-
maker, and the designations "Café-Konditorei" and "Bäckerei-Konditorei" are common
indicators that the café or bakery in question specialises in this field.
Desserts
Austrian desserts are usually slightly less complicated than the elaborate cakes
described above. The most famous of these is the Apfelstrudel (apple strudel),
layers of thin pastry surrounding a filling of apple, usually with cinnamon and
raisins. Other strudels are also popular, such as those filled with sweetened curd
cheese called Topfen, sour cherry (Weichselstrudel), sweet cherry and poppy seed
strudel (Mohnstrudel).
Another favourite is Kaiserschmarr'n, a rich fluffy sweet thick pancake made with
raisins and other fruits, broken into pieces and served with a fruit compote
(traditionally made of plums called Zwetschkenröster (German: [ˈt͡ svɛt͡ ʃkn̩ˌʁœstɐ] ⓘ))
for dipping, while a speciality of Salzburg is the meringue-like "Salzburger
Nocken". The Danish pastry is said to originate from Vienna and in Denmark is
called wienerbrød (Viennese bread). The Danish pastry uses a dough in the classic
cuisine referred to as "Viennese Dough", made of thin layers of butter and flour
dough, imported to Denmark by Austrian bakers hired during a strike among the
workers in Danish bakeries in 1850.[5]
Drinks
Coffee
Austria is credited in popular legend with introducing coffee to Europe after bags
of coffee beans were left behind by the retreating Turkish army after the Battle of
Vienna in 1683. Although the first coffeehouses had appeared in Europe some years
earlier, the Viennese café tradition became an important part of the city's
identity.
Coffee is served in a variety of styles, particularly in the Viennese coffee
houses. An Austrian Mokka or kleiner Schwarzer is similar to espresso, but is
extracted more slowly. Other styles are prepared from the Mokka:
großer Schwarzer – a double Mokka,kleiner Brauner or großer Brauner – single or
double Mokka plus milk,Verlängerter – "lengthened" (i.e., diluted) Mokka with more
water plus milk,Melange – half Mokka, half heated milk, often topped with foamed
milk,Franziskaner – Melange topped with whipped cream and foamed milk,Kapuziner –
kleiner Schwarzer plus whipped cream,Einspänner – großer Schwarzer topped with
whipped cream,Wiener Eiskaffee – iced Mokka with vanilla ice cream, topped with
whipped cream
Italian styles such as cappuccino, espresso and Latte are also commonly served.
Traditionally, coffee is served with a glass of still water.
Drinking coffee together is an important social activity in Austrian culture. It is
quite common for Austrians to invite friends or neighbours over for coffee and
cake. This routine activity can be compared to the British afternoon tea tradition.
It is also very common to go to a coffeehouse while dating.
Hot chocolate
Viennese hot chocolate is very rich, containing heavy cream in addition to
chocolate, and sometimes thickened further with egg yolk.
Soft drinks
Almdudler is an Austrian soft drink based on mountain herbs and with a flavour
reminiscent of sambucus beverages. It is considered the "national drink of
Austria", and is popularly used as a mixer with white wine or water. While Red Bull
is popular all across the West, the energy drink company started in Austria. The
headquarters of the Red Bull company are located at Fuschl am See near Salzburg.
Beer
Beer is generally sold in the following sizes: 0.2 litre (a Pfiff), 0.33 litre (a
Seidel, kleines Bier or Glas Bier) and 0.5 litre (a Krügerl or großes Bier or
Hoibe). At festivals one litre Maß and two litre Doppelmaß in the Bavarian style
are also sometimes dispensed. The most popular types of beer are pale lager (known
as Märzen in Austria), naturally cloudy Zwicklbier, and wheat beer. At holidays
like Christmas and Easter bock beer is also available.
Austrian beers are typically in the pale lager style, with the exceptions noted
above. A dark amber "Vienna Style" lager was pioneered in the city during the 19th
century but is no longer common there.
Wine
Wine is principally cultivated in the east of Austria. The most important wine-
producing areas are in Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, and Vienna. The Grüner
Veltliner grape provides some of Austria's most notable white wines; Zweigelt is
the most widely planted red wine grape. Southern Burgenland is a region that mainly
grows red grapes; the "Seewinkel" area, east of the Neusiedler See in Burgenland's
north, has more mixed wine cultures and is famous for its sweet wines. Wine is even
grown within the city limits of Vienna – the only European capital where this is
true – and some is even produced under the auspices of the city council.
Young wine (i.e., wine produced from grapes of the most recent harvest) is called
Heuriger and gives its name to inns in Vienna and its surroundings, which serve
Heuriger wine along with food. In Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland, the Heuriger
inns are known as Buschenschanken.
Other alcoholic drinks
In Upper Austria, Burgenland, Lower Austria, Styria and Carinthia, Most, the fresh
juice of grapes or apples is produced, while Sturm ("storm"), a semi-fermented
grape juice is drunk after the grape harvest. Most and Sturm are pre-stages of
wine.
At the close of a meal, sometimes schnapps (fruit brandy), typically of up to 60%
alcohol, is drunk. In Austria schnaps is made from a variety of fruits, for example
apricots, rowanberries, gentiana roots, various herbs and even flowers. The produce
of small private schnaps distilleries, of which there are around 20,000 in Austria,
is known as Selberbrennter or Hausbrand.
Snack food
For food consumed in between meals there are many types of open sandwiches called
"belegte Brote", or different kinds of sausage with mustard, ketchup and bread, as
well as sliced sausage, Leberkäse rolls or Schnitzelsemmeln (rolls filled with
schnitzel).
Traditionally one can get a Wurstsemmel (a roll filled, usually, with Extrawurst, a
special kind of thinly sliced sausage, often with a slice of cheese and a pickle or
cornichon) at a butcher or at the delicatessen counter in a supermarket.
There are also other common yet informal delicacies that are typical of Austrian
food. For example, the Bosna or Bosner (a spiced bratwurst in a hot dog roll), is
an integral part of the menu at Austria's typical fast-food restaurant, the sausage
stand (Würstelstand). Most Austrian sausages contain pork.
Regional cuisine
Lower Austria
In Lower Austria, local delicacies such as Waldviertel poppies, Marchfeld asparagus
and Wachau apricots are cultivated. Famous are the "Marillenknödel": small
dumplings filled with apricots and warm butter-fried breadcrumbs on it. Their
influence can be felt in the local cuisine, for example in poppy seed noodles
"Mohnnudeln". Game dishes are very common. Lower Austria is striking for the
differences within its regional cuisine due to its size and the variety of its
landscape.
Burgenland
Burgenland's cuisine has been influenced by Hungarian cuisine owing to its former
position within the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Dishes consist
mainly of fish, chicken or pork. Potatoes are the most common side dish, for
example, crushed potatoes with onions called "Greste Krumpian" (= Geröstete
Kartoffeln, which comes from "geröstet", meaning "roasted", and the Hungarian term
"krumpli" for potatoes). Because of Hungarian influence, Burgenlandish dishes are
often spicier than elsewhere in Austria, often indicated with the terms
"Zigeuner..." ("Gypsy") or "Serbisch..." ("Serbian"). Polenta is a popular side-
dish within Burgenland's Croatian minority. On St Martin's Day (November 11) a
Martinigans (St Martin's goose) is often prepared, and carp is a typical Christmas
dish.
Styria
Styrian taverns where local winemakers serve their new wine, local cold food and
homemade cakes are called Buschenschank. They are famous for their Brettljause, a
cold hors d'oeuvre served on a wooden board, typical with Verhackertes (a spread
made from finely chopped raw white bacon), different types of cold meat (Gselchtes:
salted and smoked meat, Schweinsbraten: roast pork, air-dried sausages, Speck: ham)
grated horseradish, hard-boiled eggs, meat paste, Liptauer, pumpkin seed spread,
vegetables, pickles and cheese with sourdough bread, also Käferbohnensalat (runner
bean salad) with pumpkin seed oil is typical.[6] Schilcher, a very dry rosé, is the
regional style of wine found in Western Styria. A typically Styrian delicacy is
pumpkin seed oil, which lends itself particularly to salads on account of its nutty
flavour. Many kinds of pumpkin dishes are also very popular. Heidensterz,
resembling a dry, almost crumbly version of grits made from buckwheat flour, is a
local dish enjoyed in cold weather. Especially in autumn, game dishes are very
common.[7]
Carinthia
Carinthia's many lakes mean that fish is a popular main course. Grain, dairy
produce and meat are important ingredients in Carinthian cuisine. Carinthian
Kasnudeln (noodle dough pockets filled with quark and mint) and smaller
Schlickkrapfen (mainly with a meat filling) are well-known local delicacies.
Klachlsuppe (pig's trotter soup) and Reindling (yeast-dough pastry/cake filled with
a mix of cinnamon, sugar, walnuts and raisins) are also produced locally.
Upper Austria
Various types of dumplings are an important part of Upper Austrian cuisine, as they
are in neighbouring Bavaria and Bohemia. Linzer Torte, a cake that includes ground
almonds or nuts and redcurrant jam, is a popular dessert from the city of Linz, the
capital of Upper Austria. Linzeraugen are fine, soft biscuits filled with
redcurrant jam called Ribiselmarmelade, which has a sharp flavour.
Salzburg
Kasnocken (cheese dumplings) are a popular meal, as are freshwater fish,
particularly trout, served in various ways. Salzburger Nockerl (a meringue-like
dish) is a well-known local dessert.
Tyrol
Tyrolean bacon and all sorts of dumplings including Speckknödel (dumplings with
pieces of bacon) and Spinatknödel (made of spinach) are an important part of the
local cuisine. Tyrolean cuisine is very simple because in earlier times Tyroleans
were not very rich, farming on mountains and in valleys in the middle of the Alpine
Region. Tyrolean food often contains milk, cheese, flour and lard.
Vorarlberg
The cuisine of Vorarlberg has been influenced by the Alemannic cuisine of
neighbouring Switzerland and Swabia. Cheese and cheese products play a major role
in the cuisine, with Käsknöpfle and Kässpätzle (egg noodles prepared with cheese)
being popular dishes. Other delicacies include Krautspätzle (sauerkraut noodles),
Käsdönnala (similar to a quiche), Schupfnudla (made from a dough mixing potato and
flour), Frittatensuppe (pancake soup), Öpfelküachle (apple cake) and Funkaküachle
(cake traditionally eaten on the first Sunday of Lent).

Azerbaijani cuisine is the cooking styles and dishes of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The cuisine is influenced by the country's diversity of agriculture, from abundant
grasslands which historically allowed for a culture of pastoralism to develop, as
well as to the unique geographical location of the country, which is situated on
the crossroads of Europe and Asia with access to the Caspian Sea. The location has
enabled the people to develop a varied diet rich in produce, milk products, and
meat, including beef, mutton, fish and game. The location, which was contested by
many historical kingdoms, khanates, and empires, also meant that Azerbaijani
cuisine was influenced by the culinary traditions of multiple different cultures,
including Turkic, Iranian, and Eastern European.
History and features of Azerbaijani national cuisine
Azerbaijan's national cuisine is arguably closer to Middle Eastern cuisine due to
the taste and preparation of the dishes, as well as adding a dark spice and flavor
additives. Contemporary Azerbaijan cuisine retains the traditional methods of
preparing dishes while incorporating modern cooking.[1]
Azerbaijani dishes have traditionally been cooked with copper utensils and
cookware. Copper bowls and plates are still commonly used as serving dishes.[]
Azerbaijani cuisine utilizes fruits and vegetables such as aubergine, tomato, sweet
pepper, spinach, cabbage, onion, sorrel, beet, radish, cucumber, and green beans.
Rice and products made from flour are widely used in national cuisine. Fresh herbs,
including mint, coriander, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leek, chive, thyme,
marjoram, green onion, and watercress often accompany main dishes. The majority of
national dishes are made with lamb, beef and poultry meat. Dishes prepared of
minced meat are also prevalent. The sea, lakes and rivers of Azerbaijan are
abundant with different fish species, particularly the white sturgeon. Sturgeons
are widely used in preparation of national dishes. Particularly, the Caspian Sea is
home to many edible species of fish, including the sturgeon, Caspian salmon, kutum,
sardines, grey mullet, and others. Black caviar from the Caspian Sea is one of
Azerbaijan's best-known luxury foods.[1][2]
The typical Azerbaijani meal involves three courses. One of the basic dishes of
Azerbaijani cuisine is plov prepared with saffron-covered rice, served with various
herbs and greens, a combination distinct from those found in Uzbek plovs. Other
second courses include a variety of kebabs and shashlik, including lamb, beef,
chicken, duck and fish (baliq) kebabs. Sturgeon, a common fish, is normally
skewered and grilled as a shashlik, served with a tart pomegranate sauce called
narsharab. Dried fruits and walnuts are used in many dishes. The traditional
condiments are salt, black pepper, sumac, and especially saffron, which is grown on
the Absheron Peninsula domestically. The third courses include soups, of which
there are more than 30 types. These include kufta bozbash, piti prepared of meat
and dovga, ovdukh, dogramach, bolva prepared of greens and yoghurt.[3][4]
Black tea is the national beverage, and is drunk after food is eaten. It is also
offered to guests as a gesture of welcome, often accompanied by fruit preserves.[4]
Breakfast
The Azerbaijani breakfast is heavy in dairy products such as butter, various types
of white cheese, and cream, as well as honey, tandoori bread and eggs,
traditionally prepared into kuku, but alternatively, also scrambled.[5] Eastern
European breakfast traditions which were adopted under the Russian Empire and the
Soviet Union are also occasionally seen in Azerbaijan households, with foods such
as kasha, porridge, quark and crepes included on the breakfast table.
Light snacks
Azerbaijani cuisine has a number of light snacks and side dishes to open or
accompany the main meals: a plate of green leaves called goy, pieces of chorek
(bread), choban (a tomato and cucumber salad), white cheese or qatik (sour yogurt)
and turshu (pickles).[6] This culinary tradition is comparable to Turkish meze. The
richer main courses such as soups, meats and plov are served afterwards.[6]
Dishes
Meat
Azerbaijani cuisine included large amounts of beef and game. Consumption of camel
meat was also widespread, although it has become increasingly rare in modern times.
In order to preserve meat, it was historically jerked, or alternatively, roasted
and stuffed into jars or animal stomachs. Apart from the cuts of meat, Azerbaijani
cuisine features the use of head, legs, tails and intestines of animals in numerous
dishes.[7]
Azerbaijani cuisine features a wide variety of traditional meat dishes such as
bozbash (parchabozbash, kuftebozbash, qovurmabozbash), piti (gence piti, sheki
piti) khash, bash-ayaq (kelle-pacha), kelepir, soyutma, bozport, buglama, bozartma,
and a variety of different kebabs. A variety of lamb dishes are also commonly
eaten, traditionally during celebrations such as Nowruz. Meatball dishes and forms
of dolma are regularly eaten as well. On particularly special occasions, local
goose, turkey, duck, quail and pheasant meats are also cooked and consumed.
Azerbaijani cuisine also features a variety of seafood, especially fish which is
obtained from the Caspian Sea as well as the Kura and Aras rivers. Fish is prepared
in a variety of ways: stuffed, chopped, dried, grilled, fried, boiled, cooked in
the oven, cooked on skewers, cooked in tandoors, cooked into plovs, and in other
ways depending on the occasion and personal preferences.[7]
Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Azerbaijan, in accordance with Sharia,
the Islamic law.
Name Description
Balıq Fish, usually sturgeon, normally skewered and grilled as a kebab, is served
with a tart sour-plum sauce.
Dolma The traditional recipe calls for minced lamb or beef mixed with rice and
flavoured with mint, fennel, and cinnamon, and wrapped in vine leaves (yarpaq
dolması) or cabbage leaves (kələm dolması). There are also sour sweet cabbage dolma
(turş şirin kələm dolması) and eggplant dolma (qarabadımcan dolması).
Badımcan Dolması Tomato, sweet pepper, and aubergine stuffed with minced lamb or
beef mixed with chickpeas.
Dushbara Small dumplings stuffed with minced lamb and herbs, served in broth.
Lavangi stuffed chicken or fish with onions, walnuts, raisins, albukhara, and
alcha seasoning. A specialty of the Talysh region in southern Azerbaijan, but very
difficult to find common in restaurants.
Lula kebab A mixture of mutton, herbs, and spices squeezed around a skewer and
barbecued, often served with lavash (thin sheets of unleavened bread).
Qutab A sort of pancake turnover stuffed with minced lamb, cheese, or spinach.
Tika kabab Chunks of lamb marinated in a mixture of onion, vinegar, and
pomegranate juice, impaled on a large skewer and grilled on the barbecue. In
Russian, it is called shashlyk (шашлык), from Turkic shishlyk (literally, "for
skewer").
Qovurma Pieces of mutton or lamb on the bone (blade chops) stewed with onions,
tomatoes, and saffron.[8] There is also sabzi qovurma, a lamb stew with herbs.
Sogan dolmasi The term dolma covers a variety of stuffed vegetable dishes,
widespread in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Onion dolma are a tasty winter
alternative to stuffed aubergines, tomatoes, and peppers.[9]
Tebriz kuftesi Large meatball dish named after the town of Tabriz in northern
Iran. Prepared with minced meat, onions, peas, rice, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes,
turmeric, and various herbs such as parsley, coriander and dill.
Bastirma The word "Bastir" comes from the Turkish: bastırma et ("pressed meat"),
pastırma [pastɯɾˈma] in modern Turkish. It's cooked as a kebab, but before cooking
it should be marinated in special sauce and herbs.
Soups
Soups in Azerbaijan tend to have a thicker consistency and a larger ratio of dry
ingredients to broth.[7] A common feature of numerous Azerbaijani soups is that the
soup serves the role of both the first and second courses[7] – the soup is served
in a large portion and the broth is drunk first as a starter, and then the dry
ingredients of the soup such as the potatoes, meat, chickpeas and large vegetable
chunks are consumed as a second course together with bread.
Another characteristic featured in several Azerbaijani soups is the use of finely
cut mutton tails which are added soups. Tomato paste and tomato puree are rarely
used in Azerbaijani soups and instead are substituted with fresh local tomatoes
during the summer.[7] During winter, local tomatoes are not widely available and so
frequently substituted with dried cherries. Spices such as saffron and turmeric
powder are also traditionally used in Azerbaijani soups.
Name Description
Piti The national soup of Azerbaijan made from pieces of mutton on the bone,
cooked with vegetables in a broth; prepared and served in individual crocks.
Kufta bozbash A pea soup with lamb meatballs and boiled potatoes. The meatballs
in kufta bozbash are large, hearty, and made of minced lamb or beef and rice,
sometimes with a dried plum inside.
Dovga A yogurt-based soup with sorrel, spinach, rice, dried peas, and small
meatballs made from ground mutton; served hot or cold depending on the season.[10]
Ovdukh A cold soup based on a yogurt–water mixture poured over sliced
cucumbers, chopped boiled meat, quarters of hard-boiled egg, and greens (dill,
coriander, basil, tarragon, and sometimes mint).[11]
Dogramach Same as ovdukh, but without the meat.[11]
Types of plov
Plov is one of the most widespread dishes in Azerbaijan and there are over 200
types of plovs in Azerbaijani cuisine. They are usually prepared with local
vegetables, meats and spices. In Azerbaijani tradition, it is customary that the
household prepares a plov for guests visiting the house.[13] They are typically
served in a large metal or porcelain bowl covered with a lid to keep it warm. The
type of rice used to make the plov varies from one recipe to another and depends on
personal preferences. Since plov is a heavy, fatty food, it is traditionally served
together with sour drinks such as ayran, black tea with lemon, or verjuice. Plovs
have different names depending on the main ingredients accompanying the rice:
Name Ingredients
Kourma plov Mutton plov with onion Chilov plov Bean plov with fish Sabzi
qovurma plov Mutton plov Toyug plov Chicken plov
Shuyudli plov Dill plov with beef Shirin plov Dried fruit plov
Syudli plov Rice cooked in milk
Sheshryanch plov Six-color plov, eggs cooked "sunny side up" on a bed of fried
green and white onions.[10]
Azerbaijani plov consists of three distinct components, served simultaneously but
on separate platters: first component is rice (warm, never hot), the second
component is gara, consisting of fried meat, dried fruits, eggs, or fish prepared
as an accompaniment to rice, and third component being aromatic herbs. Rice is not
mixed with the other components even when eating plov.[14]
Spices
Spices play an important role in Azerbaijani cuisine, especially saffron which is
used in over 50 national dishes.[15] Other spices widely used in Azerbaijani
cuisine include anise, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, coriander seeds, curcuma, sumac,
caraway, bay leaves, mint, dill, parsley, celery, tarragon, and basil.[16]
Desserts
Typical Azerbaijani desserts are sticky, syrup-saturated pastries such as pakhlava
and Shaki halva. The former, a layer of chopped nuts sandwiched between mats of
thread-like fried dough, is a specialty of Shaki in northwest Azerbaijan. Other
traditional pastries include shekerbura (crescent-shaped and filled with nuts),
peshmak (tube-shaped candy made out of rice, flour, and sugar), and girmapadam
(pastry filled with chopped nuts).
Sweets are generally bought from a pastry shop and eaten at home or on special
occasions such as weddings and wakes. The usual conclusion to a restaurant meal is
a plate of fresh fruit that is in season, such as plums, cherries, apricots, or
grapes.
In March 2009, Azerbaijani bakers achieved an entry in the CIS book of records for
baking the biggest and heaviest pakhlava in the CIS, weighing about 3 tons. More
than 7 thousand eggs, 350 kg of nuts, 20 kg of almonds, 350 kg of sugar, and the
same amount of flour was used in the preparation of the pastry.[18]
Name Description
Pakhlava Azerbaijani baklava consists of pastry, cardamom, and saffron are used
for the preparation. Nuts (mostly hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts) and sugar are used
as the filling, and syrup is used as a sweetener.[19] There are some regional
variations, like Quba, Ganja, Tenbel and Sheki baklava.[20][21][22]
Shekerbura Shekerbura (şəkərbura) is a popular Azerbaijani sweet pastry, filled
with ground almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts. The ancient name for this crescent-
shaped pastry is Sheker Burek, a Turkic word meaning ‘sweet patty’. In Azerbaijan,
it usually involves the teamwork of relatives, friends, and neighbors who
congregate at someone's home to make this. Nowruz delights. What really makes these
look rather spectacular is the pattern on the dough produced by the traditional
tweezers called maggash.
Samani halva Samani halva is made from malted wheat, and can be best described
as a spicy, gooey, chewy treat. One samani halva tradition in Azerbaijan is to make
halva communally, using flour from seven different homes.[23]
Shorgoghal Another Novruz delicacy, Shorgoghal is a flaky pastry filled with
turmeric, anise, caraway, cinnamon and black pepper. In ancient times, the yellow
pastry represented the sun, while the crescent-shaped Shekerbura represented the
moon. These rolls are time-consuming to prepare, but the process is not really
complicated.
Guymag This is a simple, rich dessert, traditionally offered to women who have
just given birth or to patients after surgery to keep their strength up. It is high
in calories and easy to prepare. It is also served as a hot breakfast when the
weather is cold.
Firni Firni is a dessert made from rice flour, which has a light texture and bland
flavor, making it much lighter than British and North American baked rice puddings.
[24]
Badambura Badambura is slightly less sweet than pakhlava and has no honey so it
is less sticky as well. It is filled with plain ground sugar, almonds (badam in
Azerbaijani language), cardamom, and vanilla.[25]
Dairy products
Milk and dairy products play an important role in the Azerbaijani diet. Milk,
butter, cream, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, buttermilk, dovga, ayran, qatiq,
qurut, suzme, and other dairy products are regularly consumed in the morning, as a
snack, and even incorporated into lunch and dinner. Cow's milk is most often used
to produce local dairy products, however sheep's milk is also sometimes used and
goats' milk is consumed for its perceived health benefits. Rural communities in
Azerbaijan produce local butter, buttermilk and cheeses using traditional churning
techniques.
Name Description
Ayran A savory dairy drink. It is a staple of an Azerbaijani dinner/lunch table and
is served cold.
Qatiq A fermented, savory milk product. It is typically eaten with Qutabs or with
bread.
Qurut It is made from grain mixed with sour milk or yogurt.
Dovga A vegetarian, yoghurt-based soup cooked with a variety of herbs. Coriander,
dill, mint and rice are mainstays of the soup.
Shor Azerbaijani cottage cheese.
Suzme Creamy, fatty dairy product made from filtered and thickened qatiq.
Xinaliq pendiri Khinalug cheese, produced in the ancient village of Khinalug. It
is one of the most popular cheeses in Azerbaijan.
Motal pendiri Motal cheese. Another type of cheese widely consumed in
Azerbaijan.
Breads
Different types of bread are baked in Azerbaijan: flat, rolling, flatbread, lavash,
sengek, xamrali, thick, thin, crepes, cakes, and tandoor bread. In the Middle Ages,
tandoor ovens were one of the common facilities of the population who lived in Old
City (Icheri Sheher). This has been discovered during the archaeological
excavations in different areas of Old City. During the meeting held in Ethiopia,
the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage decided to include lavash in the Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of the organization.[26][27]
Non-alcoholic beverages
Black tea is a popular drink in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani people usually prefer tea
made in a samovar. Jam (Murabba) is often added to the tea as a sweetener.
Ayran is a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt.
An Azerbaijani sherbet (Azerbaijani: şərbət) is a sweet cold drink made of fruit
juice mixed or boiled with sugar, often perfumed with rose water. Sherbets (not to
be confused with sorbet ices) are of Iranian origin and they may differ greatly in
consistency, from very thick and jam-like (as in Tajik cuisine) to very light and
liquid, as in Azerbaijan.[28] Sherbets are typically prepared in the following
natural flavors:
Lemon, Pomegranate, Strawberry, Cherry, Apricot, Mint[29]
Locally made brands of bottled water include the following:[30]
Brand Origin Originating area
Aysu
Badamlı Badamli, Nakhchivan
Sirab Sirab, Nakhchivan
Şollar Şollar village North-east
Tamiz gazh su
Qax Qakh district North[31]
Kakh
Alcoholic beverages
Unlike multiple other countries with a predominantly Muslim population, alcohol
consumption in Azerbaijan is entirely legal, and a variety of alcoholic drinks,
both locally produced and imported can be found in shops and bars across the
country. Although alcohol consumption in Azerbaijan is relatively moderate,[32]
alcoholic drinks still play a part in nightlife, festivities and celebrations.
Wine
Azerbaijan produces wine locally. In the Khanlar district of the Azerbaijan
Republic, for example, archeologists have found jars buried with the remains of
wine dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. One of the most ancient and notable
regions known for its wine-making produce is Tovuz in northwestern Azerbaijan.
Archeological findings in this region speak of ancient vessels for wine storage,
stones and remains of tartaric acid used for wine-growing.[33]
The contemporary wine-making in Azerbaijan is seen in Ganja-Qazakh and Shirvan
economic zones.[34] Vineyards in these regions account to about 7% of the country's
cultivated land. The regions are famous for 17 vines and 16 table grape varieties,
the most common of the wine cultivars being Pinot Noir.[35] In Azerbaijan, wines
made from grapes are called sharab (Azerbaijani: şərab) while wines from other
fruits including apples, pomegranates and mulberry are called nabiz (Azerbaijani:
nəbiz). Other sorts are called chakhyr (Azerbaijani: çaxır). According to
historians, there are more than 450 different categories of wild grape found in
Azerbaijan which had been used for wine-making throughout the history of
Azerbaijan.[36]
Beer
Beer in Azerbaijan is typified by lighter lagers. Of the domestically produced
beers, the most widely distributed is Xirdalan named after the city of Xırdalan in
Azerbaijan, formerly brewed by Baki-Castel (BGI) but bought by Baltika in 2008. In
February 2017 company was renamed to Carlsberg Azerbaijan.[37] As a sponsor of
Baku's Eurovision Song Contest, Xirdalan issued special commemorative Eurovision
cans and bottles in 2012. Other widespread, locally produced brands include
Novxanı, NZS, Afsana and Annenfeld. Beer popularity continues to grow in Azerbaijan
as of 2018 and there are plans to fully localize malt processing for beer
production, with a new malt processing plant being planned to be launched in 2024.
[38] Unlike almost all CIS countries, the beer bottles in Azerbaijan are marked
with excise duty sticker.
Fruit preserves
Fruit preserves of all kinds, traditionally served alongside tea, are a ubiquitous
sighting at family gatherings and festivities in Azerbaijan. Jams, jellies, and
especially fruit conserves are eaten in between sips of tea or sometimes placed
directly into tea as a sweetener and a flavoring.

Bahamian cuisine refers to the foods and beverages of The Bahamas. It includes
seafood such as fish, shellfish, lobster, crab, and conch,[1] as well as tropical
fruits, rice, peas, pigeon peas, and pork. Popular seasonings commonly used in
dishes include chilies (hot pepper), lime, tomatoes, onions, garlic, allspice,
ginger, cinnamon, rum, and coconut.[1] Rum-based beverages are popular on the
islands.[2] Since the Bahamas consist of a multitude of islands, notable culinary
variations exist.
Bahamian cuisine is somewhat related to that of the American South, with dishes
held in common such as "fish 'n' grits".[3] A large portion of Bahamian foodstuffs
are imported (cf. economy of the Bahamas).[3] International cuisine is offered,
especially at hotels.[3]
Many specialty dishes are available at roadside stands, beach side, and in fine
dining establishments. In contrast to the offerings in the city of Nassau and the
many hotels, "shack" type food stands/restaurants (including Goldies and Twin
Brothers) are located at Arawak Cay on West Bay Street about 15 minutes from
downtown Nassau and 25 minutes from Atlantis Paradise Island resort. This is a very
organized and safe place to enjoy fresh seafood and all local Bahamian dishes.[2]
Travellers Rest Restaurant, in Nassau, is known for serving authentic "local"
foods.
Bahamian cuisine is showcased at many large festivals, including Independence Day
(Bahamas) on July 10 (during which inhabitants prepare special dishes like guava
duff), Fox Hill Day (second Tuesday in August), and Emancipation Day. Some
settlements have festivals associated with the traditional crop or food of that
area, such as the Pineapple Fest in Gregory Town, Eleuthera.
Bahamian traditions and food have been exported to other countries with emigrants.
[5] Coconut Grove, Florida celebrates the Goombay Festival in June, transforming
the area's Grand Avenue into a Carnival (Caribbean Carnival) in celebration of
Bahamian culture, Bahamian food and music (Junkanoo and "Rake'N'Scrape"[6]).[7]
Fantasy Fest in Key West, Florida includes a two-day street party known as Goombay
held in Key West's Bahama Village neighborhood.[5] It is named after the goombay
goatskin drums that generate the party's rhythms and held in celebration of the
heritage of Key West's large Bahamian population with food, art, and dancing.[5]
Beverages
Fruit juices, including coconut water, are often used for beverages. Switcha is a
"lemonade" made with native limes.[3][8] Goombay Punch is a commercially prepared,
highly sweetened soft drink.[9] It differs from the Goombay Smash, which is an
alcoholic preparation. Triple B is a non-alcoholic malt drink made by the Bahamian
Brewery.[10]
Alcoholic beverages include rum,[1] which is sometimes infused with coconut. Rum is
also used in mixed drinks such as rum punch. Sky juice is a drink consisting of
coconut water blended with condensed milk and gin.[3][9][11] The Yellow Bird
(cocktail), the Bahama Mama, the Goombay Smash, and Planter's Punch[2] are popular
local drinks. Nassau Royale is a Bahamian liqueur and is used to make the C. C.
Rider.[2] The Bahamian Brewery makes beers including: Sands, Bush Crack, High Rock
(named for a geographic feature: High Rock) and Strong Back.[12] Kalik is a
Bahamian beer.[3]
Soups
Bahamians enjoy many soups popular throughout the Caribbean including conch chowder
or stewed conch, stewed fish and split pea soup (made with ham). Peas are used in
various soups, including a soup made with dumplings and salt beef. Souse is a soup
usually made with chicken, lime, potatoes and pepper,[3] and if made with fish is
called boiled fish.[13] These soup dishes are usually served with Johnny cake or
grits, often for breakfast or as a post-hangover meal.[13]
Turtle soup was once a mainstay before turtles became endangered.[2]
Seafood
Seafood is a staple in the Bahamas. Conch, a large tropical mollusk (sea snail)
with firm, white flesh, is the national dish of the Bahamas.[2] Conch can be
prepared in a number of ways: served raw with lime juice, raw vegetables and even
fruit called conch salad. It can be steamed, stewed, deep-fried ("cracked conch" or
conch fritters), used in soups (especially conch chowder), or served in salads.
Other popular shellfish are crab (including the Florida stone crab), which is often
served baked, or another dish called crab fat and dough. The clawless spiny
lobster, also known as rock lobster and sometimes referred to as crayfish.[1][2]
Grouper is often served fried, sautéed, grilled or, more traditionally, boiled
(called boiled fish) and offered with grits or Johnny cake.[3] Bonefish, found in
great numbers in Bahamian waters, is served baked.[2][14]
Fish may be served escabeche style, in a mixture of lime juice or vinegar with
seasoning.[1] In escabeche the fish is cooked first, differentiating it from the
similarly prepared ceviche. "Stewed fish" is a method of preparing fish with
celery, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and spices.
Meat
Popular meat dishes are made with chicken,[1] pork, and goat (also referred to as
mutton).[1] Iguana is still hunted and eaten, especially in the outlying islands,
although some species, such as the Northern Bahamian rock iguana, are endangered.
An inexpensive dish, known locally as "Fire Engine", consists of steamed, canned
corned beef served with either grits or white rice.[15]
Side dishes
Bahamian side dishes shared with the American South include grits, baked macaroni
and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, boiled vegetables, and johnnycake. Other more
traditional Caribbean sides include pigeon peas, fried plantain, peas and rice[3]
and cassava bread.[1] Salt pork is also served.
Seasonings
Bahamian dishes are frequently seasoned with Old Sour sauce especially fish dishes.
Fruit
Bahamian cuisine incorporates many tropical fruits.[2] Guavas are used to make duff
(dessert). Ice cream is popular, including fruit flavors such as soursop.[2]
Puddings are eaten, including a sapodilla pudding.[2] Papaya (called pawpaw or
melon tree) is the most famous Bahamian fruit and is used for desserts, chutneys,
"Goombay" marmalade (made with papaya, pineapple, and green ginger), or simply
eaten fresh at breakfast. Papaya is also used as a meat tenderizer, and in tropical
drinks such as the Bahama Mama.[2] Melons, pineapples, passion fruit, and mangoes
are also grown in America.[2]
Desserts
Bahamians enjoy a variety of desserts, including tarts (coconut and pineapple),
guava duff, bread pudding, rum cake and cornmeal pudding.[1] Fruit cake is eaten
during the Christmas holiday. Benny and peanut cake (which are not cakes at all)
are also favorites among Bahamians.

The cuisine of Bahrain consists of dishes such as biryani, harees, khabeesa,

machboos, mahyawa, quzi and zalabia. Arabic coffee (qahwah) is the national
beverage.
Bahrain is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. Much
of the cuisine of Bahrain is a mixture of Arabic, Persian, Indian, Balochi,
African, Far East and European food due to the influence of the various communities
present, as Bahrain was an important seaport and trading junction since ancient
times.
Dishes
Some of the common dishes prepared in Bahraini households are:
Masli (Arabic: ‫ – )المصلي‬rice cooked with chicken, meat, fish or shrimp with the
ingredients cooked directly into the pot
Biryani (Arabic: ‫ – )برياني‬a very common dish, consisting of heavily seasoned rice
cooked with chicken or lamb, originally from the Indian sub-continent[1]
Fi Ga'atah (Arabic: ‫ )في قاعته‬or taht al aysh (Arabic: ‫ – )تحت العيش‬white rice cooked
with tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant in the bottom of the pan
Harees, (Arabic: ‫ – )هريس‬Wheat cooked with meat then mashed, usually topped with
cinnamon sugar
Jireesh (Yireesh) (Arabic: ‫ – )جريش‬a mash of cooked spelt with chicken or lamb,
tomatoes and some spices
Machboos (Arabic: ‫ – )مجبوس‬a dish made with mutton, chicken or fish served over
fragrant rice that has been cooked in a well-spiced chicken/mutton broth[1]
Mahyawa (Arabic: ‫ – )مهياوة‬a tangy fish sauce
Mumawwash, (Arabic: ‫ – )مموش‬rice cooked with green lentils and can be topped with
dry shrimp
Muhammar (Arabic: ‫ – )محمر‬rice dish made from local rice with dates or sugar and one
of the most distinctive rice dishes in Bahrain, always served with fried fish,
especially the net fish of Bahrain
Quzi (Ghoozi) (Arabic: ‫ – )قوزي أو غوزي‬Bahraini dish consisting of a roasted lamb
stuffed with rice, meat, eggs and other ingredients
Falafel (Arabic: ‫ – )فالفل‬a dish consisting of fried chickpeas served as fried balls
in sandwiches with vegetables; not originally from Bahrain but it is popular.
Al-Mudalal (Arabic: ‫ – )المدلل‬rice cooked with herbs and mixed with small pieces of
chicken, and then a special kind of butter, which is specially prepared for this
dish, is added
Malgoum – a dish of shawarma served inside chapati or paratha bread with cheese,
french fries, and a variety of sauces
Desserts
Ghuraiba (Arabic: ‫ – )الغريبة‬brittle cookies made from flour, butter, powdered sugar
and cardamom, usually served with Arabic coffee
Qirs altaabi - dish made of flour, eggs and ground cardamom to make a paste that is
heated on a hot surface.
Khabeesa (Arabic: ‫ – )الخبيص‬Sweet dish made of flour and oil.
Gaimat, (Arabic: ‫ )قيمات‬or luqaimat – Sweet fried yeast dumplings soaked in saffron
syrup (sugar, lemon and saffron) or honey or date molasses
Khanfaroosh, (Arabic: ‫ – )خنفروش‬popular fried dessert prepared using molasses or
milk, usually served at breakfast with tea or coffee
Zalabia (Arabic: ‫ – )زالبية‬fried dough soaked in syrup (sugar, lemon and saffron)
with a distinctive swirly shape
Typical Bahraini beverages
Qahwah is the national beverage while tea is drunk for hospitality. Other popular
beverages include laban (a kind of salty buttermilk), yoghurt drinks, sharbat
(sweet drinks) like the rose sharbat or rose with milk, and soft drinks.
Bahrain produces only a small amount of its food requirements due to limited land
space and imports much of its food.[2]

Bangladeshi cuisine has been shaped by the region's history and river-line
geography. Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate. The staple of Bangladesh is
rice and fish.[1] The majority of Bangladeshi people are ethnic Bengali, accustomed
to Bengali cuisine, with a minority of non-Bengalis, many used to cuisines from
different traditions and regions.[2][3][4] Bangladeshi cooking features more meat
dishes than the cuisine of neighbouring West Bengal, India.[5][6]
History
Bangladeshi culinary habits were strongly influenced by the cuisine of the area's
Mughal rulers. This includes rich, aromatic dishes such as biriyani and korma that
require the use of a large array of spices along with a great deal of ghee. Dhaka
was the Mughal capital of the Bengal Subah and a major trading center in South
Asia. Traders, immigrants and visitors brought culinary styles from around the
world, which influenced the city's cuisine. After Dhaka became the capital of East
Bengal, Persian, Turkish and Arabic-influenced dishes became popular.[7] Black
pepper and chui jhal were used to add spiciness before chili was introduced from
the Americas.[8]
Culinary style and influences
Rice is the staple food of Bangladesh,[1] while fish is the most common source of
protein in Bangladesh.[1] There are 250 plant-based ingredients in Bangladeshi
cooking.[1] The use of mustard oil is common.[5]
Specialties by region
Dhaka
The culinary customs of the nation's capital have been influenced by Mughlai,
Central Asian, Armenian, Hindustani and native Bengali cuisines. The city's cuisine
also has unique local dishes.[9]
The Nawabs of Dhaka brought Mughlai cuisine to Bengal. Mughlai cuisine is often
lavish and expensive, and was out of reach for many people up for many centuries,
becoming more widespread as Bangladesh's economy grew. It is characterised by use
of meat and dairy ingredients such as lamb, mutton, beef and yoghurt together with
mild spices. Its dishes include kebab; stuffed breads; kacchi biriyani; roast lamb,
duck, and chicken; patisapta; Kashmiri tea and korma are still served at special
occasions like Eid and at weddings.[10][11][12]
Chowk Bazaar in Old Dhaka is a centuries-old food market and a focal point during
Ramadan for the Iftar meal after sunset. [13][14][15]
Dhakaiya paratha is a multi-layered bread that found popularity in Kolkata when
immigrants from Dhaka introduced it there following the Partition of India.[16]
Haji biryani is a rice dish originating from a Dhaka restaurant of the same name.
The dish consists of rice, goat meat and spices.
Bakarkhani is a thick, spiced flat-bread from Mughlai cuisine often served with
tea. Dhakai Bakarkhani is the variant found in Dhaka, where it has been prepared
for centuries.[22][23]
Morog pulao is a signature dish of the city, an aromatic rice pilaf with chicken.
[24][25]
Chittagong Division
In Chittagong and the surrounding region curries are generally highly spiced and
often include beef.[26][27] Mejbani Gosht is a beef curry for special occasions;
[28][27] a Mejban or Mezban is a communal feast.[27]
Beef dishes are popular with Bengali Muslims and often served at Mezban feasts,
where they indicate prosperity.[28][29][27]
Hindus tend to cook with fish rather than beef. The Hindu community of Chittagong
organises Mezban feasts each year as "Chittagong Parishad", with curries of fish
and vegetables.[27]
Kala bhuna, blackened beef, is a dish from Chittagong[30][31] made of beef shoulder
cooked with spices until dark and tender.[32][33]
Durus kura or duroos is a dish comprising a whole chicken cooked in thick broth,
served with rice, either as polao or khichuri.[34][35] It also a part of Rohingya
Cuisine.[36]
Akhni, also commonly known as Orosher Biriyani is a biriyani variant made with
chinigura rice (an aromatic, short-grained rice). It contains cubes of beef or goat
meat with potatoes and dried fruits.
Chittagong is near the coast and has several dishes using sea fish,[37] including
rupchanda (silver pomfret) and loita (Bombay duck).[37] Shutki is cured and dried
loita, a pungent delicacy typical of the region.[37] Churi (ribbonfish) is dried
then cooked with chili and onions.[37] Koral/bhetki (barramundi) and giant tiger
prawns from the Bay of Bengal are eaten in coastal regions.[37][38]
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts are home to tribes with their own culture and cuisine.
[39][40] Chakma cuisine uses sidol, a paste made from fermented shrimps and fish,
and suguni, dried shrimp or fish.[41] Their dishes use more herbs from the hills
more than the spices common in Bengali dishes.[41] Important seasonal ingredients
include wild mushrooms and the Flowers of ginger and turmeric plants.[41] Sumoh
gorang is a dish cooked in bamboo and Hebaang is baked in banana leaves in a mud
oven.[41] Marma cuisine uses a paste of dried fish called nappi.[4] Rice beer is a
popular drink.[4]
Greater Mymensingh
In Mymensingh doi yogurt is often combined with puffed or flattened rice.[42]
Monda is a sweet yogurt patty from Muktagachhar, first made in 1824.[43][44][45]
[46]
The Garo people are an ethnic and religious minority in Mymensingh region with
their own unique culture and cuisine.[3][47] Their cuisine is notable for the use
of pork, eel, and turtle meat.[3] The Garo brew liquor at home[3] and cook with
soda and in bamboo.[48]
Northern Bangladesh
Northern Bangladesh has numerous dairy farms that produce yogurt (doi).[49] Yogurt
is also made of evaporated milk which gives it a more intense taste, similar to
kheer.[49] Biral Upazila is well known for large Koi fish[49] which are baked in
banana leaves.[50] Catla fish is commonly cooked in doi yogurt.[49]
Bogra is well known nationally and internationally for its sweet curds.[51]
The Rangpur region has a beef dish cooked with pumpkin.[31]
The Santal people in the Rajshahi region[52] eat crab, pork, squirrel, and fish[52]
and tend to use fewer spices in their cooking.[53] They produce an alcoholic drink
from rice called hadia.[52] They make liquor using palm tree resin which is used
for ritual ceremonies.[52]
Southern Bangladesh
Piper chaba is a fiery aromatic spice grown in South Bengal. It pre-dates the
introduction of chilli from the Americas in the 16th century.[8][54][30][55] Its
peeled and chopped stem and roots are added to meat and fish dishes.[56]
Barisal, a coastal region, uses coconut in cooking.[57]
Sylhet Division
The Sylhet area of Bangladesh has a number of characteristic dishes and
ingredients. It is home to several citrus fruit varieties such as hatkora and
thoikor, Adajamir or Ada Lebu, and Ashkul Lebu or Ashkoni Lebu that are commonly
used in the region's fish and meat dishes. [58][59] [60][33][61] Although Ashkul
Lebu or Ashkoni Lebu is unheard of amongst many Sylhetis due to lack of knowledge
on it, and it is most likely to be nearly extinct; the juices of Ashkul Lebu is
used to make Tenga or Khatta.
Rice dishes
Akhni is a mixed rice dish similar to biryani or polao, made with meat and/or
vegetables.
Red and white Birin rice (also transliterated as Biroin or Bireen) is found only in
the Sylhet region.[62] It is eaten in savoury and sweet dishes and is the main
ingredient for Chunga Pitha, a traditional rice cake prepared by stuffing sticky
rice inside young bamboo and smoking it slowly. The rice cake is removed from the
tube and has the shape of a candle. The dish may also be made with milk, sugar,
coconut, and rice powder.
Khichuri is a rice dish similar in consistency to porridge. During the holy month
of Ramadan, it is served as a staple food for Iftar. It consists of aromatic rice
mixed with spices, ghee, cumin and fenugreek. It is also offered to sick people
mixed with ginger.
Meat dishes
Beef Hatkhora is a traditional festive dish of beef cooked with hatkora juice.
Aash Bash is a traditional dish using duck and bamboo shoots. It is also known as
Aash ar Khoril.
Fish dishes
Fish is eaten both curried and fried. Dried and fermented fish called shutki also
known by many locals of Sylhet as hutki or hukoin, and hatkora, a bitter and
fragrant citrus fruit are used in fish curries. Extremely hot Naga Morich peppers
are used in broths.[63]
Some local dishes incorporate hidol, a pungent chutney of dried fish matured in
earthenware pots.[64] This includes Hutki Shira, a fish curry with vegetables.
Thoikor Tenga is a dish fish cooked with thoikor, a bitter citrus fruit that grows
in the Sylhet region.
Other foods from Sylhet
Bakarkhani is a flatbread that resembles porota and is commonly eaten during Iftar,
the evening meal during the month of Ramadan[65]
Handesh is a snack made of deep-fried dough sweetened with molasses or sugar. It is
served on special occasions such as the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Nunor Bora is a savoury snack made of rice flour and with onion, ginger and
turmeric, fried to a golden colour.
Tusha Shinni is a dessert halwa made from sweetened dough with nuts and raisins
that is usually served on special occasions.
Seven Color Tea is a colourful drink with multiple different layers of flavoured
tea.[66][67]
Bangladeshi-run restaurants in Great Britain
In the early 20th century sailors from Sylhet, known as Lascars, settled in the
United Kingdom.[68] They bought fish and chip restaurants and developed them into
full service Indian restaurants.[68] They based the cuisine offered there on that
sold by established Anglo-Indian restaurants and on Mughal Cuisine.[68]
More than 8 out of 10 of over 8,000 "Indian restaurants" in the UK are owned by
Bangladeshis,[33][69] 95% of who come from Sylhet.[70][71][72]
Culinary historian Lizzie Collingham wrote that
"Sylheti curry cooks converted “unadventurous British palates” to a new flavour
spectrum".[73]
Sweets
Amriti is a flower-shaped deep-fried dessert in sugary syrup[74] that is popular in
Dhaka and Tangail.[75][76]
Chomchom is a traditional sweet that originated in Porabari.[77][78] The sweet is
oval and brown.
Boondi is popular during Ramadan.[79]
Balish Mishti (lit. pillow sweet) is a large pillow-shaped sweet from Natore
District.[80]
Jilapi is a pretzel-shaped sweet in syrup that is popular throughout South Asia.
[81] Shahi jilapi (royal jilapi) is a very large, pinwheel-shaped variant from
Dhaka.[82]
Kachagolla is a dessert made of dairy ingredients and sugar that is from Natore
District in Rajshahi Division.[83] It may have been presented to the 18th century
ruler Rani Bhabani.[83][84]
Ledikeni is a light fried reddish-brown ball made of chhena and flour, soaked in
sugar syrup.[85] It was devised in the mid-19th century and named after Lady
Canning, the wife of the Governor-General of India.[86][87]
Pantua is the Bengali version of gulab jamun.[88]
Ras malai is a dessert of balls of chhana milk solids in a cream sauce flavoured
with cardamom.[89][90]
Taal, the fruit of the Palmyra palm is used in a variety of desserts.[91]
Dimer Jorda is a Bangladeshi informal popular dish.
Beverages
Borhani, (Bengali: বোরহানী) is a traditional yogurt-like[92] drink[93] Borhani is
made from sour doi, green chilli, mustard seeds, black salt, coriander and mint.
[94] It is popular as a digestive after heavy meals[95] or as an appetizer
beforehand.[96][97][98]
Taal er rosh (Palm juice) is the sap extracted from palm trees and drank as a cool
beverage in summer.[99]
Rooh Afza is a concentrated squash made by Hamdard Bangladesh.[100]
Ghol and matha are buttermilk drinks made in Bangladesh, especially in the village
of Solop in Ullahpara Upazila of Sirajganj District.[101]
Lassi is a blend of yogurt with water and either spices or sweet flavourings.[102]
Alcoholic beverages
As a majority Muslim country, alcohol sales in Bangladesh are controlled. A
government permit is necessary to purchase alcoholic drinks.[103]
Hunter Beer is the only alcoholic beer produced in Bangladesh.[103] It is
manufactured by Jamuna Group.[103]
Carew & Co is a government-owned distillery located in Chuadanga District.[103]
[104][105]
Non-Bengali tribes produce and consume alcohol from fermented rice.[106]

Barbadian cuisine, also called Bajan cuisine, is a mixture of African, Portuguese,

Indian, Irish, Creole, Indigenous and British background. A typical meal consists
of a main dish of meat or fish, normally marinated with a mixture of herbs and
spices, hot side dishes, and one or more salads. The meal is usually served with
one or more sauces.[1]
The national dish of Barbados is cou-cou and fried flying fish with spicy gravy.[2]
Another traditional meal is pudding and souse, a dish of pickled pork with spiced
sweet potatoes.[3] A wide variety of seafood and meats are also available.
Main courses
Fried flying fish,Fried or grilled fish such as kingfish, swordfish, mahi mahi, and
"dolphin" (dolphinfish). A whole roast red snapper is a delicacy.,Brown stew
chicken,Cou-cou and steamed flying fish,Barbecued or stewed lamb or pork
chops,Curry beef or mutton,Rotisserie chicken/pan chicken,Baked or fried
chicken,Grilled or fried prawns,Grilled turkey wings,Saltfish in a spicy tomato
sauce,Pepperpot,Sweet potato pie,Chicken curry,Pickled chicken feet,Barbequed pig
tails,Guava cheese,Black cake
Hot side dishes
Rice and peas – rice with split peas and gravy.,Macaroni pie,Cou-cou,Sweet potato,
grilled, mashed or as fries,English potato, grilled, mashed or as fries,Fried
plantain,Breadfruit, grilled or fried,Chow mein,Steamed mixed vegetables, such as
broccoli, pumpkin, cabbage, and onion,Buttered cassava or yam
Salads
Garden salad,Pasta salad,Potato salad,Coleslaw,Plain sweetcorn, beetroot, or
pineapple
Sauces
Bajan pepper sauce,Ketchup,Tartar sauce for fish
Lighter meals
Bakes,Cassava pone, a kind of savoury cassava cake,Conkies,Cutters (fried flying
fish in a bap),Fishcake,Pumpkin soup,Samosas, often made with conch,Turnovers,Wrap
roti, usually with beef, chicken or saltfish with potatoes, spices, and sometimes
chickpeas
Beverages
Rum and rum punch,Banks beer,Hibiscus tea,Mauby,Fruit juice,Tamarind drink,Soursop
drink,Golden apple drink,Sorrel drink,Coconut water,Ginger beer
Foreign food in Barbados
American staples such as hot dogs and burgers are fairly common, as are British
fish and chips. Chinese, Indian, and Thai dishes are available in the main towns. A
few Mexican and Brazilian restaurants are available on the South Coast. There are
upmarket sushi restaurants in or near large resorts.

Belarusian cuisine (Belarusian: Беларуская кухня, romanized: Biełaruskaja kuchnia)

refers to the culinary traditions native to Belarus. It shares many similarities
with cuisines of other Eastern, Central and Northeastern European countries, based
predominantly on meat and various vegetables typical for the region.
History
Belarus cuisine has predominantly Slavic roots. Along with a Ruthenian influence,
it is also linked with Lithuanian and Polish because of the long intermingling of
these three peoples; first within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (11th–16th
centuries) and later within the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (16th–17th
centuries). Though the Belarusian nobility, like the Polish elite, borrowed much
from Italian, German, and French cuisines, this influence hardly made itself felt
in the diet of the peasant majority.[citation needed] Still, some of the borrowed
dishes spread throughout the society, such as lazanki (a mixture of flour dumplings
and stewed meat, related to Italian lasagna) and, above all, various dishes made of
grated potatoes, typical for German cuisine.
The political upheavals of the 20th century completely wiped out the former
privileged classes and many traditional upper and middle class dishes went down the
path of oblivion. The very idea of a separate Belarusian cuisine was treated with
suspicion. Only after World War II did it occur to the communist authorities that
the proclaimed ‘flourishing of national culture’ should also be evident in the
cuisine. The only source permitted for such a culinary reconstruction was the
heritage of the poorest peasants as of the 1880s, a time when primitive rural
lifestyle was already on the wane. Chefs were instructed by the Party to create the
new Belarusian cuisine from scratch. Dish names, recipes, "authentic" kitchenware –
all were reinvented anew, as though ten centuries of history had never existed.
Only the sudden advent of independence in 1991 brought an opportunity to restore
these lost traditions, and a great deal still remains to be done here.
Modern Belarusian cuisine is still heavily influenced by its recent Soviet past,
and many local restaurants feature Russian or Soviet dishes rather than true
specialties of local cuisine. However, draniki (both plain and stuffed), boršč,
chaładnik, mačanka, zrazy, cold meat rolls, eggs stuffed with mushrooms, hałubcy,
fried raw pork sausage and blini are likely to be found everywhere, as well as sour
rye bread.
Meals
A traditional peasant or merchant's dinner consisted of just two dishes: soup and a
main course. A special kind of pot, the sparysh, with two compartments, was used by
farmers' children to bring lunch to their father working in the fields. Prior to
World War II, salads or other snacks were not very common, and recipes based on
Russian models tended to appear in modern Belarusian postwar cookbooks. Fresh white
cheese and various kinds of cold meats (usually smoked) were available, however, at
least on holidays.
Cereals
Since wheat does not grow well in a cold and wet climate, Belarusians were always
fond of a kind of somewhat sour rye bread, and the most traditional hard drink, the
local vodka or harelka (Belarusian: гарэлка), was distilled primarily from a rye
malt.
Like other Slavic peoples, Belarusians could boast of a huge variety of bliny
(pancakes) of various thickness, plain and filled, made mostly of wheat or
buckwheat flour, but also using oatmeal (tsadaviki).
Various kinds of cereal, especially barley, oatmeal and buckwheat, were common.
Belarus was the likely centre of Europe's buckwheat culture, and dishes made with
this healthy grain used to be very popular: various kinds of buns, cakes and
dumplings which, except for the well-known "kasha", no longer exist today.
Vegetables
The main vegetables were cabbage (often made into sauerkraut) and beets, while
turnips, swedes, parsnip and carrots both stewed and boiled (with the addition of a
small amount of milk) were somewhat less popular. As elsewhere in Europe, legumes
were the main source of protein, mainly in the form of kamy (puree of peas or beans
with melted lard).
Soups
The word soup was not known in Belarus until the 18th century when the nobility
borrowed it from German, but soup as a type of dish clearly existed centuries
earlier. The old word for most traditional Belarusian soups was poliŭka
(Belarusian: поліўка), except for those named after the vegetable that was the main
ingredient: kapusta (cabbage soup), buraki (beet soup), gryžanka (swede soup). For
a typical poliŭka the major ingredients (fish or mushrooms during fasts) were first
boiled with spices; cereals such as barley or millet were boiled in the stock, and
then flour blended with water, bread kvass, beet juice or buttermilk was added to
the stock. Black poliŭka, made with goose or pork blood, is closely related to the
Swedish "black soup" svartsoppa. Offering a matchmaker black poliŭka was the polite
way for the bride's parents to decline a young man's proposal. Like the Ukrainians,
Russians and Poles, Belarusians are fond of borscht, a thick and rich beet and
cabbage soup made with grains, potato and meat. Soups are much more authentic, both
hot (shchi, boršč, sorrel soup) and especially cold sour soups which provide
cooling relief during the hot summer.
The Belarusian chaladnik (Belarusian: халаднік), a cold borscht made of beets, beet
leaves or sorrel and served with sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, and boiled potatoes,
has been a popular dish also in Polish and Lithuanian cuisines since the late 18th
century.
Meat
Meat was in rather scarce supply for most people, and was primarily eaten only on
the main Christian holidays. Avid consumers of pork, Belarusians are less partial
to mutton and beef. Most common was raw pork sausage – a pig intestine stuffed with
minced or chopped meat seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic. Its common name –
"finger-stuffed sausage" (Belarusian: каўбаса, «пальцам пханая» or in short
пальцоўка) – provided a graphic description of the primitive production technology.
[1] Kishkа (Belarusian: кішка), or kryvyanka (Belarusian: крывянка), was a local
blood sausage (Belarusian: крывяная каўбаса) made of pig's blood and buckwheat
grain. Škalondza (Belarusian: шкалондза), or kindziuk (Belarusian: кіндзюк), a
particular kind of round sausage made of pig stomach filled with pork minced with
spices[2] – a relative of the Lithuanian skilandis – was known throughout the
country. Borrowed from Italian cuisine by nobility in the 16th century, cold meat
rolls, salcesons and balerons were common to all of society by the 19th century,
and are still very popular. Smoked goose breast pauguski (Belarusian: паўгускі), a
local Belarusian and Lithuanian delicacy, was once the pride of middle-class
cuisine, but no longer exists today.
Veraščaka (Belarusian: верашчака), an 18th-century thick meat gravy with pieces of
meat and sausage used as a dip or sauce for thick pancakes, is still one of the
most popular specialties of Belarusian restaurants today, although it is now
generally called mačanka (Belarusian: мачанка, a dip). Also popular are zrazy,
chopped pieces of beef rolled into a sausage shape and filled with vegetable,
mushroom, eggs, potato etc. Pork dishes are usually fried or stewed, garnished with
cheese or mushrooms. Beef steaks are also quite frequent, but mutton, once very
popular, is almost entirely limited to Caucasian or Central Asian restaurants,
although still quite a few eat it today.
Dumplings
Kalduny, small boiled dumplings related to Russian pelmeni and Italian ravioli,
were produced in endless combinations of dough, filling and sauce. Especially
popular were kalduny Count Tyshkevich (filled with a mixture of fried local
mushrooms and smoked ham). In the late 19th century kalduny began to be made with
grated potato rather than with a flour-based dough and the former huge variety of
fillings shrank considerably.[citation needed] Today, kalduny have to struggle
vigorously to regain their former popularity, now overtaken by the Russian pelmeni.
[citation needed]
Dairy foods
The main dairy foods include a kind of fresh white cheese (Belarusian: тварог) and
sour cream (Belarusian: смятана), which is widely used both in cooking and as a
garnish. Only in the mid-19th century was fermented cheese (Belarusian: сыр)
borrowed from the Netherlands and Switzerland, and the local version of Edam was
very popular for decades in the Russian Empire. Sour butter from the former Dzisna
county was exported to Britain, where it continued to be the most expensive variety
up to World War I. Today, however, these traditions have become a thing of the
past.
Beverages
The traditional hard drink is vodka or harelka (Belarusian: гарэлка), including
varieties made from birch sap (biarozavik, Belarusian: бярозавік) or flavored with
forest herbs (zubrovka, Belarusian: зуброўка). Mead and similar alcoholic drinks
made of honey and spices were very common up until the 19th century and then more
or less disappeared until the latest revival of the national cuisine. A notable
example in this group is krambambula (Belarusian: крамбамбуля), vodka diluted with
water, mixed with honey, and flavored with spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, red
and black pepper). In the 18th century this drink competed with French champagne in
Belarus and only wealthy people could afford it. Today it is enjoying a popular
revival, as is evident from the appearance of krambambula recipes and histories on
the Internet.[3][4]
Kvass traditionally was and still remains the main local non-alcoholic drink,
although it is increasingly made with sugars and artificial flavorings rather than
with genuine rye malt and natural flavorings. Kompot is also a relatively popular
beverage, normally made of dried or fresh fruit, boiled, and then cooled. Every
small town boasts a local variety of mineral water. Belarusians prefer carbonated
water.
Тraditional liquid desserts that accompany a meal include saladucha (Belarusian:
саладуха), a thick liquid made of rye flour and honey that was popular in the 18th
century, and kissel, the traditional jelly drink of Eastern Europe made from the
pulp of forest berries or cooked fruits, originally thickened with oatmeal (now
replaced by potato starch flour or cornstarch).
Minority cuisines
Belarusian cuisine owes much to Jewish cooking. In the 19th century, Jewish
influence was especially noticeable in bringing in potato dishes of German origin,
such as babka. This was a two-way gastronomic street, for the famous bulbe latkes,
the potato pancakes of the East European Jews, may have been borrowed from the
Belarusian draniki.
Another important minority ethnic group which influenced Belarusian cuisine were
the Lipka Tatars, whose Tatar cuisine was especially strong in various cakes with
fillings, mutton and vegetable dishes.
Potatoes
Belarus is known for farming potatoes just like Ukraine is known for farming wheat.
The humble potato became so common in the 19th century that there are more than 300
potato dishes recorded in Belarus and it came to be considered the core ingredient
of the national cuisine. In the Russian Empire[5] and Soviet Union, Belarusians
were sometimes called bulbashi, a pejorative conjugation of the Belarusian word for
potato.
Salads
Typical salads are made of a fairly short list of ingredients, combining boiled
beef or chicken, potato, beet, carrot, apple, herring, diced cheese, canned peas
and corn, canned fish, ‘crab fingers’, onions and mushrooms, generously seasoned
with mayonnaise or sunflower oil. One of the most typical local salads is the
"Belaya Vezha" salad (named after the Belaya Vezha Forest), which combines boiled
chicken meat with fried mushrooms, onions, and pickled cucumbers, mixed with
mayonnaise and garnished with chopped hard-boiled egg.[6] Fresh vegetable salads
are also widely available: tomatoes (also mixed with cucumbers) and onions seasoned
with sour cream; radishes with dill and sunflower oil (or sour cream); shredded
cabbage salad seasoned with sunflower oil or mayonnaise (similar to coleslaw); and
pickled cabbage with caraway seeds or cranberries with onions seasoned with
sunflower oil are common.
Fish
Historically, Belarusians had little access to seafood, and this is still evident
in the cuisine. The most common sea fish (after herring, which has been the most
common appetizer all along the Baltic coast and its vicinity ever since the 14th
century) are hake and cod and there are relatively few dishes with such fish. Much
more traditional and common are lake fish, notably zander, cooked in a wide variety
of ways, and carp (especially the famous stuffed carp, the gefilte fish of Jewish
cuisine). Eels, smoked or stuffed, are the specialty of the lake country in the
northwestern part of Belarus, adjacent to Latvia and Lithuania.
Side dishes
Side dishes are usually boiled, fried or mashed potatoes, buckwheat kasha, rice or
pasta. Meat dishes are frequently served with bliny or draniki stacked in round
clay pots.

Belgian cuisine is widely varied among regions, while also reflecting the cuisines
of neighbouring France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is sometimes said that
Belgian food is served in the quantity of German cuisine but with the quality of
French food.[1][2] Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate,
waffles, fries and beer.
Though Belgium has many distinctive national dishes, many internationally popular
foods like hamburgers and spaghetti bolognese are also popular in Belgium, and most
of what Belgians eat is also eaten in neighbouring countries. "Belgian cuisine"
therefore usually refers to dishes of Belgian origin, or those considered typically
Belgian.
Belgian cuisine traditionally prizes regional and seasonal ingredients. Ingredients
typical in Belgian dishes include potatoes, leeks, grey shrimp, white asparagus,
Belgian endive and local beer, in addition to common European staples including
meat, cheese and butter. Belgians typically eat four meals a day, with a light
breakfast, medium lunch, a snack, and a large dinner.
Belgium has a plethora of local dishes and products. Examples include waterzooi
from Ghent, couque biscuit from the town of Dinant, and tarte au riz from Verviers.
While their local origins are acknowledged, most such dishes are enjoyed throughout
Belgium.
History
Belgian cuisine was influenced by that of the Roman Empire, and later that of
France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Little is known about early Belgian cuisine. It can only be assumed that it was
similar to that of other early European tribes. The ancient Belgians probably
foraged, kept animals like sheep and cattle, grew root vegetables, hunted for
animals such as the wild boar, fished, and foraged for berries and herbs. Beer was
brewed as well, although not with hops (a later discovery).
Later, under the Roman Empire, many more foods were presumably introduced to
Belgium, such as cabbage and other brassicas, as well as many fruits such as
apples, pears and grapes. Belgium was known to be a large supplier of ham and pork
for many cities in the Roman Empire.
Belgian cuisine
Appetizers
Tartines/Boterhammen: slices of rustic bread and an uncovered spread, often pâté or
soft cheese, served on a cutting board. Typical spreads include Americain, pâté,
and saucisson.
Jambon d'Ardenne/Ardeense ham: particularly smoked ham and pâté, often made of game
such as wild boar. The forested Ardennes region in the south of Belgium is renowned
for this type of food.
Salade liégeoise [fr]/Luikse salade: a potato salad with green beans, bacon, onions
and vinegar. It is usually associated with Liège.
Croquettes aux crevettes [fr]/Garnaalkroketten: a traditional Belgian dish, these
croquettes have a thick and creamy bechamel filling mixed with grey shrimp. Often
served with a slice of lemon and fried parsley.
Tomate aux crevettes [fr]/Tomaat-garnaal: a Belgian culinary specialty, composed of
a hollow, unhunted tomato stuffed with peeled grey shrimps and mixed with
mayonnaise.
Savoury dishes
Moules-frites/Mosselen met friet: mussels cooked or steamed with onions and celery
served with Belgian fries. The recipe has often been referred to as the country's
national dish[3] but is also popular in the neighboring Nord region of France.
Carbonade flamande/Vlaamse karbonaden/stoofvlees/stoverij: a Belgian beef stew,
similar to the French beef bourguignon, but made with Belgian beer instead of red
wine. Served with bread or fries and mustard. Usually accompanied by a beer. This
is also considered one of the national dishes, along with moules-frites.
Steak-frites/Biefstuk met friet: a very common and popular dish served in
brasseries throughout Europe consisting of steak paired with fries.
Waterzooi: a rich stew and soup of chicken or fish, vegetables, cream, and eggs,
usually associated with Ghent.
Chicons au gratin/Gegratineerd witloof: Belgian endives au gratin in béchamel sauce
with cheese. Often the endives are wrapped with ham.
Kip met frieten en appelmoes/Poulet avec des frites et compote: dish consisting of
chicken, fries, and compote, which is very common in and around Brussels.
Konijn in geuze/Lapin à la gueuze: rabbit in gueuze, which is a spontaneously
fermented Belgian beer from the area in and around Brussels.
Filet américain: very finely minced ground beef eaten raw and cold. It is spread on
a sandwich or bread with and sometimes topped with a sauce, usually sauce
américaine, and served with fries. When served as a dinner, it is mixed with onions
and capers like steak tartare, but it retains the name américain.
Paling in 't groen/Anguilles au vert: eel in a green sauce of mixed herbs
(including chervil and parsley). Served with bread or fries. Usually accompanied by
a beer or (sometimes) an Alsace wine.
Pêche au thon [fr]/Perzik met tonijn: halved canned or fresh peaches stuffed with a
mix of tuna and mayonnaise, i.e. tuna salad.
Boudin/Pens: a type of sausage in which the meat, or blood, is mixed with fine
breadcrumbs that is often eaten with potatoes and apple sauce, sometimes eaten raw
or barbecued.
Stoemp: a potato that is mashed with vegetables (usually carrots or cabbages),
often served with sausages.
Vol-au-vent: a small hollow case of puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms,
small meatballs cooked in a white sauce, and typically served with fries.
Boulets à la Liégeoise/Luikse balletjes: two big meatballs in a sweet and sour
sauce called sauce lapin, served with fries.
Lokerse paardenworst: minced horse sausages with peeled tomatoes, onion, celery,
herbs, originally from Lokeren
Sweet dishes and desserts
Gaufres/Wafels: Belgian waffles, sometimes eaten as a street snack and sold by ice-
cream vans. Among the better-known styles are the Gaufre de Liège or Liège waffle,
Brussels waffle, and the stroopwafel.
Speculoos: a shortcrust cinnamon biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on or
just before Saint Nicholas Day (Dutch: Sinterklaas, French: la Saint-Nicolas) on 6
December.
Croustillons/Smoutebollen: deep-fried balls of dough, eaten at fairgrounds or on
special occasions like the October fair.
Rijstevlaai/Tarte au riz : a pie with a filling based on rice pudding, native to
Verviers.
Sirop de Liège/Luikse siroop: a jam or jelly-like spread made of evaporated fruit
juices.
Cuberdon: a cone-shaped purple candy made of gum arabic, originally from Ghent.
Lacquements: thin wafer, made from wheat, cut in two horizontally, filled and
coated with sugar candy syrup flavoured with orange blossom. Generally eaten during
the October fair in Liège and the Sinksenfoor in Antwerp.
Aalsterse vlaai: a regional pie from Aalst, with well-known variations in the area
around Aalst, such as Wetteren (Wetterse vlaai)[4] and Kalken (Kalkense vlaai). A
key ingredient are mastellen, a type of sandwich local to Aalst.
Belgian fries
Fries, deep-fried chipped potatoes, are very popular in Belgium, where they are
thought to have originated. The earliest evidence of the dish comes from a book
entitled Curiosités de la table dans les Pays-Bas-Belgiques written in 1781, which
described how inhabitants of Namur, Dinant and Andenne around the river Meuse had
eaten fried potatoes since around 1680. Though they are usually known as "French
fries" in the United States, it is argued that American soldiers during the First
World War called them "French fries" because the Belgian soldiers who introduced
them to the dish spoke French.[5]
In Belgium, fries are sold at fast-food stands or in dedicated fast-food
restaurants called friteries, frietkot, or frituur (loosely: “fry shack”). They are
often served with a variety of sauces and eaten either on their own or in the
company of other snacks. Traditionally, they are served in a cornet de frites
(French) or puntzak [nl] (Flemish), a cone-shaped white piece of thick paper then
wrapped in a piece of thin (and coloured) paper, with the sauce on the top. Larger
portions are often served in cardboard trays for practicality's sake. Other street
foods like frikandel, gehaktbal or kroket are sold alongside. In some cases, the
fries are served in the form of a baguette sandwich along with their sauce and
meat; this is known as a mitraillette. In areas with immigration, the same
combination is also available in a wrap called a dürüm instead of on a baguette.
The vast majority of Belgian households have a deep fryer, allowing them to make
their own fries and other deep-fried foods at home. Supermarkets sell a range of
liquid and solid animal- and plant-based fats for use in home deep fryers; beef fat
is particularly prized.
In June 2017 the European Commission issued a recommendation to limit the chemical
acrylamide—a natural result of frying some foods at high temperatures—from reaching
consumers, due to its alleged carcinogenic properties. The document proposed a
change in the preparation of Belgian fries to prevent the formation of acrylamide,
by blanching them before frying, as opposed to the traditional method of double
frying. This led to a wave of protests from several Belgian politicians, who viewed
it as an assault on the country's culture and gastronomical tradition.
Sauces
Traditionally, fries are usually served with mayonnaise in Belgium. Friteries and
other fast-food establishments tend to offer a number of different sauces for the
fries and meats, including aïoli and sauce américaine but also much more elaborate
varieties, including béarnaise sauce. There are frequently over a dozen options,
and most of them are mayonnaise-based, so the varieties include:
Aïoli: garlic mayonnaise.
Sauce andalouse: mayonnaise with tomato paste and peppers.
Sauce americaine: mayonnaise with tomato, chervil, onions, capers, crustacean
stock, and celery.
Bicky sauce: a commercial brand made from mayonnaise, white cabbage, tarragon,
dough, cucumber, onion, mustard, and dextrose.
Brazilian sauce: mayonnaise with pureed pineapple, tomato, and spices.
Cocktail sauce: one of several types of cold or room temperature sauces often
served as part of the dish(es) referred to as a seafood cocktail or as a condiment
with other seafood.
Curry ketchup: a spiced variant on ketchup and a common sauce in Belgium, Germany,
Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Curry mayonnaise: mayonnaise with either turmeric, cumin, ginger, and fresh or
dried hot chili peppers.
Joppiesaus: a commercial brand made from mayonnaise, spices, onion, and curry
powder.
Ketchup: a sweet and tangy sauce typically made from tomatoes, sweetener, and
vinegar with assorted seasonings and spices.
Mammoet sauce: mayonnaise with tomato, onion, glucose, garlic, and soy sauce.
Mayonnaise: a thick cold sauce or dressing usually used in sandwiches and composed
salads.
Pepper sauce: mayonnaise or hot sauce with black pepper.
Relish—a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits, or herbs,
and is a food item typically used as a condiment, in particular, to enhance a
staple.
Sauce lapin: a sauce made from sirop de Liège, cooked with raisins, onions, prunes,
and cloves, typically served with boulets à la Liégeoise.
Sauce Riche: a pink, tartar-based sauce.
Samurai sauce: mayonnaise with Tunisian chili, spices, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
Algérienne sauce: mayonnaise with mustard, shallot, black pepper, vinegar, and
chili pepper or harissa, and sometimes also tomato or tomato sauce, anchovies, or
capers.
Tartar sauce: a mayonnaise or aïoli-based sauce of French origin, and is typical of
a rough consistency due to the addition of diced gherkins or other varieties of
pickles.
Zigeuner sauce: a "gypsy" sauce of tomatoes, paprika, and chopped bell peppers,
borrowed from Germany.
Occasionally, warm sauces are offered by friteries, including Hollandaise sauce,
Provençale sauce, béarnaise sauce, or even a carbonade flamande. Most of the sauces
above are also readily available in supermarkets. The use of these sauces is not
limited to fries; they are used on a variety of other dishes as well.
Beer
For a comparatively small country, Belgium produces a very large number of beers in
a range of different styles—in fact, it has more distinct types of beer per capita
than anywhere else in the world. In 2011, there were 1,132 different varieties of
beer being produced in the country.[6] The brewing tradition in Belgium can be
traced back to the early Middle Ages and 6 Trappist Monasteries still produce beer,
which was initially used to fund their upkeep.[7]
On average, Belgians drink 157 litres of beer each year, down from around 260 each
year in 1900.[7] Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and
almost every style of beer has its own particular, uniquely shaped glass or other
drinking-vessel.[2] Using the correct glass is considered to improve its flavour.
The varied nature of Belgian beers makes it possible to match them against each
course of a meal, for instance:
Wheat beer with seafood or fish.
Blonde or Tripel beers with eel, chicken or white meat
Dubbel or other dark beers with dark meat
Fruit Lambics with dessert
A number of traditional Belgian dishes use beer as an ingredient. One is carbonade,
a stew of beef cooked in beer, similar to beef bourguignon. The beer used is
typically the regional speciality: lambic in Brussels, De Koninck in Antwerp, so
that the taste of the dish varies. Another is rabbit in gueuze. The Trappist
monastery at Chimay also manufactures cheese that is "washed" with beer to enhance
its flavour.[8]
Jenever
Jenever, also known as genièvre, genever, peket or Dutch gin, is the national
spirit of Belgium from which gin evolved. While beer may be Belgium's most famous
alcoholic beverage, jenever has been the country's traditional and national spirit
for over 500 years.[9] Jenever is a "Protected Product of Origin", having received
eleven different appellations or AOCs from the European Union, and can only be
crafted in Belgium, the Netherlands and a few areas in France and Germany. Most of
the jenever AOC's are exclusive to Belgium making Belgian jenever (Belgian genever)
one of the best-kept secrets in the liquor industry.
For centuries jenever has been bottled in jugs handcrafted from clay. Its iconic
shape is recognizable and unique to jenever.[10] Traditionally the Belgians serve
jenever in completely full shot glasses that have just been pulled from the
freezer. The first step to drinking the jenever properly is to keep the glass on
the table, bend down and take the first sip without holding the glass. Once this
traditional first sip is completed one can drink the rest of the drink normally.
Chocolate
Belgium is famed for its high quality chocolate and over 2,000[11] chocolatiers,
both small and large. Belgium's association with chocolate goes back as far as
1635[11] when the country was under Spanish occupation. By the mid-18th century,
chocolate had become extremely popular in upper and middle class circles,
particularly in the form of hot chocolate, including with Charles-Alexander of
Lorraine, the Austrian governor of the territory.[12] From the early 20th century,
the country was able to import large quantities of cocoa from its African colony,
the Belgian Congo. Both the chocolate bar and praline are inventions of the Belgian
chocolate industry.[13] Today, chocolate is very popular in Belgium, with 172,000
tonnes produced each year, and widely exported.[11]
The composition of Belgian chocolate has been regulated by law since 1884. In order
to prevent adulteration of the chocolate with low-quality fats from other sources,
a minimum level of 35% pure cocoa was imposed.[14] Adherence to traditional
manufacturing techniques also serves to increase the quality of Belgian chocolate.
In particular, vegetable-based fats are not used.[15] Many firms produce chocolates
by hand, which is laborious and explains the prevalence of small, independent
chocolate outlets, which are popular with tourists. Famous chocolate companies,
like Neuhaus and Guylian, strictly follow traditional (and sometimes secret)
recipes for their products.
Seafood pralines (pralines shaped like sea shells or fish) are popular with
tourists and are sold all over Belgium.
Famous Belgian chocolatiers are Côte d'or, Leonidas, Guylian and Neuhaus.

Belizean cuisine is an amalgamation of all ethnicities in the nation of Belize and

their respectively wide variety of foods. Breakfast often consists of sides of
bread, flour tortillas, or fry jacks that are often homemade and eaten with various
cheeses. All are often accompanied with refried beans, cheeses, and various forms
of eggs, etc. Inclusive is also cereal along with milk, coffee, or tea.
Midday meals vary, from lighter foods such as rice and beans, tamales, panades
(fried meat pies), escabeche (onion soup), chimole/chirmole (soup), stew chicken,
garnaches (fried tortillas with beans, cheese, and diced onion sauce or diced
cabbage) to various constituted dinners featuring some type of rice and beans, meat
and salad or coleslaw.
In the rural areas meals may be more simplified than in the cities. The Maya use
recado, corn or maize for most of their meals, and the Garifuna are fond of
seafood, cassava (particularly made into cassava bread or ereba) and vegetables.
Local fruits are quite common, raw vegetables from the markets less so. Mealtime is
a communion for families and schools and some businesses close at midday for lunch,
reopening later in the afternoon.
Mestizo and Maya
Regular deli items originally from the Mestizo culture that are now considered pan-
Belizean include garnaches, fried corn tortilla smeared with beans and shredded
cheese, tamales made from corn and chicken, and panades which can be thought of as
a fried corn patty with beans or seasoned shredded fish inside and topped with
pickled onions.[citation needed]
The most famous Maya dish is called caldo. Tortillas, cooked on a comal and used to
wrap other foods (meat, beans, etc.), were common and are perhaps the most well-
known pre-Columbian Mesoamerican food. Tamales consist of corn dough, often
containing a filling, that are wrapped in a corn husk and steam-cooked. Both atole
and pozole were liquid based gruel-like dishes that were made by mixing ground
maize (hominy) with water, but being the first much more dense used as a drinking
source and the second one with complete big grains of maize incorporated into a
chicken broth. Though these dishes could be consumed plain, other ingredients were
added to diversify flavor, including, for example, honey, chiles, meat, seafood,
cacao, wild onions, and salt.
Several different varieties of beans were grown, including pinto, red, and black
beans. Other cultivated crops, including fruits, contributed to the overall diet of
the ancient Maya, including tomato, chile peppers, avocado, breadnut, guava,
guanabana, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, and sweet potato. Various herbs were grown
and used, including vanilla, epazote, achiote (and the annatto seed), white
cinnamon, hoja santa, avocado leaf, and garlic vine.
Kriols
Kriols in general eat a relatively balanced diet. The bile up (or boil up) is
considered the cultural dish of the Belizean Kriols. It is a combination of boiled
eggs, fish or pig tail, with a number of ground foods such as cassava, green
plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, cocoa, and tomato sauce. In Belize, cassava is
traditionally made into "bammy", a small fried cassava cake inherited from the
Garifuna.
The cassava root is grated, rinsed well, dried, salted, and pressed to form flat
cakes about 4 inches in diameter and half an inch thick. The cakes are lightly
fried, then dipped in coconut milk and fried again. Bammies are usually served as a
starchy side dish with breakfast, with fish dishes or alone as a snack. Cassava
pone is a traditional Belizean Kriol and pan-West Indian dessert recipe for a
classic cassava flour cake sometimes made with coconuts and raisins.
The Kriol fish seré is similar to a dish from the Garifuna culture, called hudut.
There are two main types of hudut – one made with coconut milk, similar to the seré
described above, but made with mashed half-ripe plantain. The other type does not
use coconut milk and may best be compared to a spicy fish soup. Bos a pepa, a
Belizean pepper sauce made from the hot habanero or the milder jalapeño, is
sometimes added.
Every single part of the coconut has some use: the dried husk for ornamental arts
and for getting the fire going in a barbecue; the water as a refreshing beverage or
as a mixer with alcoholic drinks; the meat grated for its milk for uses as
described above, or in other preparations, like the distinctive coconut-flavored
taste of Kriol bread and bun. Dukunu is a dish made with sweetened starch (usually
cornmeal but can also be sweet corn wrapped and boiled in aluminum foil or a banana
leaf. Cahn sham is ground or powdered sweetened parched corn. The dried grated
coconut meat, after being mixed with water and the milk squeezed, provides the
basis for many Belizean desserts.
Like coconut pie and tarts, coconut crust (the grated coconut is sweetened with
sugar and baked in a flour crust folded over like a patty), tablata, which is the
grated coconut meat mixed with thin ginger slices, sugar and water, baked and cut
into squares; there is also the version called cut-o-brute, which is made of chunks
of coconut instead of the grated pieces; and then there is trifle, made with half
green grated coconut, milk, flour, sugar, eggs, lemon essence, margarine and baking
powder (similar to coconut cake); coconut fudge; and coconut ice cream.
As noted above, fry jacks or Johnny cakes accompanied by fried beans with sausage
or eggs make a common Belizean breakfast.[1] Both the jacks and Johnny cakes are
made from flour, but while the jacks are flattened and fried, the Johnny cakes are
round fluffy savory biscuits, often topped by butter or a slice of cheese.
Among the main staples of a Kriol dinner are rice and beans with some type of meat
and salad, whether potato, vegetable, or coleslaw, seafoods including fish, conch,
lobster, some game meats including iguana, deer, peccary and gibnut; and ground
foods such as cassava, potatoes, cocoa and plantains.[2] Fresh juice or water are
typically served, occasionally replaced by soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
(homemade wines made from berries, cashew, sorosi, grapefruit and rice are
especially common).
Typical desserts include sweets such as wangla and powderbun, cakes and pies, and
potato pudding (pound). Usually to be seen on a breakfast table are specially made
bread and bun (officially named after them), johnny-cakes and fry-cakes (also
called fry jacks). In recent years Kriols have adopted foods from other groups as
they have adopted theirs.
Garifuna
There is a wide variety of Garifuna dishes, including the more commonly known ereba
(cassava bread) made from grated cassava or manioc. This is done in an ancient and
time-consuming process involving a long, snake-like woven basket (ruguma) which
strains the cassava of its juice. It is then dried overnight and later sieved
through flat rounded baskets (hibise) to form flour that is baked into pancakes on
a large iron griddle. Ereba is eaten with fish, hudutu (pounded plantains) or alone
with gravy (lasusu). Others include bundiga (a plantain lasusu[check spelling]),
mazapan, and bimacacule[citation needed] (sticky sweet rice).
Popular ingredients
There is a difference in the flavors of meats, such as turkey and chicken, from
other countries because of differences in the diet of the animals being fed on
local foodstuffs as opposed to imported grains. Belizean chickens in particular
some allege compared to other chickens have an unusually rich flavor. Belizeans eat
much more chicken and fish, than beef or pork.
Cassava,Cohune,Plantain,Banana,Habanero,Chayote (locally known as
"chocho"),Allspice.Ginger.Callaloo.Escallion.Mangos.Breadfruit.Yam.Garlic.Black
pepper
Dried and salted cod (locally known as "salt fish"),Salted beef,Thyme,Cow feet,Pig
tail,Coconut milk,Coconut,Guava,Soursop,Passion fruit,Sugar
cane,Ketchup,Onion,Brown sauce,Mamey sapote (locally known as
"mahmee"),Calabash,Avocado (locally known as "pear"),Black bean,Kidney bean,Roselle
(locally known as "sorrel"),Tamarind (locally known as "tambran"),Starfruit,Golden
apple,Craboo,Jackfruit,Pineapple,Malay apple,Vinegar.Recado.Masa.Maize.Curry
Popular dishes
Ceviche,Fry jack,Johnnycake,Conch fritter,Dukunu,Hudut,Bile up,Tamales,Curry
chicken,Rice and beans - rice stewed with beans and coconut
milk[3],Garnaches,Panades,Salbutes,Burritos,Brown stew chicken,Brown stew
beef,Caldo,Escoveitch fish,Conch soup,Callaloo and saltfish,Cabbage and
saltfish,Steamed fish,Cowfoot,caan sham (also casham or kasham),Stretch me guts -
taffy made with coconut water[4][5]

Beninese cuisine involves many fresh meals served with a variety of sauces. Meat is
usually quite expensive, and meals are generally light on meat and generous on
vegetable fat.
In southern Benin cuisine, the most common ingredient is corn, often used to
prepare dough which is mainly served with peanut- or tomato-based sauces. Fish and
chicken are the most common meats used in southern Beninese cuisine, but beef,
pork, goat and bush rat are also consumed. Meats are often fried in palm or peanut
oil. Rice, beans, tomatoes and couscous are also significant staple foods. Fruits
are common in this region, including mangoes, mandarin oranges, oranges, bananas,
kiwifruit, avocados, pineapples and peanuts.
Yams are the main staple in northern Benin, and are also often served with peanut-
or tomato-based sauces. The population in the northern provinces uses beef and pork
meat which is also fried in palm or peanut oil or cooked in sauces. Cheese is also
frequently used in some dishes.
Food preparation
Frying in palm or peanut oil is the most common meat preparation, and smoked fish
is also commonly prepared in Benin. Grinders are used to prepare corn flour, which
is made into a dough and served with sauces. "Chicken on the spit" is a traditional
recipe in which chicken is roasted over fire on wooden sticks. Palm roots are
sometimes tenderized by soaking in a jar with saltwater and sliced garlic, then
used in various dishes.[citation needed]
Many people have mud stoves for cooking and also mud pots which are used to
preserve the meal, and mud pots are used to store water; these pots are usually
kept outside the home.[citation needed]
Specialty foods
Wagasi cheese
Wagasi is a specialty cows'-milk cheese of northern Benin made by the Fulani
people, and is abundantly available in cities such as Parakou.[1] It is a soft
cheese with a mild flavor and a red rind, and used often in Beninese cooking.
Akàrà
Akàrà is a dish made from peeled black-eyed peas formed into a ball and then deep-
fried in red palm oil. It is found in most parts of the Republic of Benin, Nigeria
and Ghana.
Other specialty foods
The following summarizes some other Beninese specialty dishes and foods:[1]
Akassa—fermented corn dough served with a sauce
Akpan—corn dumplings, dipped in a sauce
Aloko—fried plantain
Amiwo: red corn dough, often made with tomato puree, onion and peppers and served
with a sauce
Beignets—cake made of roasted peanuts, cooked in oil
Dough—corn dough, usually soaked in sauces
Fufu: mashed yams formed into a paste
Garri—a popular West African food made from cassava tubers
Moyo: a sauce usually served with fried fish, consisting of tomato sauce, onion and
peppers
Igname pilée—pounded yams with tambo chili, tomatoes, onion, chicken consome and
peanuts with beef
Beverages
Choukoutou or "chouk" is a Beninese millet beer[1] commonly consumed in northern
Benin, and shipped to southern Benin by railway and roadways. Sodabi is a liquor
made from wine palm, and often consumed at events and ceremonies.[1]

A staple of Bhutanese cuisine is Bhutanese red rice, which is like brown rice in
texture, but has a nutty taste. It is the only variety of rice that grows at high
altitudes. Other staples include buckwheat and increasingly maize.
Regional cuisines
Buckwheat is eaten mainly in Bumthang, maize in the Eastern districts, and rice is
eaten across the country. The diet in the hills also includes chicken, yak meat,
dried beef, pork, pork fat, and lamb. Soups and stews of meat, rice, fiddle heads,
lentils, and dried vegetables, spiced with chili peppers and cheese, are a favorite
meal during the cold seasons. Zow shungo is a rice dish mixed with leftover
vegetables. Ema datshi is a spicy dish made with large or small green or red chili
peppers in a cheesy sauce (similar to chile con queso), which might be called the
national dish for its ubiquity and the pride that Bhutanese have for it.[1] Other
foods include jasha maru (a chicken dish), phaksha paa (dried pork cooked with
chili peppers, spices, and vegetables, including turnips, greens, or radishes),
thukpa, puta (buckwheat noodles), bathup, and fried rice.
Snacks
Popular snacks include momo (Bhutanese dumplings), shakam eezay[check spelling],
khabzey (dried fritters made with flour, water, and sugar, which are then deep-
fried), shabalay, juma (Bhutanese sausages marinated in spices), and noodles.
Foreign influences
Restaurants in the country can serve Chinese, Nepalese, Tibetan and Indian foods,
which are very popular and in recent years Korean restaurants have opened due to
the increasing popularity of Korean popular culture in the country.[2]
Dairy and beverages
Dairy foods, particularly butter and cheese from yaks and cows, are also popular,
and indeed almost all milk is turned into butter and cheese. Cheese made from cow's
milk called datshi is never eaten raw, but used to make sauces. Zoedoe is another
type of cheese made in the Eastern districts, which is added to soups. Zoedoe is
normally greenish in color and has a strong smell. Other types of cheese include
Western types like Cheddar and Gouda. Western cheese is made in the Swiss Cheese
Factory in Bumthang or imported from India. Popular beverages include butter tea
prepared using tea leaves, salt and butter (called suja), milk tea (called ngaja),
black tea, locally brewed ara (rice wine), and beer. Spices include curry,
cardamom, ginger, thingay (Sichuan pepper), garlic, turmeric, and caraway.
Cooking jasha maru, a traditional dish consisting of minced chicken, tomatoes, and
other ingredients,Jasha tshoem, Bhutanese chicken curry,Bhutanese chili peppers at
a market in Thimphu,Traditional dish with lemon glazed chicken, sauteed spinach and
steamed Bhutanese red rice
Etiquette
When offered food, one says meshu meshu, covering one's mouth with the hands in
refusal according to Bhutanese manners, and then gives in on the second or third
offer.

Bolivian cuisine is the indigenous cuisine of Bolivia from the Aymara and Inca
cuisine traditions, among other Andean and Amazonian groups. Later influences
stemmed from Spaniards, Germans, Italians, French, and Arabs due to the arrival of
conquistadors and immigrants from those countries. The traditional staples of
Bolivian cuisine are corn, potatoes, quinoa and beans. These ingredients have been
combined with a number of staples brought by the Spanish, such as rice, wheat,
beef, and pork.
Bolivian cuisine differs by geographical locations. In Western Bolivia in the
Altiplano, due to the high, cold climate, cuisine tends to use spices, whereas in
the lowlands of Bolivia in the more Amazonian regions, dishes consist of products
abundant in the region: fruits, vegetables, fish and yuca.[1]
Influences
Bolivian cuisine has been influenced by the Inca cuisine, Aymara cuisine, Spanish
cuisine, and to a lesser extent the cuisines of other neighboring countries, like
Argentina and Paraguay. European immigration to Bolivia is not as common when
compared with other Latin American countries, and while German, Italian, Basque and
other cuisines have influenced the cuisine of Bolivia, Spanish cuisine remains the
primary influence.[2]
Foods of Bolivia
Foods
Arroz con queso [3],Charque,Ají of noodles,Saice,Fricasé,Pique macho (beef,
sausages, onions, peppers, egg and fries topped with sauce),Salteñas,Sopa de
maní,Silpancho
Sauces
Ají and Llajwa
Drinks
Singani,Yungueño and Mocochinchi
Sweets
Sweets in Bolivia use typical sweeteners like honey and sugarcane. Manjar blanco is
a common ingredient used as a filling in place of dulche de leche for regional
variations of traditional desserts like alfajores. Sweet fruits like bananas,
guava, coconut, passion fruit, and raisins are commonly used, especially coconut
which features in numerous dessert preparations like cocadas, budín de coco
(coconut pudding) and pastelitos.
Some local fruits like the achacha come from the Amazon, while others still are
native to the Andes. Known as "custard apple" in English, the cherimoya fruit,
believed to be native to the Andes, is commonly used to make ice cream and other
sweets. Mark Twain once described the cherimoya as "the most delicious fruit known
to men".[2]
Helado de canela is a type of sorbet flavored with cinnamon. Tawa-Tawas are fritter
sweetened with miel de caña.[2]
Bunuelos are fried sweet fritters commonly eaten for breakfast with a sweetened
beverage called api made with morocho corn, cinnamon, milk and sugar. Another
breakfast food is the Andean fruit tamarillo, a common ingredient for compotes,
marmalades and assorted desserts.[2]
Meal structure
Breakfast (desayuno)
Although a Bolivian breakfast can be very rich, most Bolivians start their day
simply with a black coffee (cafe tinto) and a piece of bread.
Lunch (almuerzo)
Almuerzo is the most important meal of the Bolivian day, so much so that daily life
tends to revolve around it. Long lunches are traditional throughout the country, so
businesses and shops often close between the hours of 12 and 2 pm, so that the
workers have time to return home for lunch. A typical Bolivian lunch would consist
of several courses, including a soup, a main course of meat, rice, and potatoes,
then a dessert and coffee.[4] Lunch is taken at a leisurely pace and is
traditionally followed by a nap, the oft-cited siesta.
Tea (té)
Bolivians observe an afternoon tea break similar to those in England. Usually the
tea breaks take place around 4 and 5 pm at salones de té (tearooms). These tearooms
often double as bakeries so that tea and pastries are enjoyed together.[5] Cups of
black tea are usually taken with biscuits such as galletas Maria or more
traditional humintas. Often, Bolivians drink coca or herb tea when not having black
tea.
Dinner (cena)
Dinner is a lighter, much more informal affair than lunch that typically takes
place at usually 8 pm or later.

Bosnian cuisine is the traditional cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is

influenced by Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Balkan cuisines.
Ingredients
Bosnian cuisine uses many spices, but usually in moderate quantities. Most dishes
are light, as they are cooked in lots of water; the sauces are fully natural,
consisting of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish.
Typical ingredients include tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers,
cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, dried and fresh beans,
plums, milk, paprika and cream called pavlaka and kajmak. Typical meat dishes
include primarily beef and lamb due to Islamic dietary laws, although the Bosnian
Croats and Bosnian Serbs can consume pork. Some local specialties are ćevapi, burek
(börek), dolma, sarma, pilav (pilaf), gulaš (goulash), ajvar and a whole range of
Eastern sweets. The best local wines come from Herzegovina where the climate is
suitable for growing grapes. Plum or apple rakija, is produced in Bosnia.
Meat dishes
Cevapi – Bosnian kebabs: small grilled minced meat links made of lamb and beef mix;
served with onions, kajmak, ajvar and Bosnian pita bread (somun),Pljeskavica – a
patty dish,Begova Čorba (Bey's Stew) – a popular Bosnian soup (chorba) made of meat
and vegetables
Punjena paprika – bell peppers stuffed with minced meat and rice cooked in a
stew,Sogan-dolma – onions stuffed with minced meat,Popara – bread soaked in boiling
milk or water and spread with kajmak,Cufte – meatballs
Meat under sač (meso ispod sača) – a traditional way of cooking lamb, veal, or goat
under a metal, ceramic, or earthenware lid on which hot coals and ashes are heaped
Pilav (pilaf) – grain, such as rice or cracked wheat, browned in oil, and then
cooked in a seasoned broth,Burek – a meat-filled flaky pastry, traditionally rolled
in a spiral and cut into sections for serving. The same dish filled with cottage
cheese is called sirnica, one with spinach and cheese zeljanica, one with
squash/zucchini called tikvenjača, and one with potatoes krompiruša. All these
varieties are generically referred to as pita (Bosnian for "pie").Sarma – meat and
rice rolled in pickled cabbage,Grah/Pasulj – a traditional bean stew with meat
Japrak – grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice,Musaka – a baked dish made of
layers of potatoes (or cabbage or egg plant)and minced beef
Bosanski Lonac – Bosnian meat stew cooked over an open fire,Tarhana – typical
Bosnian soup with homemade pasta,Sudžuk – spicy beef sausage
Suho meso – air-dried meat similar to Pastirma,Dolma – stuffed grape leaves with
rice,Visočka pečenica – meat dish from Visoko
Stews
Duveč – vegetable stew, similar to the Romanian ghiveci and Bulgarian gjuvec,Grašak
– pea stew,Kačamak – a traditional Bosnian dish made of cornmeal and potatoes
Kljukuša – grated potatoes mixed with flour and water and baked in an oven; a
traditional dish in the region of Bosanska Krajina,Sataraš – a dish made with bell
peppers, eggplants, onions and tomatoes
Appetizers
Meze – an assortment of meats, vegetables, or other small dishes served before a
meal
Cheeses
Livno cheese – a dry yellow cheese from the west Bosnian town of Livno and
surrounding villages
Vlašić cheese – a highland cheese similar in its salty taste to Travnički,
originates in the villages on Vlašić Mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnian smoked cheese – a dry piquant low-fat smoked cheese,Kajmak – a creamy dairy
product, similar to clotted cream
Pavlaka – a soured cream product like crème fraîche
Desserts
Baklava,Halva,Hurmašica – date-shaped pastry drenched in a sweet syrup,Jabukovača –
pastry made of filo dough stuffed with apples,Kadaif,Krofna – filled
doughnut,Krempita,Oblanda, wafer with walnut filling,Palačinka
(crêpe),Pekmez,Rahatlokum (Turkish delight,Ružica – similar to baklava, but baked
in a small roll with raisins[1],Ruske Kape (trans. Russian Caps, plural),Shampita –
a whipped marshmallow-type dessert with fillo dough crust,Sutlijaš, rice
pudding,Tufahija – whole stewed apple stuffed with a walnut filling,Tulumba – deep-
fried dough sweetened with syrup
Relishes, seasoning and bread
Ajvar,Pindjur,Vegeta,Somun[2] and Ramadan somun (with Ćurokot seeds).
[3],Pogača,Djevrek,Lepinj,Uštipci
Alcoholic beverages
Wines are produced mainly in Herzegovina, in the regions of Mostar, Čitluk,
Ljubuški, Stolac, Domanovići, and Međugorje.
Pelinkovac,Rakija,Blatina,Zilavka
Local spirits are distilled from plums, pears, or grapes, with alcohol content of
45% and higher.
Sljivovica (plum brandy)
Non-alcoholic beverages
Boza,Salep,Ajran
Bosnian coffee,Serbe,Zova (Elderberry juice )Smreka - fermented Juniper berry juice

The cuisine of Botswana is unique but shares some characteristics with other
cuisines of Southern Africa. Examples of Setswana food include pap, samp, vetkoek,
bogobe and mophane worms. A food unique to Botswana is seswaa, salted mashed-up
meat.
Overview
Watermelons are believed to have originated in Botswana.[1] Other foods include
morogo wa dinawa, madila and dikgobe.
Batswana procure beef, goat meat, sheep, tswana chicken, Mophane worms and fish
locally. Batswana also make home-made refreshing drinks using watermelon, morula
and ginger powder.[2] At weddings, sorghum meal is usually cooked and mixed with
melon and this mixture is called bogobe jwa lerotse. Usually the melon is pre-
prepared with sour milk and stored to be used whenever needed. Batswana are also
good at food preservation. Among other methods, they preserve meat by cutting it
into small lengths like strings, then dry it. When meat is like this, it is called
digwapa. They also cook and dry bean leaves. It is also common among Batswana to
make mageu from leftover porridge or pap. Some tribes also preserve spoiling or
rotten meat by drying it to be used as relish for a long time. This type of meat is
called mokungwana. Other foods prepared during weddings are samp mixed with beans
or cooked without beans and eaten with pounded meat called seswaa.
Ingredients
The markets of Botswana are filled with a large variety of foods.[3] Some are grown
locally using irrigation and some are imported from neighbouring countries. A large
quantity of high-quality beef is raised in Botswana. Lamb, mutton, chicken and
other meats are also plentiful. Beef is the most popular meat, followed by goat
meat. River fish are also part of Botswana cuisine.[3]
Sorghum and maize are the main crops grown in Botswana. Wheat and rice and other
kinds of cereals not grown locally are imported. Many different kinds of beans are
grown, including cowpeas, ditloo, and letlhodi (mung beans). Peanuts (manoko) are
also grown. Many vegetables are grown, such as spinach, carrots, cabbage, onions,
potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and lettuce. There are some vegetables that grow
in the wild that are available seasonally including thepe and delele (okra). Dried
bean leaves are a popular Setswana food.
Many fruits are locally available, including marula. Watermelons, believed to have
come originally from Botswana,[4][3] are plentiful in season. Another kind of
melon, called lerotse or lekatane, is also grown. There are some kinds of wild
melon found in sandy desert areas which are an important food and water source for
the people who live in those areas. Many vegetables are seasonal and are often
dried or salted for preservation. There are many different ways of cooking dried
vegetables.
Popular dishes
Seswaa, tshotlho or leswao (pounded beef) is a very popular traditional meat dish
made for most special occasions. Usually prepared by men, it is cooked in a three-
legged iron pot, simmered until soft, with only salt, cooking oil and water. It is
usually prepared using goat meat or beef and it is a staple in most traditional
occasions such as funerals and weddings.[5]
Another type is serobe, in which the intestines and some offals of goat, sheep or
cow are cooked until soft. Before cooking, the intestines are thoroughly washed. If
the animal is sheep or goat, the trotters are included. For this food to be serobe,
a scissor used to cut meat is used to cut the intestines into small pieces.
The other type of meat is of chicken. Traditionally grown chicken (free-range) is
considered to be tastier than commercially grown chickens. By cooking a
traditionally grown chicken for a guest, a host shows special hospitality. Cooking
chicken in a three-legged iron pot on an open fire gives it the best flavour.
Chicken meat is usually eaten with dumplings or pap.
Bogobe is made by putting sorghum, maize or millet flour into boiling water,
stirring into a soft paste, and then cooking it slowly. Sometimes the sorghum or
maize is fermented before cooking for some days to make it sour. This dish is
called ting. This sour porridge can be cooked and eaten with meat or milk and
sugar. Without the milk and sugar, ting Another way of making bogobe is to add sour
milk and a cooking melon (lerotse). This dish is called tophi by the Kalanga tribe.
Bread flour is not part of the basic diet, but has been imported for some years, so
there are various bread recipes that have become part of the national food. The
most common are dumplings (matlebelekwaneor madombi), flat cakes (diphaphatha) and
fat cakes (magwinya). For these, the flour is made into dough which is cooked in
different ways such as boiling with meat, cooking in hot oil or on hot coals
putting on a pot lead.
Popular foods in remote areas include morama bean, a huge underground tuber, and an
edible fungus. Mopane worm, caterpillar of the moth Gonimbrasia belina, is cooked
in hot ashes, boiled, or dried and fried.
Beverages
Many soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are produced in factories in Botswana,
including Fanta and Coca-Cola. Local brands are Castle and Lion beers. Milk is
fermented to make madila (sour milk) which is eaten on its own or added to
porridge. A favorite non-alcoholic homemade drink is ginger beer. This drink is
popularly served at special occasions like weddings and parties. It is prepared by
boiling ginger powder in water, adding sugar, tartaric acid and cream of tartar
then left to cool and fermented for one day.
There are various traditionally produced alcoholic drinks. Bojalwa ja Setswana (the
beer of Botswana) is brewed from fermented sorghum seeds. Other tribes, like
Bakalanga, use lebelebele (millet). A commercially produced and packaged beer,
Chibuku, brewed from either maize or sorghum, is a favourite drink particularly in
the villages, towns, and in some parts of the city. Chibuku is also brewed in other
neighbouring countries such as Malawi, South Africa (Umqombothi), Zambia and
Zimbabwe. Khadi, which is brewed from various ingredients, the healthiest of which
is wild berries, is also a widely consumed alcoholic drink among low-income groups
in particular.[6] There are other beverages such as mints called kgomodimetsing and
longman. These are leaves that are usually mixed with tea for a good scented taste.