Every food in the world, plate by plate.

Thali is a free guide to what the world eats: every dish, by country and city, by breakfast, lunch and dinner, by festival, fast and feast. What it is, where it is from, how it is eaten and why.

What is on the table today Surprise me

746: dishes so far
177: countries
673: cities and regions
12,915: on our list to write

Breakfast126 Lunch392 Tea time53 Dinner393 Supper8 Snacks285 TodaySaturday 3 OctoberOktoberfest

Simit Cassoulet Cinnamon roll Margarita Kebab Bubble tea Ackee and saltfish Shawarma Ladob Dondurma Arancini Baklava Changua Chicken and waffles Bandeja paisa Fried rice Frybread Bolo de rolo Palm wine Doughnut Mangalore buns Kabab koobideh Tella Feta Keşkek Spring roll Terremoto Sev puri Feijoada Eru Nasi katok Irish stew Pisco Sour Nyama choma Tofu skin roll Cream tea Fit-fit Gunfire completo Kumis Mohanthal BLT Grits Candy Moin moin Jalebi Domoda Harissa Chimichurri Punch Zaazaa Masala chai Injera Pasta Roti Croissant Tandoori chicken Papri chaat Neapolitan pizza Chicharrón Zapiekanka Biangbiang noodles Varenyky Hokey pokey Polenta Khash Peking duck Pandoro Barbacoa Bunny chow Simit Cassoulet Cinnamon roll Margarita Kebab Bubble tea Ackee and saltfish Shawarma Ladob Dondurma Arancini Baklava Changua Chicken and waffles Bandeja paisa Fried rice Frybread Bolo de rolo Palm wine Doughnut Mangalore buns Kabab koobideh Tella Feta Keşkek Spring roll Terremoto Sev puri Feijoada Eru Nasi katok Irish stew Pisco Sour Nyama choma Tofu skin roll Cream tea Fit-fit Gunfire completo Kumis Mohanthal BLT Grits Candy Moin moin Jalebi Domoda Harissa Chimichurri Punch Zaazaa Masala chai Injera Pasta Roti Croissant Tandoori chicken Papri chaat Neapolitan pizza Chicharrón Zapiekanka Biangbiang noodles Varenyky Hokey pokey Polenta Khash Peking duck Pandoro Barbacoa Bunny chow

Live, Saturday 3 October

On the table today

Food follows the calendar. These are the days being cooked for now and next, around the world.

The full picture for today

On now, 19 Sept to 4 Oct 2026OktoberfestLitres of Munich festival beer with roast chicken, pork knuckle, sausages and giant pretzels.

Tomorrow, 4 Oct 2026Cinnamon Roll DaySweden gives a day to its favourite bun, eaten with coffee.

In 7 days, 10 to 18 Oct 2026Nine Emperor Gods FestivalNine days of strict vegetarian eating among Chinese communities of Southeast Asia.

In 8 days, 11 to 20 Oct 2026NavratriNine nights of the goddess: fasting food without grain, then halwa, puri and chana for young girls.

And because it is Saturday: Shabbat stew, Saturday feijoada, Saturday soup, Saturday night baked beans.

Dish of the dayMooncake月饼 / 月餅Mooncake is a round pastry from China, most often filled with lotus seed or red bean paste and sometimes salted egg yolk. It is traditionally shared during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a harvest celebration. Mooncakes are given as gifts and come in many regional styles, each with its own crust and filling.Read about Mooncake

By country and city

Every dish belongs somewhere. Start with a country, then go down to its cities.

All countries and cuisines

AfricaStews and swallows, injera, tagines, jollof, braais and the spice roads of the coast.121 dishes AsiaRice and noodles, curries and kebabs, dumplings, pickles, tea and a thousand street stalls.211 dishes EuropeBreads, cheeses, cured meats, pasta, pies, pastries and long Sunday lunches.167 dishes North AmericaMaize and beans, barbecue, tacos, gumbo, poutine and the cooking of the Caribbean.148 dishes South AmericaCeviche, asado, arepas, feijoada, potatoes of the Andes and fruit of the Amazon.84 dishes OceaniaEarth ovens, taro and coconut, meat pies, pavlova and the food of the Pacific islands.15 dishes

Lima 9 São Paulo 9 Naples 7 Puebla 7 Oaxaca 6 Rio de Janeiro 6 Tokyo 6 Java 5 Minas Gerais 5 Montreal 5 New England 5 New Orleans 5 New York City 5 Paraná 5 Sicily 5 Alsace 4 Andalusia 4 Bahia 4 All cities

Taste a few

A different handful every few minutes.

All dishes, A to Z

TocinoMeat 🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreCured or fried pork enjoyed in Spain, the Philippines, and the Caribbean Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch

Choucroute garnieMeat 🇫🇷 FranceAlsatian sauerkraut cooked with sausages, pork, and potatoes Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

SimaVegan 🇫🇮 FinlandFinnish sparkling lemon drink, lightly fermented and sweet Drink, Snacks

KāluaMeat 🇺🇸 United StatesMeat slow-cooked in an underground oven with hot stones and leaves Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

Freekehفريكة 🇵🇸 Palestine and 5 moreRoasted green durum wheat grains, a staple across the eastern Mediterranean Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

Sambal 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreA spicy Southeast Asian paste or sauce made mainly from ground chillies Sauce, pickle or ferment

Quesadilla 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreTortilla folded around cheese and fillings, cooked on a griddle or fried Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

Churrochurros 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreRidged, deep-fried dough sticks often eaten hot with chocolate or coffee Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks

Why it is cooked

Feasts, fasts, weddings, offerings and plain weekdays.

All occasions

Everyday foodWhat people cook and eat on an ordinary day.698 Festival foodMade for a festival or a public holiday.255 Wedding and feast foodDishes for weddings, banquets and big family gatherings.57 Sacred food and offeringsFood offered in worship, shared at a temple, church, mosque or shrine, or eaten as a rite.77 Fasting and fast-breakingWhat is eaten during a fast, and the meal that ends it.16 Food of mourning and remembranceDishes made for funerals and to remember the dead.7 Harvest and seasonal foodTied to a harvest, a season or the first crop of the year.4 New year foodEaten to see in a new year, for luck or plenty.26 Day-of-the-week foodTraditions tied to one day: Friday fish, Sunday roast, Sabbath dishes.2

Spiritual food

What is offered, shared and abstained from, faith by faith.

See them all

HinduPrasad, temple kitchens, fasting foods and festival sweets.12 MuslimIftar and suhoor, Eid feasts and shared sacrifice.23 ChristianLent and Easter, Christmas tables, saints' days and communion.21 JewishSabbath dishes, the Passover Seder and the food of the festivals.15 BuddhistTemple cooking, alms food and offerings.1 SikhLangar, the free kitchen, and karah prasad.2 JainCooking without harm: no root vegetables, strict fasts.1 Other traditionsShinto, Taoist, Zoroastrian, folk and ancestral traditions.4

Ways of eating

Food is more than dishes. 68 customs explained: the tapas crawl, the thali, langar, dim sum, the asado and more.

All ways of eating

🇩🇪 🇦🇹Beer gardens and BrotzeitBavarian outdoor drinking under chestnut trees, with litre mugs, long shared tables and a cold snack meal called Brotzeit.🇮🇹AperitivoThe Italian early evening drink, lightly bitter and low in alcohol, taken with small snacks to open the appetite before dinner.🇪🇸 🇦🇷 🇲🇽SobremesaThe Spanish habit of staying at the table after a meal to talk, over coffee and a small drink, with no hurry to leave.🇧🇷 🇵🇹 🇺🇸Churrasco rodízioBrazilian all-you-can-eat barbecue service: waiters circle the room with skewers of grilled meat and carve at your table until you say stop.🇮🇳 🇵🇰WazwanThe Kashmiri wedding feast: a long series of meat dishes cooked overnight by master cooks and served to groups of four on a shared platter.🇲🇽Cantinas, pulquerías and botanasTraditional Mexican drinking houses where each round of drinks brings a free plate of food, called a botana, to the table.

In season now

October, north of the equator.

North and south, month by month

Persimmon Pomegranate Fig Quince Grape Apple Cranberry Yuzu Pomelo Papaya Date Custard apple Passion fruit Feijoa Spinach Aubergine

Kinds of food

See them all

Main dishes 388 Street food 135 Soups 51 Stews and curries 72 Rice dishes 24 Noodles and pasta 14 Dumplings 17 Breads 61 Grills and roasts 21 Sandwiches and wraps 29 Pies and savoury pastries 43 Salads and sides 34 Cheese and dairy 13 Sausages and cured foods 15 Sauces, pickles and ferments 58 Sweets and desserts 158 Drinks 82

Food news

More headlines

The National Museum of the Philippines Iloilo capped off its 2026 ‘Magbasá Kita: A Reading Program for Young Learners’ with an immersive storytelling session at the museum’s Book Nook on September 23, 2026. The activity introduced the localfacebook.com, Heritage
21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural Experiencesmykxlg.com, Heritage
21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural Experienceslincolnjournal.com, Heritage
Man dead, 3 in custody after shooting outside Piada Italian Street Food in Mayfield HeightsWKYC, Street food
Brick-and-Mortar Restaurants Need to Stop Blaming Street VendorsL.A. Taco, Street food
Your guide to Harvest Fair 2026 at Wisconsin State Fair ParkTMJ4 News, Farm and market

The map

Each dot is a dish, in the colour of its region.

Open the map

Newly added

See what is new

Kouign-amannVegetarian 🇫🇷 France and 3 moreBreton pastry of caramelized butter and sugar in flaky layers Pie or savoury pastry, Tea time, Snacks DiscadaMeat 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreA mixed meat dish cooked on a repurposed plow disc over an open flame Main dish, Lunch, Dinner

GurasaVegetarian 🇳🇬 NigeriaNorthern Nigerian flatbread baked in a clay oven Bread, Breakfast, Lunch

OyakodonMeat親子丼 🇯🇵 JapanChicken, egg, and scallion simmered in broth and served over rice Main dish