Main dishes
The centre of the plate.
Hāngī
🇳🇿 New ZealandFood slow-cooked in an earth oven with hot stones, a Māori tradition
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
KāluaMeat
🇺🇸 United StatesMeat slow-cooked in an underground oven with hot stones and leaves
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Seafood boil
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreShellfish and sides cooked together for a communal feast
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
MezbanMeatমেজবান
🇧🇩 BangladeshA festive beef feast from Chittagong, served with rice and rich side dishes
Main dish
MtoriMeat
🇹🇿 TanzaniaTanzanian stew of mashed green bananas and meat
Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch
OodkacMeat
🇸🇴 Somalia and 3 moreSomali preserved meat cubes cooked and stored in butter
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Tofu skin roll
🇨🇳 ChinaTofu skin wrapped around a savoury filling, served steamed or fried as dim sum
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
KebapcheMeatкебапче
🇧🇬 BulgariaGrilled minced meat shaped like a sausage, a staple in Bulgaria
Grill or roast, Lunch, Dinner
Smörgåsbord
🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreA Swedish buffet meal with a spread of cold and hot dishes
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Huatia
🇵🇪 Peru and 2 moreAndean food cooked in a traditional earth oven of heated stones
Main dish
Khoresh bademjanخورش بادمجان
🇮🇷 IranPersian stew of eggplant, tomato, lamb, and tart fruit, served with rice
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
KochoVeganቆጮ
🇪🇹 EthiopiaFermented flatbread made from the enset plant in Ethiopia
Bread, Lunch, Dinner
Choucroute garnieMeat
🇫🇷 FranceAlsatian sauerkraut cooked with sausages, pork, and potatoes
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
MahaprasadVegetarianମହାପ୍ରସାଦ
🇮🇳 IndiaSanctified vegetarian food served at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Bariis iskukarisMeat
🇸🇴 SomaliaSomali rice cooked with meat, spices and vegetables in one pot
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Beyaynetuበያይነቱ
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreEthiopian platter of injera with assorted vegetables and meats
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
MorogoVegan
🇿🇦 South Africa and 1 moreA mix of wild green leaves eaten as a staple in Southern Africa
Main dish
Inihaw
🇵🇭 PhilippinesGrilled meats and seafood, often on skewers, from the Philippines
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
SaleegMeatسليق
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaRice cooked with broth and milk, topped with roasted meat from western Saudi Arabia
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Ta'ameyaVeganطعمية
🇪🇬 EgyptEgyptian fritters of fava beans and herbs, deep-fried and eaten in pita sandwiches
Street food, Breakfast, Lunch
FondueVegetarian
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreMelted cheese and wine served hot in a communal pot for dipping bread
Main dish, Dinner
Kabab koobidehMeatکباب کوبیده
🇮🇷 IranIranian skewered kebab of ground lamb or beef mixed with onion and spices
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Misalमिसळ
🇮🇳 IndiaSpicy sprouted bean curry layered with toppings, served hot with bread
Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks
Kala bhunaMeat
🇧🇩 BangladeshA dark, richly spiced beef curry from Chittagong, Bangladesh
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
PachamancaMeat
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreAndean meats and vegetables slow-cooked with hot stones in an earthen oven
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
RechtaMeatرشتة
🇩🇿 Algeria and 1 moreAlgerian handmade noodles served with chicken and vegetables in a spiced sauce
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Thingyan riceFish or seafoodသင်္ကြန်ထမင်း
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 1 moreRice in scented water, served cold with fried dried fish for the Burmese New Year
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
SadyaVegetarianസദ്യ
🇮🇳 IndiaA festive vegetarian feast from Kerala, served on a banana leaf
Main dish, Lunch
Oxtail stewMeat
🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreStew made with oxtail, found in many world cuisines
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
RajmaVegetarian
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKidney beans stewed with spices, often served with rice in North India and Nepal
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Barbecue in the United StatesMeat
🇺🇸 United StatesMeat slow-cooked over wood smoke, a tradition rooted in the American South
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Dum pukht
🇮🇳 IndiaMeat and vegetables slow-cooked in a sealed pot over low heat
Main dish
NkwobiMeat
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreCow feet cooked in palm oil and spices, a specialty from Nigeria's Igbo people
Main dish, Dinner, Snacks
Freekehفريكة
🇵🇸 Palestine and 5 moreRoasted green durum wheat grains, a staple across the eastern Mediterranean
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
MolleteVegetarian
🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 moreOpen-faced Mexican sandwich with refried beans and melted cheese
Bread, Breakfast, Snacks
Indio viejoMeat
🇳🇮 NicaraguaNicaraguan maize and meat stew thickened with tomatoes and achiote
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Kpekpele
🇬🇭 GhanaSteamed and fermented cornmeal eaten with palm nut soup and smoked fish
Main dish
BarbacoaMeat
🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreMeat slow-cooked in a pit lined with agave or banana leaves
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Sashimi刺身
🇯🇵 JapanThin slices of raw fish or meat, served with soy sauce and condiments
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Christmas hamMeat
🇸🇪 Sweden and 3 moreCured ham served at Christmas, with local glazes and traditions
Main dish, Dinner
Nasi katokناسي كاتوق
🇧🇳 Brunei and 1 moreBrunei's rice meal with fried chicken and spicy sambal, often wrapped in brown paper
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Kinilaw
🇵🇭 PhilippinesRaw seafood or vegetables marinated in vinegar and citrus juices from the Philippines
Salad or side, Snacks
SilpanchoMeatSillp'anchu
🇧🇴 BoliviaLayered Bolivian meal with rice, potatoes, breaded meat, and fried eggs
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
TihloMeatጥሕሎ
🇪🇹 EthiopiaBarley dough balls served with spicy meat stew from Tigray, Ethiopia
Main dish, Snacks, Lunch
Shanghai fried noodlesMeat上海粗炒
🇨🇳 ChinaThick wheat noodles stir-fried with beef or pork, bok choy, and onion
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Cataplana
🇵🇹 PortugalSeafood and meat stew cooked in a sealed metal vessel from Portugal's Algarve
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
QifqiVegetarian
🇦🇱 AlbaniaHerbed rice balls from Gjirokastër, shaped and fried in a special pan
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Zereshk poloMeatزرشکپلو
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 morePersian rice with tart barberries, often served with saffron chicken
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sashimi: No machine-readable author provided. Arnaud 25 assumed (based on copyr, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mahaprasad: Government of Odisha, CC BY 4.0, source
- Smörgåsbord: Jordan Klein, CC BY 2.0, source
- Oxtail stew: shu tu, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kabab koobideh: User:همان, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mezban: abdullah2ice, CC BY 2.0, source
- Rechta: Ms10vc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tihlo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Silpancho: Locotex, CC BY 3.0, source
- Mollete: No machine-readable author provided. Pedroserafin assumed (based on co, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Nkwobi: Bukky658, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sadya: Augustus Binu / facebook, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fondue: Juliano Mendes, CC BY 2.0, source
- Freekeh: Kristen Taylor, CC BY 2.0, source
- Saleeg: Sayom, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Barbacoa: Elton Rodriguez, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Christmas ham: Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pachamanca: Javi270270, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hāngī: einalem, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kpekpele: Nii Ashiloh, CC0, source
- Inihaw: George Parrilla, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tofu skin roll: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rajma: Monali.mishra, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kebapche: Ikonact, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Khoresh bademjan: مانفی, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kālua: Adam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Huatia: Monchito.B.T.H., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nasi katok: The Bangsawan, CC0, source
- Indio viejo: MiguelRamirez77, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Seafood boil: Tulane Public Relations, CC BY 2.0, source
- Barbecue in the United States: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Choucroute garnie: Miguel Discart, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Misal: Nick Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kocho: Minarate, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Thingyan rice: Paingpeace, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mtori: LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bariis iskukaris: Richard Faulder, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dum pukht: Kalesh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kinilaw: Jdcgumpal, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Beyaynetu: Dawityirga, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kala bhuna: Dolon Prova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shanghai fried noodles: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Morogo: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cataplana: Sevinha, Public domain, source
- Qifqi: MirelaAndoni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source