Lunch around the world
The midday meal: in much of the world, the main one.
Phat khingMeatผัดขิง
🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreStir-fried ginger dish from Thailand and Laos, often made with chicken and vegetables
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
RechtaMeatرشتة
🇩🇿 Algeria and 1 moreAlgerian handmade noodles served with chicken and vegetables in a spiced sauce
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
MtoriMeat
🇹🇿 TanzaniaTanzanian stew of mashed green bananas and meat
Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch
Jaffna crab curryMeat
🇱🇰 Sri LankaSpicy crab curry from northern Sri Lanka, simmered with coconut milk and spices
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
MahaprasadVegetarianମହାପ୍ରସାଦ
🇮🇳 IndiaSanctified vegetarian food served at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
RaitaVegetarianरायता
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreYogurt mixed with vegetables, fruit or pulses, served as a cooling side dish
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner
Mu kropMeat
🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreThai-style fried pork belly with a crunchy golden skin
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
AkvavitVegan
🇳🇴 Norway and 4 moreA Scandinavian spirit flavoured with caraway or dill, often enjoyed at festive meals
Drink, Dinner, Lunch
QifqiVegetarian
🇦🇱 AlbaniaHerbed rice balls from Gjirokastër, shaped and fried in a special pan
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Smörgåsbord
🇸🇪 Sweden and 2 moreA Swedish buffet meal with a spread of cold and hot dishes
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
BarbacoaMeat
🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreMeat slow-cooked in a pit lined with agave or banana leaves
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
SaleegMeatسليق
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaRice cooked with broth and milk, topped with roasted meat from western Saudi Arabia
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Laing
🇵🇭 PhilippinesTaro leaves and meat or seafood simmered in spiced coconut milk
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Shanghai fried noodlesMeat上海粗炒
🇨🇳 ChinaThick wheat noodles stir-fried with beef or pork, bok choy, and onion
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
ChunchulloMeat
🇦🇷 Argentina and 5 moreBraided and roasted small intestine, a grill favorite in Latin America
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
KabochaVeganカボチャ
🇯🇵 Japan and 5 moreA sweet, dense winter squash with edible skin, used in Japanese and Asian cooking
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Beyaynetuበያይነቱ
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreEthiopian platter of injera with assorted vegetables and meats
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Cataplana
🇵🇹 PortugalSeafood and meat stew cooked in a sealed metal vessel from Portugal's Algarve
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Tofu skin roll
🇨🇳 ChinaTofu skin wrapped around a savoury filling, served steamed or fried as dim sum
Main dish, Lunch, 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
HilbetVeganሕልበት
🇪🇷 Eritrea and 1 moreCreamy vegan dip of fava beans, lentils and spices from Eritrea and Ethiopia
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
KebapcheMeatкебапче
🇧🇬 BulgariaGrilled minced meat shaped like a sausage, a staple in Bulgaria
Grill or roast, Lunch, Dinner
KochoVeganቆጮ
🇪🇹 EthiopiaFermented flatbread made from the enset plant in Ethiopia
Bread, Lunch, Dinner
Catatos
🇦🇴 AngolaFried caterpillars with garlic, a specialty from Angola's Uíge Province
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Pique machoMeat
🇧🇴 Bolivia and 1 moreA Bolivian platter of beef, sausage, fries, vegetables and spicy sauces
Main dish, Dinner, Lunch
BreadfruitVegan
🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreLarge tropical fruit cooked as a starchy staple in many island cuisines
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Peanut stew
🇸🇳 Senegal and 5 moreA rich West African stew of meat and vegetables in a spiced peanut sauce
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Khoresh bademjanخورش بادمجان
🇮🇷 IranPersian stew of eggplant, tomato, lamb, and tart fruit, served with rice
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Indio viejoMeat
🇳🇮 NicaraguaNicaraguan maize and meat stew thickened with tomatoes and achiote
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Zereshk poloMeatزرشکپلو
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 morePersian rice with tart barberries, often served with saffron chicken
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Sashimi刺身
🇯🇵 JapanThin slices of raw fish or meat, served with soy sauce and condiments
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Rocoto rellenoMeat
🇵🇪 PeruPeruvian stuffed rocoto peppers baked with meat and cheese
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Kabab koobidehMeatکباب کوبیده
🇮🇷 IranIranian skewered kebab of ground lamb or beef mixed with onion and spices
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
Oxtail stewMeat
🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreStew made with oxtail, found in many world cuisines
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
BrieVegetarian
🇫🇷 France and 3 moreSoft French cheese with a white edible rind and creamy interior
Cheese or dairy food, Lunch, Dinner
RajmaVegetarian
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKidney beans stewed with spices, often served with rice in North India and Nepal
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
TihloMeatጥሕሎ
🇪🇹 EthiopiaBarley dough balls served with spicy meat stew from Tigray, Ethiopia
Main dish, Snacks, Lunch
SadyaVegetarianസദ്യ
🇮🇳 IndiaA festive vegetarian feast from Kerala, served on a banana leaf
Main dish, Lunch
Inihaw
🇵🇭 PhilippinesGrilled meats and seafood, often on skewers, from the Philippines
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
SilpanchoMeatSillp'anchu
🇧🇴 BoliviaLayered Bolivian meal with rice, potatoes, breaded meat, and fried eggs
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
Freekehفريكة
🇵🇸 Palestine and 5 moreRoasted green durum wheat grains, a staple across the eastern Mediterranean
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
TocinoMeat
🇵🇭 Philippines and 5 moreCured or fried pork enjoyed in Spain, the Philippines, and the Caribbean
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Riz grasMeat
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso and 4 moreWest African rice cooked with meat and vegetables, served hot
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
- Brie: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Raita: Sonia Goyal, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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
- Rechta: Ms10vc, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tihlo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Silpancho: Locotex, CC BY 3.0, source
- Peanut stew: Marshiayers, CC0, source
- Sadya: Augustus Binu / facebook, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Pachamanca: Javi270270, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Laing: Lokalpedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chunchullo: Sebastian Bassi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Khoresh bademjan: مانفی, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kālua: Adam, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Breadfruit: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tocino: Original uploaded by Kguirnela (Transfered by Diádoco ), CC BY 2.5, 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
- Kabocha: Theguy002, CC0, source
- Rocoto relleno: franzconde, CC BY 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
- Hilbet: Eualt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Beyaynetu: Dawityirga, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Phat khing: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mu krop: Ceeseven, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shanghai fried noodles: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Cataplana: Sevinha, Public domain, source
- Qifqi: MirelaAndoni, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Catatos: Lautenschläger T, Neinhuis C, Monizi M, Mandombe JL, Förster A, Henle, CC BY 4.0, source
- Riz gras: Aboukam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pique macho: MollySVH, CC BY 2.0, source