Lunch around the world
The midday meal: in much of the world, the main one.
Inihaw
🇵🇭 PhilippinesGrilled meats and seafood, often on skewers, from the Philippines
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
ChunchulloMeat
🇦🇷 Argentina and 5 moreBraided and roasted small intestine, a grill favorite in Latin America
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
TzatzikiVegetarianτζατζίκι
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreStrained yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic and herbs, served cold as a dip or sauce
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner
Tempura天ぷら
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreSeafood or vegetables coated in a light batter and deep-fried
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Burrito
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreA wheat flour tortilla wrapped around a savory filling, eaten by hand or with sauce
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
CarbonaraMeatpasta alla carbonara
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 morePasta tossed with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Phophở
🇻🇳 Vietnam and 5 moreVietnamese rice noodle soup with beef or chicken in aromatic broth
Soup, Breakfast, Lunch
MeatballMeat
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreGround meat shaped into balls and cooked by frying, baking, or braising in sauce
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Greek saladVegetarianΧωριάτικη σαλάτα
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreTomato, cucumber, onion, feta and olives with olive oil and oregano
Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner
Foie grasMeat
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreFattened duck or goose liver, a French delicacy served whole or as a spread
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Caesar salad
🇲🇽 Mexico and 3 moreRomaine lettuce tossed with a creamy, tangy dressing and croutons
Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner
RavioliRavioliai
🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreStuffed pasta parcels, usually square, with varied fillings and sauces
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Bibimbap비빔밥
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreKorean rice bowl with mixed vegetables, meat, egg and chili paste
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
ShashlikMeatшашлык
🇷🇺 RussiaSkewered cubes of marinated meat grilled over open coals
Main dish, Dinner, Lunch
Nachos
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreTortilla chips topped with melted cheese and a mix of savory garnishes
Main dish, Snacks, Lunch
KhachapuriVegetarianხაჭაპური
🇬🇪 Georgia and 4 moreLeavened bread filled with cheese, sometimes egg, from Georgia
Bread, Breakfast, Lunch
Peking duckMeat北京烤鸭
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreCrisp-skinned roast duck from Beijing, carved and served with pancakes and condiments
Main dish, Dinner, Lunch
Börek
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreFlaky pastry filled with cheese, meat or vegetables, baked or fried
Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Lunch
Gnocchi
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreSoft dumplings of dough, often made with potato, flour and egg
Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner
Miso soup味噌汁
🇯🇵 JapanJapanese soup of miso paste and dashi stock, often with tofu and seaweed
Soup, Breakfast, Lunch
Bagel
🇵🇱 Poland and 2 moreRing-shaped bread roll, boiled then baked for a dense, chewy texture
Bread, Breakfast, Lunch
Udonうどん / 饂飩
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreThick wheat noodles served hot or cold in Japanese cooking
Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner
Pickled cucumberVegan
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreCucumbers preserved in brine or vinegar, enjoyed worldwide in many styles
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner
Onigiriおにぎり
🇯🇵 JapanHand-shaped Japanese rice balls, often wrapped in seaweed
Main dish, Lunch, Snacks
Iced teaVegan
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreChilled tea served over ice, sometimes sweetened or flavored with fruit
Drink, Lunch, Dinner
PapadamVegan
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreThin, crisp flatbread made from lentil or other flours, served as a snack or side
Bread, Lunch, Dinner
Doner kebab
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreMeat roasted on a vertical spit, sliced and served in bread or on a plate
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
SmetanaVegetarian
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreThick cultured cream used in Central and Eastern European cooking
Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Lunch
ChorizoMeat
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreA seasoned pork sausage from the Iberian Peninsula, made in many regional styles
Sausage or cured food, Breakfast, Lunch
CheeseburgerMeat
🇺🇸 United StatesA hamburger topped with melted cheese, often with lettuce, tomato and condiments
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Potato saladVegetarianKartoffelsalat
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreBoiled potatoes mixed with dressing, herbs, and vegetables, served cold or warm
Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner
Potato pancakeVegetarian
🇧🇾 Belarus and 5 moreShallow-fried pancakes made from grated or mashed potato, common across Europe
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Fried rice
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreCooked rice stir-fried with eggs, vegetables, meat or seafood, and seasonings
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Chili con carneMeat
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreA spicy stew of meat and chili peppers from Mexico and the United States
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
InjeraVeganእንጀራ
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreLarge, spongy sour flatbread made from fermented teff flour
Bread, Lunch, Dinner
DosaVegetarianದೋಸೆ
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreA thin, fermented rice and lentil pancake from South India, served hot with chutney and sambar
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Okonomiyakiお好み焼き
🇯🇵 JapanJapanese savory pancake cooked on a griddle with cabbage and toppings
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Tajineطاجين
🇲🇦 Morocco and 4 moreNorth African stew slow-cooked in a cone-lidded clay pot
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Cabbage roll
🇺🇦 Ukraine and 5 moreCooked cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned fillings, simmered or baked
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Pierogi
🇵🇱 Poland and 6 moreDumplings of unleavened dough filled with savory or sweet mixtures
Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner
FocacciaVegetarian
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreItalian flatbread baked with olive oil and often herbs or salt
Bread, Breakfast, Snacks
Khinkaliხინკალი
🇬🇪 GeorgiaGeorgian dumplings with spiced meat or vegetable filling and a juicy broth inside
Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner
FufuVegan
🇬🇭 Ghana and 4 moreA soft, starchy dough made by pounding cassava, plantain or cocoyam, eaten with soups
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Bento弁当
🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreA Japanese meal packed in a box, often with rice, meat or fish, and vegetables
Main dish, Lunch
Croquette
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreA deep-fried roll with a creamy or starchy filling, coated in breadcrumbs
Street food, Snacks, Lunch
Steak tartareMeat
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRaw minced beef, seasoned and often topped with a raw egg yolk
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Beef StroganoffMeatбефстроганов
🇷🇺 Russia and 6 moreSautéed beef in a creamy mustard and sour cream sauce, often with mushrooms or onions
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Chicken tikka masalaMeat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreRoasted marinated chicken in a creamy, spiced tomato-based sauce
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.
- Greek salad: cyclonebill, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Miso soup: Ocdp, CC0, source
- Tzatziki: Vegan Feast Catering, CC BY 2.0, source
- Steak tartare: Dr. Bernd Gross, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bibimbap: abex (a flickr user), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chicken tikka masala: Kelly Sue, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cheeseburger: Renee Comet (photographer), Public domain, source
- Papadam: Windell H. Oskay, CC BY 2.5, source
- Dosa: Roland, CC BY 2.0, source
- Gnocchi: Amy Aletheia Cahill, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Potato salad: Kobako, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Smetana: Dobromila, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bento: Blue Lotus, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pho: Phương Huy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Burrito: jeffreyw, CC BY 2.0, source
- Peking duck: Mr Wabu, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Nachos: Navajcmer, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bagel: Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
- Fufu: HarunaSylvester, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Injera: Edsel Little, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chili con carne: Carstor, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Carbonara: Javier Somoza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Croquette: Jonathan Pincas, CC BY 2.0, source
- Foie gras: Nikodem Nijaki, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Udon: udono, CC BY 2.0, source
- Khinkali: Sandra C, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chorizo: Asturnut ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fried rice: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, source
- Okonomiyaki: ume-y, CC BY 2.0, source
- Caesar salad: Geoff Peters, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ravioli: OneArmedMan, Public domain, source
- Focaccia: Fred Benenson, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Inihaw: George Parrilla, CC BY 2.0, source
- Beef Stroganoff: Pittaya Sroilong, CC BY 2.0, source
- Chunchullo: Sebastian Bassi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tempura: Yaco*, CC BY 2.0, source
- Meatball: Myself, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shashlik: Alandislands, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Börek: Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pickled cucumber: The original Uploader was Gruepig at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Iced tea: Oceanmuse, CC BY 4.0, source
- Doner kebab: AleGranholm, CC BY 2.0, source
- Potato pancake: Photo made by Daniel Spils and uploaded to flickr.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tajine: Bawdeep2010, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cabbage roll: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0, source