Food news
HeritageThe 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 localHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesStreet foodMan dead, 3 in custody after shooting outside Piada Italian Street Food in Mayfield HeightsStreet foodBrick-and-Mortar Restaurants Need to Stop Blaming Street VendorsFarm and marketYour guide to Harvest Fair 2026 at Wisconsin State Fair ParkFarm and marketOct. 3 Harvest of Harmony Parade available to view in livestream broadcast during paradeFarm and marketSouthington Apple Harvest Festival kicks off tonightWorldBon Appétit editor-in-chief explores food’s role in culture, media at MSUFarm and marketDetroit Harvest Fest adds movies, more food trucks in year 6HeritageThe 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 localHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesHeritage21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival to Welcome the World With K-Food and Cultural ExperiencesStreet foodMan dead, 3 in custody after shooting outside Piada Italian Street Food in Mayfield HeightsStreet foodBrick-and-Mortar Restaurants Need to Stop Blaming Street VendorsFarm and marketYour guide to Harvest Fair 2026 at Wisconsin State Fair ParkFarm and marketOct. 3 Harvest of Harmony Parade available to view in livestream broadcast during paradeFarm and marketSouthington Apple Harvest Festival kicks off tonightWorldBon Appétit editor-in-chief explores food’s role in culture, media at MSUFarm and marketDetroit Harvest Fest adds movies, more food trucks in year 6
Thali

Sacred food and offerings

Food offered in worship, shared at a temple, church, mosque or shrine, or eaten as a rite.

Halvaحَلَاوَة 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreDense sweet made from seeds, grains, or vegetables, found across Asia, Africa, and Europe Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Samosa 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFried or baked pastry with a spiced filling, shaped into triangles or cones Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Lunch BaklavaVegetarianباقلوا 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreThin pastry filled with nuts and soaked in sweet syrup Sweet or dessert, Tea time, Snacks Easter egg 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreEggs dyed or decorated for Easter, symbolizing resurrection and new life Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks PretzelVegetarian 🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreA baked knot-shaped bread, often topped with salt or seeds Bread, Snacks Pancake 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreFlat cakes made from batter, cooked on a griddle or pan and served sweet or savoury Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks JalebiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreDeep-fried spirals of batter soaked in syrup, enjoyed across Asia and Africa Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks Turkish delightVegan 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreSoft, chewy cubes of starch and sugar, often flavored or filled with nuts or fruit Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time BorhaniVegetarianবোরহানী 🇧🇩 BangladeshA spiced yoghurt drink from Bangladesh, often served at weddings and festivals Drink, Dinner, Snacks Dabo koloVegetarianዳቦ ቆሎ 🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 2 moreSmall spiced fried dough pieces served as a snack in Ethiopia and Eritrea Street food, Snacks Qamar al-DinVeganقمر الدين 🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreThick apricot fruit leather and drink, especially served during Ramadan Drink, Snacks BhangVeganभांग 🇮🇳 IndiaCannabis leaf paste used in drinks and sweets, central to Indian spring festivals Drink, Snacks Sheer khurmaVegetarianشير خرما 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet vermicelli pudding with milk, dates and nuts for Eid celebrations Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Börek 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreFlaky pastry filled with cheese, meat or vegetables, baked or fried Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Lunch Potato pancakeVegetarian 🇧🇾 Belarus and 5 moreShallow-fried pancakes made from grated or mashed potato, common across Europe Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Pierogi 🇵🇱 Poland and 6 moreDumplings of unleavened dough filled with savory or sweet mixtures Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner AspicMeat 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreMeat or fish set in savoury gelatin, served cold as an appetizer or festive dish Main dish, Lunch, Dinner SharbatVeganشربت 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreSweet fruit or flower drink, served chilled or as a syrup Drink, Snacks PuriVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreUnleavened wheat flatbread, deep-fried until puffed and golden Bread, Breakfast, Snacks LadduVegetarianलड्डू 🇮🇳 IndiaRound Indian sweet made with flour, sugar, ghee and often nuts or dried fruit Sweet or dessert, Snacks KnafehVegetarianكنافة 🇵🇸 Palestine and 5 moreShredded pastry layered with cheese and soaked in sweet syrup Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Hariraالحريرة 🇲🇦 Morocco and 3 moreNorth African soup of tomato, legumes, herbs and spices, often served during Ramadan Soup, Dinner, Supper Butter teaབོད་ཇ་ 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreA hot Himalayan drink of tea, yak butter and salt, churned to a creamy texture Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Tulumba 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreDeep-fried batter sticks soaked in sweet syrup Sweet or dessert, Snacks SimitVegan 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreRing-shaped bread with a sesame seed crust, sold by street vendors Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Kissel 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreA sweet, thickened fruit or grain dessert from Eastern and Central Europe Sweet or dessert, Snacks Boiled egg 🇯🇵 JapanEggs cooked in their shells, with soft or firm yolks Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks Chicha 🇵🇪 Peru and 6 moreA traditional Latin American drink made by fermenting maize or other plants Drink, Snacks King cake 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreA festive sweet bread or pastry with a hidden token, eaten for Epiphany and Carnival Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Tea time RasgullaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSoft chhena balls simmered in light sugar syrup Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Rojakrujak (ꦫꦸꦗꦏ꧀) 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreA spicy-sweet fruit and vegetable salad with peanut and palm sugar dressing Salad or side, Snacks TsampaVegetarianརྩམ་པ་ 🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreRoasted barley flour mixed with tea or water, a staple in Tibet and the Himalayas Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Qatayefقطايف 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSweet stuffed pancakes, folded and filled with nuts or cream, served for Ramadan Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time PaskaVegetarianпаска 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreSweet, enriched bread made for Easter in Ukraine, Romania and nearby countries Bread, Breakfast, Snacks TaramasalataFish or seafoodταραμοσαλάτα 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreFish roe blended with oil, lemon and bread or potato, served as a meze spread Sauce, pickle or ferment, Snacks MacaroonVegetarian 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreSweet biscuit or small cake made from nuts or coconut and egg whites Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time CendolVeganꦕꦺꦤ꧀ꦝꦺꦴꦭ꧀ 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGreen rice flour jelly with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and ice Drink, Snacks LokmaVegan 🇮🇶 Iraq and 4 moreSmall fried dough pieces sweetened with syrup or honey Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Ma'amoulVegetarianمعمول 🇸🇾 Syria and 4 moreSemolina cookies filled with dates or nuts, shaped in moulds for festive occasions Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time HaleemMeat 🇮🇳 India and 7 moreA slow-cooked stew of wheat, lentils, meat and spices Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch ModakVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreA sweet dumpling with coconut and jaggery, offered in Hindu and Buddhist rituals Sweet or dessert, Snacks Buñuelo 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreCrisp or fluffy fried dough, sweet or savory, enjoyed across Spain and Latin America Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Breakfast Flattened riceVegan 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreRice grains flattened into flakes, used in sweet and savoury dishes across Asia Rice dish, Breakfast, Snacks BaghrirVegetarianالبغرير 🇩🇿 Algeria and 2 moreSpongy semolina pancakes from the Maghreb, full of tiny holes for soaking up sauces Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Rooh AfzaVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet herbal syrup mixed with water or milk, popular in South Asia Drink, Snacks BotamochiVeganぼたもち or 牡丹餅 🇯🇵 JapanSweet rice balls covered with red bean paste, eaten during spring and autumn in Japan Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Pickled herringFish or seafood 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 5 moreHerring preserved in salt and vinegar, eaten across Northern and Eastern Europe Sausage or cured food, Snacks, Lunch Hot cross bunVegetarian 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreA sweet, spiced bun with a cross on top, eaten at Easter Bread, Breakfast, Snacks

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly plate

Every Monday: seven dishes you may not know, what the world is cooking this week, and one way of eating.