World Food: Dishes to Try at Home if you Miss Cultural Eating

For a lot of us, more time at home, means more time in the kitchen. It is amazing to see how many of us are learning to enjoy cooking, and expanding our knowledge in a new skill-set. I am seeing daily photos of delicious fresh breads being baked, hand-made pasta’s, curry dishes, and all sorts of sweet pastries. Suddenly my social feeds are filled with inspiration from my network, which drives me to dust off a cook book from the shelf, and do some research on my favourite dishes.

My family and I always joke that we would love to plan an entire trip, planned solely around food and drinks! Travelling a new country with a rich background and culture, and stopping at those hidden and unique gems to explore all the delicious treats they have to offer. Now, especially due to Corona, it is not possible to travel and try out new foods. So we try our best to recreate it all at home. To inspire everyone at home, I have collected some of my favourite dishes in the hopes that it brings a little bit of culture and fun to your kitchen!

Spanish Seafood Paella

If you close your eyes, get comfy in the sunshine and feel a slight breeze blowing through your hair, it will be as if you are transformed to Spain. Follow this delicious recipe from Albert Bevia, from Spain on a Fork, for an authentic and delicious outcome.

You can add any seafood that you like, or whatever is in season and make it your own. Not a fan of seafood? No problem! Take the Valencian Paella and make it with rabbit or chicken instead. Combine this dish with other Spanish tapas to make it even more of a feast!

Thai Chicken Larb

This spicy and multi-dimensional minced chicken salad is one of a kind! Anyone that loves Thai flavours knows that this is not one to miss when you are in Thailand. Not only is it delicious, but also incredibly easy to make at home and done within minutes.

It is the perfect dish for a movie night, that will give you that ultimate comfort feeling. Follow Jess's step-by-setp recipe, from Iniquiring Chef, and enjoy this authentic meal!

Italian Hand-made Pasta

As a foodie, fresh pasta is something you have to try at least once in your life! But trust me, once you see how easy it is, you will never go back to store bought. Besides how easy and quick it is, the taste of fresh and the real deal is a game changer! My absolutely favourite thing about pasta is that you can make it your own. Follow Linda' recipe from Garden Betty and add whichever herbs you like. Once you have mastered the dough, you can experiment with shapes and sizes!

Middle Eastern Fattoush Salad

This is definitely another one for the books! A fattoush salad is fresh and vibrant, and is made from everything that makes middle eastern cuisine so interesting.

Again, make it your own by adding whatever vegetables you have left in your fridge, this way you experience it differently every time! It makes for a great lunch, or a side salad next to a juicy piece of chicken or fish. You can also leave out the torn pita breads, and eat the salad in a whole pita bread with falafel.

Sarah's recipe, from Broma Bakery, is one of my favourite because it is light and transports me back to Lebanon where i first had it.

Brazilian Brigadeiros

This has to be my all time favourite dessert, because it is so simple but incredibly yummy and irresistible at the same time. When I lived in Australia I made some great Brazilian friends who served this after a BBQ, and when i took the first bite my mind was blown. Layla Pujol, from Laylita, has a great recipe to follow and some recommendations for your own variations. This extremely easy dish is made from nothing more than condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter and chocolate sprinkles. Of course these are the authentic types, but there are also a thousand of varieties! You can use coconut flakes instead of cocoa powder, strawberry powder, or cover them in nuts or white chocolate. Again, have fun with it and make it entirely your own.

Dutch Bitterballen

I may be slightly biased here, but trust me, these snacks will hit the spot every single time! A bitterball is a fried meat croquette, very common in the Netherlands. We eat it while we enjoy a beer in the sun on one of our many terraces (when it isn't raining of course...).

Whenever I am away for a longer period of time, this is always what I crave the most! Not only because of the flavour, but because of the whole vibe that comes with these little snacks. A word we use a lot to describe this feeling in the Netherlands is 'gezellig' and it is the epitome of Dutch culture. While they are time consuming to make, it is worth it. Follow the recipe from 'Stuff Dutch People Like' and give it a try - let us know what you think!

If you have any great culture stories or recipe's of your own, please comment below or send us an email because we would love to hear from you!