10 international recipes for traveling the world without leaving home
One of the most interesting aspects of traveling the world is exploring the local cuisine. Food is a great physical way to experience other cultures through traditional dishes that reflect their unique character and distinctive features.
In fact, it has been proven that the workings of the human mind cause us to have taste memory: smells and tastes evoke memories and sensations. In other words, cuisine is a journey for our senses, capable of transporting us to other corners of the planet.
Here is a list of ten international recipes that you can incorporate into your menu and try some of these recipes at home!
One of the Portuguese favorite dishes is octopus baked and well drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with garlic and accompanied by baked potatoes.
Ingredients: 1 kg of octopus, olive oil, one onion, two heads of garlic, small potatoes to taste, two bay leaves, salt, white pepper and parsley.
Preparation:
1-The first thing you must do is preheat the oven to 160ºC.
2- On the other hand, cook the octopus in a large pot with water, a little oil, garlic and onion, until it is tender (you can prick the tentacles to check that it is ready).
3- Wash the potatoes well, season them with salt and put them together with the octopus in an oven dish.
4- After adding the crushed garlic cloves and the rest of the spices, you have to bake everything for about 40 minutes until the octopus is golden brown. And to the table!
In fact, it has been proven that the workings of the human mind cause us to have taste memory: smells and tastes evoke memories and sensations. In other words, cuisine is a journey for our senses, capable of transporting us to other corners of the planet.
Here is a list of ten international recipes that you can incorporate into your menu and try some of these recipes at home!
- Octopus al lagareiro (Portugal)
- Goulash soup (Hungary)
- Borsch (Ukraine)
- Golubtsi or stuffed cabbage (Russia)
- Paella valenciana (Spain)
- Bandeja paisa (Colombia)
- Quesadillas (Mexico)
- Fish ceviche (Peru)
- Pad thai (Thailand)
- Sushi (Japan)
1. Octopus al lagareiro (Portugal)
One of the Portuguese favorite dishes is octopus baked and well drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with garlic and accompanied by baked potatoes.
Ingredients: 1 kg of octopus, olive oil, one onion, two heads of garlic, small potatoes to taste, two bay leaves, salt, white pepper and parsley.
Preparation:
1-The first thing you must do is preheat the oven to 160ºC.
2- On the other hand, cook the octopus in a large pot with water, a little oil, garlic and onion, until it is tender (you can prick the tentacles to check that it is ready).
3- Wash the potatoes well, season them with salt and put them together with the octopus in an oven dish.
4- After adding the crushed garlic cloves and the rest of the spices, you have to bake everything for about 40 minutes until the octopus is golden brown. And to the table!
2. Goulash soup (Hungary)
The Goulash Book (@the_goulash_book)
Goulash(gulyás) is a typical Hungarian soup made mainly with braised beef and vegetables, and seasoned with paprika (red pepper). It is relatively easy to prepare, but requires a long time to simmer the meat (usually more than 2 hours). Even so, the exquisiteness of this dish makes it worth the effort.
Ingredients: 1kg of beef or veal for stewing (cut into cubes), 2 tablespoons of oil or lard, 2 medium chopped onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 carrots, a couple of medium potatoes, 2 green peppers, a couple of celery leaves and a bay leaf, 2 medium peeled tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato paste, a tablespoon of paprika (sweet paprika powder), black pepper and salt to taste.
Preparation:
1- To begin, heat the oil or butter in a pot and poach the chopped onions until they turn golden brown.
2- Then add the meat and fry it until it acquires a little brown color. Add paprika to taste while stirring constantly to prevent the spice from burning.
3- Let the meat boil in its own juices and add garlic, salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Pour water into the pot to cover everything completely and let it simmer.
4- When the meat is half cooked (at least an hour and a half), add the rest of the vegetables and, if necessary, add more water and salt to the stew.
5- When the meat and vegetables are almost ready, add the tomato paste and let it simmer for a few more minutes. If you want the soup to thicken, remove the lid from the pot.
3. Borsch (Ukraine)
Borsch or borscht is one of the most typical dishes of Ukrainian cuisine. The main ingredient of this soup is beet, a sweet-tasting vegetable with numerous nutrients and health benefits, which also gives it a characteristic red-berm color.
Ingredients: one and a half liters of water, 400-500g of beef or pork (optional), 300g of white cabbage, 2 medium onions, a carrot, two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice, tomato paste to taste, a couple of potatoes (optional), a clove of garlic, a bay leaf and a pinch of black pepper.
Preparation:
1- The first step is to cook the broth. Pour water into a pot and bring the meat to a boil over medium heat, removing the foam with the help of a spoon. When it is boiling, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for one hour.
2- In the meantime, make a stir-fry with the vegetables. To do this, wash and peel the beets, carrots and onions (you can use a coarse grater).
3- Pour the chopped or grated garlic, onions and carrots into a frying pan and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4- Add the beets to the stir-fry and, if desired, sprinkle with vinegar or lemon juice to give it a touch of acidity.
5- Then add the tomato paste, mix it and leave it on the heat for another 7 minutes.
6- When the beef broth is ready, add the shredded white cabbage to the broth and cook it for ten minutes. Then add the potatoes.
7- Add the sofrito from the pan to the broth, seasoned with salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Boil for ten more minutes.
8- Serve the soup with a little parsley on top and a spoonful of fresh sour cream (optional), Ukrainian style.
4. Golubtsi or stuffed cabbage (Russia)
"Golubtsi" are meat and rice rolls wrapped in cabbage leaves. It is a scrumptious and healthy dish with very basic and easily available ingredients, which also has its own version in other Eastern European countries such as Romania ("sarmale").
Ingredients: large cabbage (cabbage), 500g minced meat, 200g rice, carrot cut into strips, onion, fried or chopped tomato, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Preparation:
1- First, boil the cabbage in a pot with a little water for 20 minutes.
2- Use the softened leaves (8 to 15 leaves can be used) to make rolls with a meat, rice and onion filling.
3- Stuff them with the raw meat, the boiled rice and the poached onion. Close them in the shape of an envelope (with the ends facing inwards).
4- Then put them in a large casserole and cook everything in a carrot and fried tomato sauce (previously cooked in a separate pan) for about 40 minutes.
5- A vegetarian version can also be made by substituting the meat with vegetables and mushrooms.
5. Valencian Paella (Spain)
Paella is a very nutritious traditional Spanish dish that has become popular around the world. It can be combined with different ingredients (seafood, chicken, vegetables or mixed) and is cooked relatively quickly, but the key to a good paella is to measure the cooking times of the rice well.
Ingredients for 4 people: 1.3 liters of water, 500g of bomba type rice, half a kilo of chopped chicken, 400g of chopped rabbit (optional), green beans to taste, garrofón (optional), two chopped tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper, salt, a branch of rosemary and a pinch of saffron.
Preparation:
1- Heat the oil in a paella pan. Fry the rabbit and chicken previously seasoned (without skin) until golden brown.
2- Add the vegetables and sauté them. Then add the grated tomato and sauté it all.
3- Mix the sofrito with paprika and saffron, then pour the water all over the paella pan to prevent the ingredients from burning.
4- When the water starts to boil, let it cook over medium heat for approximately 18 minutes.
5- When the broth has taken the desired flavor, add the rice and spread it evenly throughout the paella pan. Cook it for 8 minutes over high heat.
6- Lower the heat and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat until the rice is tender. Add the rosemary sprig when it is almost ready.
7- Let the paella rest for 5-8 minutes and serve.
6. Paisa tray (Colombia)
The bandeja paisa is probably the most typical dish of Colombia, originating from the region of Antioquia. It is characterized by its high caloric intake and the use of typical ingredients of Latin American cuisine, such as beans, rice and fried plantain.
Ingredients: two tablespoons of oil, 300g of beans or red beans, 200g of white rice, one arepa (made with corn flour), 2 tomatoes, two eggs, one ripe avocado, 2 onions or scallions, 3 plantains or tostones, 300g of minced meat, 200g of pork for chicharrón, 3 chorizos, one clove of minced garlic, ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation:
1- Soak the beans the night before.
2- Cook the beans for about an hour (if you bought them dry), adding salt and pepper.
3- Fry the minced meat in a frying pan over medium heat and add a sofrito made with chopped tomato, garlic, onion and spices.
4- On the other hand, boil the white rice for about 15 minutes.
5- Fry the chicharrones and chorizos until they are toasted. Then fry the plantain and eggs.
6- Serve everything on a plate and add an arepa and half an avocado to each serving.
7. Quesadillas (Mexico)
Quesadillas are one of the most famous dishes of Mexican gastronomy and very easy to make. Basically, it consists of wheat tortillas folded in half and made mainly with cheese and other filling ingredients.
Ingredients: eight wheat or corn tortillas, slices of melting cheese (any kind), filling for the tortillas (avocado, fried chicken breasts, ham, mushrooms, etc), one onion, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Preparation:
1- Heat the tortillas in a frying pan for 30 seconds on each side.
2- Remove the tortillas, add the filling ingredients already cooked in half and add plenty of cheese on top.
3- Fold each tortilla in half and heat them in the frying pan for 1 minute and a half, until the cheese has melted. And that's it!
8. Fish Cebiche (Peru)
Peruvian gastronomy is so varied and original that it has won several international recognitions and aspires to be Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Its maximum expression is cebiche (also spelled 'ceviche'), a dish composed of raw fish, salt, lemon, chili and onion.
Ingredients for a classic Peruvian cebiche:
1kg of fish fillets of your choice (sea bass, cod, sea bream, hake, sea bass or tilapia), one red onion, freshly squeezed lime juice, aji amarillo (chili or paste), fresh cilantro, tomato (optional), salt, corn and sweet potato for the garnish. It is important that the fish is very fresh.
Preparation:
1- Clean the fish fillets well (previously frozen) and cut them into small cubes. Place them in a bowl.
2- Rinse the fish with cold water, season it with salt and lemon juice to "cook" it with citric acid.
3- Refrigerate the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the fish turns whitish.
4- Cut the onion into thin strips, add the chopped chili, cilantro and chopped tomatoes. Add these ingredients to the fish.
5- Serve with a garnish of previously cooked sweet potato and cancha (crispy fried corn) or cooked corn.
9. Pad thai (Thailand)
Pad thai is one of the signature dishes of Thai cuisine. It is a very simple stir-fried noodle recipe that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients for a fish, chicken or mixed pad thai: oil, rice noodles, 5 prawns, chicken fillets (or tofu), peanuts, a scrambled egg, 50g bean sprouts, chili powder, chives, a piece of lime, tamarind paste or soy sauce and sugar.
Preparation:
1- Cut the scallion, tofu or chicken into small pieces. Peel the shrimp or prawns.
2- In a large wok-type frying pan, fry the prawns and set them aside for later.
3- In the same pan, fry the chicken (or tofu) until golden brown.
4- Add the rice noodles, pour water little by little and cook them according to the instructions on the package, mixing everything well.
5- Stir in the sugar, soy paste or soy sauce and chili powder to taste.
6- Set the noodles aside and fry the scrambled egg. Add the bean sprouts, chopped chives, shrimp and roasted peanuts.
7- Stir-fry the mixture for another minute and serve.
10. Sushi (Japan)
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Sushi, originally from Japan, is a dish that has gone around the world and today we can find it in practically any city. Preparing it at home is much simpler than it seems and only requires a little attention and skill. Keep in mind that you will need a bamboo or wooden mat to shape the sushi.
Ingredients: special sushi rice (300g), rice vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, soy sauce, a couple of packets of nori seaweed and sushi filling (can be raw salmon or tuna, avocado, philadelphia cheese, etc.).
Preparation:
1- To begin, boil the sushi rice for about 15 minutes, set aside and let it cool. When it is cool, add the rice vinegar and mix.
2- To make the sushi rolls, you must cut the raw fish into very thin and long strips, as well as the avocado and other ingredients you want to use for the filling.
3- The first step is to spread a base of rice on one end of the bamboo mat (placed vertically), and then add the fish strips, avocado and/or cheese on top.
4- Once you have placed the ingredients on top of each other, start rolling the mixture from bottom to top.
5- When the roll is well sealed, gently cut it into 6 or 8 pieces.
If you are a food lover and want to discover more international dishes, here we leave you a world Food Atlas world map where you will find the typical dishes of each country, it's a must!
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By Kristina Kinson
08
May,
2020
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