World Recipes

Fermented napa cabbage with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce.

San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil — the perfect pizza.

Just pasta, pecorino, pepper, and starchy water — deceptively simple.

Roman pasta with just Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper, emulsified into a creamy sauce using starchy pasta water.

Spiced chickpea curry — tangy, warming, deeply satisfying.

Spiced chickpea curry — naturally vegan when made without ghee.

Herby, garlicky, vinegary green sauce — Argentina's essential condiment.

Punchy raw sauce of parsley, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes in olive oil and vinegar.

Black lentils and kidney beans slow-simmered overnight with butter, cream, and tomatoes — the queen of dals.

Crispy fermented rice-and-lentil crêpe — South India's breakfast icon.

Grilled corn slathered with mayo, chili powder, lime, and cotija.

Deep-fried chickpea fritters — crispy outside, herby-green inside.

Crispy deep-fried fritters of soaked raw chickpeas, herbs, and spices, served in pita with tahini and pickles.

Deeply caramelized onion broth topped with bread and molten Gruyère.

Deeply caramelized onion soup topped with a crouton and broiled Gruyere cheese.

Mashed avocado with lime, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.

Chunky mashed avocado with lime, cilantro, jalapeño, and onion, the world's most popular dip.

Creamy chickpea dip with tahini, lemon, and garlic — the universal mezze.

Ultra-smooth chickpea and tahini dip with lemon, garlic, and olive oil, the cornerstone of Levantine cuisine.

Spongy, tangy sourdough flatbread made from teff flour, serving as both plate and utensil.

Dosa filled with spiced potato filling — the most famous variant.

A thin, crispy fermented rice-and-lentil crepe filled with spiced mashed potatoes, served with sambar and coconut chutney.

Spiced red lentil stew in berbere, a staple of Ethiopian fasting cuisine and a vegetarian powerhouse.

Lentils and rice with caramelized onions — one of the world's great comfort foods.

Creamy risotto with porcini and cremini mushrooms.

Hollow crispy shells filled with spiced water, chickpeas, and potato.

Spiced mashed vegetables served with buttered rolls — Mumbai's beloved street food.

Fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, and olive oil pounded into sauce.

Saffron-infused risotto with butter and Parmigiano — golden and luxurious.

Tangy roasted tomatillo salsa with serrano and cilantro.

Crispy fried pastry filled with spiced potatoes and peas.

Shredded green papaya pounded with dried shrimp, peanuts, tomatoes, and long beans in a fiery lime-fish sauce dressing.

Fermented tea leaves tossed with crunchy fried garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, dried shrimp, and tomatoes — utterly unique.

Two soft fried bara breads sandwiching curried chickpeas (channa) with tamarind and pepper sauce.

Garlic, olive oil, and chili — midnight pasta perfection.

Spaghetti tossed with garlic slowly toasted in olive oil, chili flakes, and parsley.

Potato and cauliflower dry curry with turmeric and cumin.

Potato-cauliflower curry — naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Whole wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato, pan-fried in ghee — the ultimate North Indian breakfast.

Griddled corn cakes made from pre-cooked cornmeal and stuffed or topped with cheese.

Tomato-flavored rice toasted then simmered — the standard side.

Crunchy puffed rice with chutneys, onion, and sev — Mumbai street food.

Seasoned black beans with avocado, salsa, and pickled onion on corn tortillas.

Grilled bread topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil.

Fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and basil with olive oil.

Chickpeas in a tangy, spiced tomato-onion gravy with amchur and pomegranate powder for tartness.

Spicy chickpea curry served with puffy, deep-fried leavened bread — a beloved Punjabi breakfast and street food.

Thinly sliced potatoes baked in cream, garlic, and nutmeg until tender and golden on top.

Grilled corn on the cob slathered with mayo, cotija cheese, chile powder, and lime.

Off-the-cob version of elotes — corn kernels in a cup with all the fixings.

Levantine bread salad with sumac dressing and crispy pita.

Dimpled olive oil bread — crispy outside, airy inside.

Mashed fava beans with lemon, garlic, and olive oil — ancient breakfast.

Cold blended tomato soup — Andalusia's answer to summer heat.

Chilled raw tomato soup blended with cucumber, pepper, bread, garlic, olive oil, and sherry vinegar.

Creamy potato gratin with garlic and Gruyère — pure comfort.

Som tam without dried shrimp or fish sauce — use soy sauce or vegan fish sauce.

Rice cooked in the broth of dried black mushrooms, turning it jet-black with an intense earthy flavor.

Chunky salad of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, olives, and a thick slab of feta with olive oil and oregano.

Simple salad of thick-sliced fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and sea salt.

Coconut rice with kidney beans — Jamaica's essential side. Naturally vegan + GF.

Ripe plantain cubes marinated in ginger, cayenne, and spices, then deep-fried until crispy.

Crispy pancake loaded with aged kimchi — sour, spicy, crunchy.

Egypt's national dish — rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, and crispy onions with tomato sauce.

Creamy pasta baked with multiple cheeses until bubbly and golden.

Fried paneer-potato balls in creamy cashew sauce.

Soft flatbread topped with za'atar mixed with olive oil, baked until slightly crisp, folded and eaten for breakfast.

Rich coconut curry with potatoes and peanuts — naturally GF and dairy-free.

Silky pureed red lentil soup with onion, carrot, and potato, finished with paprika butter, lemon, and dried mint.

Creamy Turkish red lentil soup — naturally vegan and GF.

Hearty vegetable soup with beans and pasta — every Italian grandma's version is different.

Rice cooked in black bean broth and sofrito, creating a deeply flavored one-pot dish.

Roasted red pepper and walnut dip with pomegranate molasses.

Syrian-Lebanese dip of roasted red peppers, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and Aleppo pepper, served with bread.

Lentils and rice cooked together, topped with deeply caramelized onions and served with yogurt.

Clarified butter infused with fenugreek, cardamom, cinnamon, and other aromatics, the foundation of Ethiopian cooking.

Vegetables dipped in spiced chickpea flour batter and deep-fried.

Fresh paneer cheese cubes in a vibrant pureed spinach sauce with garlic, cumin, and cream.

Cubes of paneer marinated in spiced yogurt and grilled until charred — a vegetarian tandoori classic.

Boiled potatoes in creamy yellow chili sauce — iconic Peruvian starter.

Simple tomato sauce with basil — the purest expression of Italian pasta.

Creamy pasta and chickpea soup — Roman comfort food, naturally almost-vegan.

Thick pasta and bean soup — Italian peasant food elevated.

Crispy fried potato cubes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli.

Crispy fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce — naturally GF.

Vegetable pho with charred aromatics — all the fragrance, no meat.

Blistered green peppers with sea salt — some are spicy, most aren't.

Finely ground vegetables (spinach, beet, or eggplant) mixed with walnut paste, garlic, herbs, and vinegar, formed into balls.

Smooth, stretchy pounded yam dough used to scoop thick soups, the quintessential Nigerian carb.

Thick slice of provolone grilled until bubbly on top and crusty on the bottom, seasoned with oregano and chile flakes.

Briny, punchy sauce with olives, capers, anchovies, and tomatoes.

Red kidney bean curry — Punjabi comfort food.

Red kidney beans simmered in a thick, spiced tomato-onion gravy — a Punjabi Sunday lunch essential served with rice.

Black-eyed pea stew in a red palm oil and tomato sauce, served with fried ripe plantain.

Tuscan bread soup — yesterday's minestrone thickened with stale bread.

Tuscan bread and bean soup — hearty and naturally vegan (skip the Parm).

Fragrant coconut rice with kidney beans, cooked with thyme, allspice, and scotch bonnet for Sunday dinner.

Catalan sauce of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, almonds, hazelnuts, and garlic, served with calcots or grilled vegetables.

Slow-cooked mustard greens with spinach, finished with ghee and served with cornmeal flatbread — a Punjabi winter staple.

Roasted tomato, chili, and garlic salsa — the universal Mexican table sauce.

Flaky, layered flatbread with scallions — addictive street food.

Flaky, crispy pan-fried flatbread layered with scallions and sesame oil.

Simple noodles tossed in slow-cooked scallion oil — minimalist perfection.

Smooth, thick chickpea flour stew spiced with berbere, a fasting-day staple across Ethiopia.

Blistered green beans with preserved mustard greens and ground pork.

Green beans wok-fried until blistered and wrinkled, then tossed with ground pork, preserved vegetables, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Smashed cucumbers in chili oil, garlic, and vinegar — cold appetizer.

Aromatic green cooking base of aji dulce, recao, cilantro, garlic, onion, and peppers, used in nearly every dish.

Provençal vegetable soup with basil pistou (French pesto without nuts).

Coconut galangal soup with mushrooms — vegan tom kha.

Intensely garlicky whipped emulsion of raw garlic, lemon juice, and oil, fluffy like mayonnaise but dairy-free.

Chewy cylindrical rice cakes simmered in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce with fish cakes and scallions.

Thick yogurt sauce with grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and dill, served as a dip or condiment.

Spiced potato fritter in a bun with chutneys — Mumbai's burger.

Crispy deep-fried black-eyed pea fritters, a popular breakfast street food across West Africa.

Dry-style potatoes and cauliflower stir-fried with turmeric, cumin, and coriander — a humble everyday classic.

Caribbean Colombian coconut rice with a sweet, toasted coconut crust on the bottom of the pot.

Ethiopian cabbage, potato, and carrot stew — mild and comforting.

Cold green lentil salad with mustard, jalapeño, lemon juice, and fresh herbs.

Frozen açaí blended thick, topped with granola and fruit.

Mixed vegetable and tofu stir-fry — traditional Buddhist temple food.

Chickpea tofu (not soy) sliced and tossed with rice powder, chili, lime, and crunchy toppings.

Sautéed zucchini with corn, tomatoes, and chili — Mexican summer side.

Sautéed leafy greens with coconut — Caribbean-style collards.

Spicy vegetable relish of beans, tomatoes, peppers, and carrots, served as a braai side dish.

Tunisian stewed peppers and tomatoes with garlic, caraway, and harissa, often served with merguez or eggs.

Steamed greens with oyster sauce drizzle — Cantonese simplicity.

Simple rice porridge — naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Soft lentil fritters soaked in yogurt and drizzled with tamarind and mint chutneys, topped with chaat masala and pomegranate.

Grape leaves stuffed with herbed rice, pine nuts, and currants, braised in lemon-olive oil broth.

Wok-charred cauliflower with chili, garlic, and cumin.

Boiled soybeans in the pod — the simplest Japanese starter.

Greece's national dish: a simple white bean soup with tomatoes, carrots, celery, and generous olive oil.

Small triangular pastries filled with spinach, onion, lemon, and sumac, baked until golden.

Levantine bread salad with crispy pita chips, vegetables, herbs, and a tangy sumac-lemon dressing.

Slightly sweet, cornmeal-enriched fried dumplings, the essential sidekick to jerk and fried fish.

Rice paper rolls with tofu, vegetables, and herbs.

Ripe plantain slices fried until caramelized and golden, the universal West African side dish.

Refried beans — mashed pintos fried in lard until creamy.

Pinto beans simmered from dried with onion, garlic, and epazote.

Smooth, elastic dough of pounded cassava and plantain, the classic soup companion in Ghanaian cuisine.

Tomatoes and bell peppers hollowed and stuffed with herbed rice, baked with olive oil until the tops char.

Crispy cauliflower in sweet-spicy General Tso's sauce — vegan alternative.

Collard greens sauteed with garlic, ginger, and cardamom in niter kibbeh, a mild counterpoint to spicy wats.

Sautéed collard greens with garlic and ginger — served on injera.

Ramadan soup with lentils and chickpeas — vegan version without lamb.

Slow-cooked tomato and scallion sauce that serves as the flavor base for countless Colombian dishes.

Black-eyed peas and rice — Southern New Year's tradition. Naturally vegan + GF.

Fresh corn tamales with cheese and basil wrapped in corn husks, a pre-Columbian dish still popular in the Andes.

Steamed fermented rice-and-lentil cakes — fluffy and mild.

Steamed fermented rice-lentil cakes served with sambar and coconut chutney — the everyday South Indian breakfast.

Glass noodle stir-fry without beef — naturally gluten-free.

Fried rice with aged kimchi and sesame — naturally vegan without egg.

Herb-packed bulgur salad with pomegranate molasses — Turkey's tabbouleh.

Red kidney bean stew with walnut paste, cilantro, fenugreek, and vinegar, served in a clay pot.

Hearty vegetable soup with beans, pasta, and seasonal vegetables in a tomato broth.

Open-faced bean and cheese on bolillo bread, broiled until bubbly.

Cooked carrots dressed with cumin, paprika, garlic, lemon juice, and cilantro, served as a mezze dish.

Roasted poblanos and mushrooms in melted Oaxaca cheese quesadilla.

Cactus paddle salad with tomato, onion, cilantro, and queso fresco.

Shaped rice balls with fillings — Japan's original portable meal.

Simple red lentils tempered with cumin, garlic, and ghee, served over basmati rice — the everyday comfort meal.

Tuscan bread salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and basil.

Green plantain slices fried, smashed flat, and fried again until golden and crispy.

Crispy fried potato cubes served with spicy bravas sauce and garlic aioli.

Spicy tomato sauce with garlic and red chili flakes over penne.

Fresh chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.

Small green peppers blistered in olive oil and finished with flaky sea salt, with the occasional spicy surprise.

The oldest pizza — tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil. No cheese.

Four-cheese pizza: mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, Parmigiano.

Melted cheese dip with roasted green chiles and tomatoes, served with tortilla chips.

Aged Manchego cheese served with membrillo (quince paste), a classic Spanish pairing for tapas.

Roasted poblano strips in creamy sauce with corn and onion.

Roasted poblano strips simmered with corn, onion, and Mexican crema for a rich, smoky side dish.

Peppery, tangy tomato-tamarind broth — South Indian soup.

A thin, peppery tamarind-tomato broth tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves — South India's healing soup.

Tuscan bread soup with cannellini beans, lacinato kale, and vegetables, thickened by stale bread and reboiled.

Spring vegetable risotto — naturally gluten-free.

Thick slab of hard cheese (kefalotyri or halloumi) pan-fried until golden and crispy, flambeed and served with lemon.

Crushed Indian samosas tossed with chickpeas, onions, cilantro, and tamarind sauce — a Burmese-Indian fusion street snack.

Chickpea flour stew — Ethiopia's everyday comfort food.

Chickpea flour stew — Ethiopia's simplest comfort food. Naturally vegan + GF.

Chilled wheat noodles tossed in a sesame-chili dressing with cucumber and bean sprouts.

Arequipa-style fava bean salad with cheese, olives, and rocoto.

Simple wok-fried bok choy — fast, fresh, and garlicky.

Lima beans and corn sautéed with butter — classic Southern side.

Parsley-dominated salad with bulgur, tomato, and lemon — it's a parsley salad, not a grain salad.

Herb-dominant salad of finely chopped parsley, mint, tomato, and bulgur wheat dressed in lemon and olive oil.

Stiff cornmeal porridge paired with sauteed collard greens and tomato, East Africa's everyday staple.

Mixed vegetables in a mild coconut-cashew-poppy seed sauce — richer and nuttier than its North Indian cousin.

Fragrant rice cooked with mixed vegetables and whole spices.

Rice and black-eyed peas cooked together with dried millet leaves for a distinctive reddish-brown color.

Gently spiced stew of potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and green beans with turmeric and garlic.

Boiled cassava root drenched in a sizzling garlic, citrus, and olive oil mojo sauce.

Chilled buckwheat noodles with dipping sauce — summer staple.

Water spinach sauteed in the classic adobo sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic — a quick vegetable side.

Clear bean sprout soup — Korean hangover cure and everyday staple.

Mixed vegetable stir-fry with garlic and oyster sauce.

Stiff cornmeal porridge that serves as the staple starch across Southern Africa, paired with stews and braai.