Top Pick Recipes

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

Silken tofu in fiery, numbing pork sauce — the dish that defines Sichuan.

Silky tofu in a fiery, numbing sauce of doubanjiang, fermented black beans, and Sichuan peppercorns with ground pork.

Complex Ethiopian spice blend of dried chiles, fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, and over a dozen aromatics.

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.

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

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.

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

Fried milk-solid balls soaked in rose-cardamom syrup — India's favorite sweet.

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

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.

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

Tangy roasted tomatillo salsa with serrano and cilantro.

Crispy fried pastry filled with spiced potatoes and peas.

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.

Crispy fried tofu in warm dashi broth — textural masterpiece.

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

Potato and cauliflower dry curry with turmeric and cumin.

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

Smoky eggplant dip with tahini — fire-roasting is the key.

Smoky roasted eggplant dip mashed with tahini, lemon, garlic, and olive oil.

Smoky mashed eggplant with spices — Punjab's roasted eggplant dish.

Fire-roasted eggplant mashed with onions, tomatoes, and spices — smoky, rustic, and deeply savory.

Sicilian sweet-sour eggplant relish with capers, olives, and pine nuts.

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

Fried choux dough sticks coated in cinnamon sugar, served with thick hot chocolate for dipping.

Eggplant in a sweet-sour-spicy sauce — 'fish fragrant' refers to the seasoning style, no fish.

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

Spicy, tangy, thick soup with tofu, mushrooms, and egg ribbons.

Sweet stuffed pancakes with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts — winter street food.

Whole eggplants stuffed with sweet onion, tomato, and garlic, braised in olive oil until silky and collapsing.

Spongy fermented flatbread — plate, utensil, and food all in one.

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.

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

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

Creamy Turkish red lentil soup — naturally vegan and GF.

Roasted red pepper and walnut dip with pomegranate molasses.

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

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

Crispy fried potato cubes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli.

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.

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

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

Provençal vegetable stew — eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes.

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

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

A tangy lentil and vegetable stew with tamarind and a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chilies.

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.

Blistered green beans with preserved mustard greens and ground pork.

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.

Spicy stew with silken tofu, seafood, and a raw egg cracked in.

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

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

Lightly fried silken tofu in a warm dashi-soy broth with grated daikon and bonito flakes.

Balkan roasted red pepper and eggplant spread, smoky and slightly sweet, used as a condiment or dip.

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

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

Fried eggplant slices rolled around a walnut-garlic-herb paste, topped with pomegranate seeds.

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

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.

Steamed greens with oyster sauce drizzle — Cantonese simplicity.

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

Boiled soybeans in the pod — the simplest Japanese starter.

Fire-roasted vegetables peeled and dressed with olive oil — Catalan classic.

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

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

Bean dish with cassava flour, collard greens, and eggs.

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

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

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

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

A thick, peppery soup with tofu, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and egg ribbons in a vinegar-spiked broth.

Crispy shredded potato pancakes fried until golden, served with applesauce or sour cream.

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.

Dashi broth with dissolved miso, tofu, and wakame — every Japanese meal's companion.

Peeled black-eyed peas blended and steamed into a savory pudding with peppers and onions.

Broiled eggplant with sweet miso glaze — simple and elegant.

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.

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

Ilocano mixed vegetable stew with bitter melon, eggplant, squash, and long beans in shrimp paste sauce.

Spain's ratatouille — sautéed Mediterranean vegetables often topped with a fried egg.

Provencal stew of eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes slowly cooked in olive oil with herbs.

Whole wheat flatbread — the daily bread of India.

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

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

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

Sliced tempeh marinated in turmeric and garlic, shallow-fried until golden and crispy, served with sambal.

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

Smoky eggplant and tomato salad — Moroccan dip.

Cooked eggplant and tomato salad seasoned with garlic, cumin, paprika, and cilantro, served warm or cold with bread.

Chilled buckwheat noodles with dipping sauce — summer staple.