World 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.

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

Crispy golden rice crust — the most fought-over part of any Persian meal.

Layers of phyllo, nuts, and syrup — the queen of Middle Eastern sweets.

Layers of paper-thin phyllo brushed with butter, filled with pistachios, baked crisp and soaked in sugar syrup.

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

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 slow-cooked overnight with butter and cream — Punjabi soul food.

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.

Layers of fried eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano.

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.

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

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.

Custard-based baked macaroni with multiple cheeses and eggs, a soul food cornerstone fundamentally different from bechamel-based versions.

Coconut sticky rice with ripe mango — the perfect Thai dessert.

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.

Chewy, puffy cheese bread balls made with tapioca flour and Minas cheese.

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

Creamy spinach curry with paneer cubes — the vegetarian icon.

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.

Dense, moist date sponge cake drenched in warm toffee sauce, served with cream or vanilla ice cream.

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

Light sponge cake soaked in three milks (evaporated, condensed, and heavy cream) until impossibly moist.

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

Chewy rice cakes in sweet-spicy gochujang sauce — Korea's #1 street food.

Vanilla gelato drowned in hot espresso — 2 ingredients, perfect.

Crispy fried tofu in warm dashi broth — textural masterpiece.

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.

Paper-thin strudel dough rolled around spiced apples, raisins, and breadcrumbs, baked until shattering and golden.

Fried risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella — Sicilian street food.

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

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.

Smoky mashed eggplant — naturally vegan and gluten-free.

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

Layered dessert of vanilla pudding, Nilla wafers, and sliced bananas topped with meringue or whipped cream.

Pillowy squares of fried yeast dough buried under a mountain of powdered sugar, a New Orleans institution.

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

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

Fudgy chocolate truffles made from condensed milk and cocoa, rolled in chocolate sprinkles.

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

Crispy fried shells filled with sweet ricotta cream.

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

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

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

Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried.

Roasted poblano chiles stuffed with cheese, dipped in fluffy egg batter, and fried until golden.

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

Fried dough sticks rolled in cinnamon sugar with chocolate sauce.

Fried dough sticks with thick hot chocolate for dipping.

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

Swedish cardamom-scented dough rolled with cinnamon-butter filling, formed into knots, and topped with pearl sugar.

Crispy-edged cornbread baked in a screaming hot cast iron skillet with bacon drippings.

Everyday yellow lentil curry — naturally GF, vegan-adaptable.

Yellow lentils tempered with spices fried in ghee — everyday comfort.

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

Fermented soybean paste stew with vegetables — earthy, funky, comforting.

Slow-cooked caramelized milk spread used in desserts, on toast, and as a filling for alfajores.

Layers of fried eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano baked until bubbling and golden.

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.

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

Dimpled olive oil bread — crispy outside, airy inside.

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

Blanched vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and hard-boiled egg with a rich peanut sauce dressing and prawn crackers.

Naan topped with garlic and butter — everyone's favorite.

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.

Pillowy potato dumplings in simple tomato basil sauce.

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.

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

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

Stuffed eggplant braised in olive oil — 'the imam fainted' (from pleasure).

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.

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

Crispy fried spirals soaked in saffron syrup — crunchy, sweet, addictive.

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.

Rice pudding slow-cooked in milk with cardamom, saffron, and nuts.

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

A hearty fermented soybean paste stew with tofu, zucchini, and mushrooms — Korea's everyday comfort food.

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

Sichuan numbing-spicy tofu without meat — all the mala, no pork.

Creamy pasta baked with multiple cheeses until bubbly and golden.

Fried paneer-potato balls in creamy cashew sauce.

Sticky, spongy apricot pudding drenched in hot cream sauce, the quintessential South African dessert.

Sweet glutinous rice steamed with coconut milk and sugar, served with ripe mango slices and a drizzle of salted coconut cream.

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.

Spiced red lentil stew — Ethiopian comfort food, always served on injera.

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.

Leavened flatbread baked in tandoor — pillowy with charred bubbles.

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

Classic pad Thai with tofu instead of shrimp/egg — still deeply flavorful.

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

Similar to saag but specifically spinach-based.

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.

Set cream dessert with vanilla — wobbles like a dream.

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

Boiled yellow potatoes draped in a creamy, spicy cheese and aji amarillo sauce.

Flaky, layered whole wheat flatbread cooked with ghee.

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

Sicilian pasta with fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and ricotta salata.

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.

Bubbling spiced peaches under a sweet biscuit or cake batter topping, served warm with ice cream.

Uncooked sauce of basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano, and Pecorino pounded into olive oil, tossed with trofie or trenette.

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

Polish dumplings stuffed with potato and cheese, sauerkraut, or meat, boiled then pan-fried in butter with onions.

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.

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

Provençal vegetable stew — naturally vegan, just skip the butter.

Fresh pasta pillows stuffed with ricotta and spinach in brown butter sage sauce.

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.

Saffron-infused risotto made by gradually adding broth to Arborio rice while stirring to release starch.

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.

Tangy lentil stew with vegetables and tamarind — the universal South Indian side.

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.

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).

Crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta, dill, and scallions, baked until golden and flaky.

Soft, irregular egg noodles layered with melted Emmentaler and topped with crispy fried onions.

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

Soft uncurdled tofu stew with seafood, gochugaru, and a cracked raw egg stirred in at the table.

Upside-down caramelized apple tart — the happy accident.

Upside-down caramelized apple tart baked with puff pastry and inverted to serve.

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.

Light, crispy battered vegetables — sweet potato, shiso, lotus root.

Laminated yeast dough with butter, shaped into various forms and filled with custard, almond paste, or fruit.

Spherical Danish pancakes cooked in a special cast-iron pan, served with jam and powdered sugar.

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.

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