25 Classic Foods That Are Adored Across the Globe
There are many recipes that have captured the essence of different cultures from around the world. Though they may have evolved, following more contemporary traditions, they've mostly retained their classic style.
We love working with classic recipes. They remain in trend on their own and get passed down from generation to generation to be preserved for another umpteen years.
We collected 25 delightful classic dishes from around the globe that you can try today. These recipes might remind you of your childhood or inspire you to dig deeper into a country's culinary traditions to find more recipes to try.
Arancini Rice Balls

Don’t throw away leftover rice or risotto just yet. Instead, you can make arancini, which is a delicious little fried risotto ball from Sicily. Everything about arancini rice balls is wonderful, from crunchy exterior to cheesy filling.
They are so simple to prepare. Just combine the filling ingredients, coat them in bread crumbs, and fry until golden brown. That's all!
Get the Recipe: Arancini Rice Balls.
Polish Sauerkraut Soup

Kapusniak (the traditional name of this soup) is a classic dish of Polish cuisine; it's like the chicken noodle soup from Poland. But instead of chicken and noodles, you get a hearty combination of tender pork or sausage with the tangy flavor of sauerkraut.
This authentic recipe is easy to follow and needs just everyday ingredients to prepare.
Get the Recipe: Polish Sauerkraut Soup.
Mustard Chicken Poulet à la Moutarde)

Mustard chicken is a classic French dish that tastes outstanding. Imagine a tenderly braised, fall-off-the-bone chicken swimming in a creamy, flavorful mustard sauce. It's too irresistible, and simple words cannot even describe the deliciousness of this dish.
You'll spend most of the 15 minutes browning the chicken and onions, and your oven will do the rest. Isn't it tempting?
Get the Recipe: Mustard Chicken Poulet à la Moutarde.
Dacquoise (Almond Cake)

It's a classic, old-time French dessert that is said to have been invented in the 17th century in southwestern France.
Dacquoise starts with the meringue, which is typically made from egg whites, sugar, and finely ground nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts. Then the meringue layers are topped with whipped cream. We added some fresh berries to make a light summer cake.
Get the Recipe: Dacquoise (Almond Cake).
Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Syrniki)

These sweet and tender pancakes are also full of protein, so they are a healthy breakfast choice for the whole family, even for the pickiest eaters.
Made with cottage cheese, these delicious, fluffy pancakes are a popular classic breakfast in post-Soviet countries and can easily become a favorite in your home, too. Try this pancake recipe, and you'll want to make it again.
Get the Recipe: Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Syrniki).
Austrian Garlic Soup (Knoblauchsuppe)

This classic Austrian garlic soup has real creamy goodness with intense flavor and rich taste. It's a soup you'll want to eat until there's not a single drop of the soup remaining in a bowl, and then you'll want to have some more.
This delicious, must-try bowl of comfort is sure to warm you up at any time of the year.
Get the Recipe: Austrian Garlic Soup (Knoblauchsuppe).
Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin (Buzhenina)

Buzhenina is a classic Ukrainian pork recipe that is usually made for Christmas or Easter Day. It requires only four main ingredients, is extremely easy to make, and always comes out tender and flavorful.
It's a delicious main dish that can be served with different sides but is especially good with roasted veggies or any fresh salad.
Get the Recipe: Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin (Buzhenina).
Gazpacho Soup

Gazpacho is a classic cold Spanish soup, incredibly refreshing, a real salvation in a sweltering summer heat. To get the best Gazpacho, use only the freshest and ripest tomatoes.
This recipe is easy to prepare. With just a few simple steps, you'll have a delicious gazpacho ready to chill in the refrigerator.
Get the Recipe: Gazpacho Soup.
Nana’s Classic Apple Cake

Nana’s classic apple cake, made from scratch with cinnamon topping, is full of apple flavor. There’s no box mix here! This moist and delicious cake has the perfect amount of sweetness and spice, plus large chunks of apple give it a great flavor and texture.
Drizzle with a sweet glaze that will soak in and make the cake out of this world!
Get the Recipe: Nana’s Classic Apple Cake.
Chicken Rice Pilaf

Pilaf is of Uzbek origin and is traditionally made with lamb. But you can use pork or chicken, like in this recipe, and it always comes out very flavorful. It's a real comfort food that you can serve for a regular dinner or even a party.
Before cooking, rinse the rice at least three times, but five times is better until the water runs clear. It's healthier when your rice is clean.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Rice Pilaf.
Turkish Muhammara Dip

Muhammara, as they call it in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries – is a spicy dip or sauce made of bell peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. Simple ingredients, but the taste is amazing.
Thanks to the addition of simple spices, this delicious appetizer comes out super flavorful and, of course, delicious.
Get the Recipe: Turkish Muhammara Dip.
Indian Butter Chicken

Butter chicken, or chicken makhani or murgh makhani, is a mild-spicy creamy curry from India. It was invented in the 1930s by the owners of a restaurant named Moti Mahal in Delhi.
This recipe is really easy to make. It has simple steps and easy-to-follow instructions, so in just 35 minutes, you can get a delicious dish on your table.
Get the Recipe: Indian Butter Chicken.
Moroccan Semolina Pancakes (Baghrir)

These fluffy Moroccan pancakes are made from semolina flour and yeast batter. Their texture is porous and spongy, and they have a lace-like appearance. Baghrir is traditionally served with honey and butter, but you can choose your favorite sweet or even savory sauce.
Get the Recipe: Moroccan Semolina Pancakes (Baghrir).
Ribollita Italian Bean Soup

What happens if you combine yummy vegetables with beans, broth, wine, garlic, and seasonings? Ribolita soup.
This Tuscan bean soup is hearty, healthy, and very customizable. You can use any vegetables you have on your hands. The soup makes a warming lunch, or you could enjoy its fresh and delicious flavors for dinner, perhaps with crusty bread served on the side.
Get the Recipe: Ribollita Italian Bean Soup.
Hungarian Gerbeaud Cake

Gerbeaud cake was named after a Swiss confectioner, Emil Gerbeaud, who was born in the 18th century. He invented several famous Hungarian desserts, and this scrumptious Gerbeaud cake was one of them.
Dessert comes moist and crispy at the same time, with an amazingly delicious filling! It's not difficult to make, and it's a real crowd-pleaser.
Get the Recipe: Hungarian Gerbeaud Cake.
Senegalese Peanut Stew (Maafe)

This is classic African food at its best. Hearty, creamy, and flavorful. What can be better? Many variations of this peanut butter stew are popular in different countries on the west coast of Africa, and it has different names.
For this stew, you can use beef, lamb, chicken, or any meat of choice. You can even leave it out entirely for a vegan or vegetarian stew option.
Get the Recipe: Senegalese Peanut Stew (Maafe).
Japanese Crab Salad (Kani Salad)

Kani is a Japanese crab salad made with a mayonnaise-based dressing. The recipe is really fast, and it can be made in less than 10 minutes.
Although kani salad is called a crab salad, it is actually made with imitation crab meat (kanikama) and not real crab meat, but you can use real crab meat if you want.
Get the Recipe: Japanese Crab Salad (Kani Salad).
Frikadellen

Frikadellen is a tasty meal that is quick and easy to prepare. This recipe combines and cooks meat, eggs, bread, and spices.
You can have these German classics on the table in 30 minutes. And make extra because this is an incredibly versatile recipe that can be served up in lots of fun ways, even as leftovers.
Get the Recipe: Frikadellen.
Bravas Sauce Recipe (Salsa Brava)

Bravas sauce is a spicy tomato-based sauce that is served over Patatas Bravas as a tapa all around Spanish tapas bars. This smooth, spicy sauce is served together with mayonnaise to combine both flavors and create a perfect match for your potatoes.
Even though it is a little spicy, this tapas dish is not too spicy, and most people can handle it.
Get the Recipe: Bravas Sauce Recipe (Salsa Brava).
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

Lohikeitto is truly the easiest (but most flavorful ever) salmon soup and it's very quick to fix on busy weeknights.
We would say it's somehow similar to the salmon salmon chowder that we all love, but the list of ingredients for Lohikeitto is much simpler. You only need seven ingredients to make this soup, most of which you probably have at home.
Get the Recipe: Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto).
Tiramisu Cake

This is a slightly American version of classic Italian Tiramisu. There are no raw eggs, there's sweetened whipped cream in place of eggs. But there are eggs in a cake.
This is also an alcohol-free cake. You can add some if you’d like, but it isn’t necessary. There is more than enough flavor in it with the espresso-soaked cake layers.
Get the Recipe: Tiramisu Cake.
Hungarian Goulash

Goulash is a Hungarian classic. It is quite simple to prepare. The key to authentic flavors is Hungarian sweet paprika powder and Hungarian wax peppers.
This recipe never fails. The combination of sweet smoked paprika and cumin gives it the depth of flavor that you need. A goulash tastes good if it is robust, heavy, and filling.
Get the Recipe: Hungarian Goulash.
Sha Cha Chicken

With only 5-10 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to cook, you can’t beat this easy chicken stir-fry recipe! When you do this regularly, you can make this dish in just 10 minutes.
This is a go-to Taiwanese home-cooking recipe because it’s so quick to come together, whether you’re hosting guests or whipping up a simple weeknight dinner.
Get the Recipe: Sha Cha Chicken.
Yeung Chow Fried Rice

Yeung chow fried rice originates from the city of Yangzhou in China. It is the perfect way to easily make a satisfying meal with the classic flavors of fried rice.
This recipe is not only simple to follow, but it is also an excellent recipe to clean out your fridge. If you have old vegetables or leftover meats, dice them up and add them to the rice!
Get the Recipe: Yeung Chow Fried Rice.
Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla norma is a wonderful traditional dish from Sicily’s east coast. Try this pasta and enjoy a real taste of Italian cooking.
This recipe is straightforward to make. You need to bake the eggplant slices and the meatballs, simmer the sauce ingredients together, cook the pasta, and gently toss everything. It tastes so good!
Get the Recipe: Pasta alla Norma.