World’s Classics is a tour of the world’s most iconic dishes: two signature recipes from each of 67 countries, from the streets of Bangkok to the Tuscan countryside. This post is a preview of the full book.
The Timeless Appeal of Classic Dishes
Each of these recipes carries the traditions of the people who first cooked it, from rustic Italian pasta to the layered curries of India, refined over centuries by home cooks and chefs alike.
The Art of Perfecting Classics
Mastering a classic is not just following the recipe. It is understanding why each ingredient and technique is there. That understanding is what turns cooking into a craft.
Italy 🇮🇹
Pizza Margherita
Born in Naples: tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil. Italian cooking at its simplest and best.
Make it at home with our pizza margherita recipe.
Spaghetti Carbonara
A Roman classic with a rich sauce of eggs, Pecorino Romano, pancetta, and pepper. Italian comfort food, defined.
Make it at home with our spaghetti carbonara recipe.
France 🇫🇷
Coq au Vin
Chicken braised in wine with mushrooms and bacon. Classic French braising with local, robust flavors.
Make it at home with our coq au vin recipe.
Ratatouille
A Provençal vegetable stew of zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. Fresh produce doing all the work.
Make it at home with our ratatouille recipe.
Japan 🇯🇵
Sushi
Nigiri and maki in particular. Sushi is built on the freshness of its ingredients, especially the seafood.
Ramen
Now popular worldwide, ramen is all about the broth, the regional variations, and the balance of noodles, meat, and vegetables.
Make it at home with our tonkotsu ramen recipe.
China 🇨🇳
Peking Duck
A Beijing specialty: crispy skin and tender meat, served with pancakes and scallions.
Mapo Tofu
A Sichuan dish with bold heat and the typical Chinese balance of flavor and texture.
Make it at home with our mapo tofu recipe.
India 🇮🇳
Butter Chicken
From Delhi: tender chicken in a creamy tomato sauce, rich and aromatic.
Make it at home with our butter chicken recipe.
Biryani
Spiced rice layered with meat or vegetables. A staple across India, famous for its layering of flavors.
Make it at home with our chicken biryani recipe.
Mexico 🇲🇽
Tacos
Mexico’s great street food: corn tortillas with endlessly varied fillings.
Make them at home with our chicken tacos recipe.
Mole Poblano
From Puebla: a complex sauce of chili peppers, spices, and chocolate, served over meat.
Make it at home with our mole poblano recipe.
Spain 🇪🇸
Paella
The Valencian rice dish that became shorthand for Spanish cooking, built on local ingredients and meant to be shared.
Make it at home with our classic paella recipe.
Gazpacho
A cold soup of raw, blended vegetables. Fresh Spanish produce, nothing cooked.
Make it at home with our gazpacho recipe.
Thailand 🇹🇭
Pad Thai
Stir-fried noodles balancing sweet, sour, and savory. Thai flavor balance in one dish.
Make it at home with our pad thai recipe.
Tom Yum Goong
A hot and sour soup, usually with shrimp, known for its aroma and depth of flavor.
Make it at home with our tom yum goong recipe.
Greece 🇬🇷
Moussaka
Layers of eggplant, minced meat, and béchamel sauce. A rich Greek staple.
Make it at home with our moussaka recipe.
Souvlaki
Skewered, grilled meat served with pita and tzatziki.
Make it at home with our souvlaki recipe.
United States 🇺🇸
American Hamburger
Simple and iconic. The hamburger is American fast-food culture, exported everywhere.
Make it at home with our smash burger recipe.
American Apple Pie
“As American as apple pie” is a saying for a reason. This dessert is a symbol of American tradition.
Make it at home with our apple pie recipe.
Brazil 🇧🇷
Feijoada
Brazil’s national dish: a hearty stew of black beans and pork.
Make it at home with our feijoada recipe.
Moqueca
A fish stew cooked with coconut milk, tomatoes, and peppers, straight from the Brazilian coast.
Make it at home with our moqueca recipe.
Morocco
Tagine
A slow-cooked stew named after the earthenware pot it cooks in, often lamb or chicken with dried fruits and spices.
Make it at home with our chicken tagine recipe.
Couscous
Common across North Africa, but the Moroccan version, served with vegetables and meat, is famous for its delicate flavor and the ritual of its preparation.
Make it at home with our couscous recipe.
Turkey 🇹🇷
Baklava
Layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey, inherited from Ottoman kitchens.
Make it at home with our baklava recipe.
Kebab
The doner kebab specifically: meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, served in bread with salad and sauces. Turkey’s most influential food export.
Make it at home with our Adana kebab recipe.
Vietnam 🇻🇳
Pho
Broth, rice noodles, herbs, and beef or chicken. The delicate, aromatic broth is the whole point.
Try our quick Vietnamese pork noodle soup for a weeknight version.
Banh Mi
A sandwich born of French colonial influence: a crisp baguette with pork, pâté, and pickled vegetables.
Make it at home with our banh mi recipe.
South Korea 🇰🇷
Kimchi
Fermented cabbage and Korean radish, seasoned with spices. A staple at every Korean table, with a reputation for health benefits.
Make it at home with our kimchi recipe.
Bibimbap
Rice topped with sautéed vegetables, chili paste, soy sauce, an egg, and sliced meat. Colorful and balanced.
Make it at home with our bibimbap recipe.
Russia 🇷🇺
Borscht
A beet soup found across Eastern Europe. The Russian version balances sour and sweet, usually with sour cream.
Make it at home with our borscht recipe.
Beef Stroganoff
Sautéed beef in a smetana (sour cream) sauce. Born in 19th-century Russia, now cooked worldwide.
Make it at home with our beef stroganoff recipe.
Australia 🇦🇺
Meat Pie
A handheld pie of minced meat and gravy. Standard at Australian sporting events, inherited from Britain.
Make it at home with our meat pie recipe.
Vegemite on Toast
An acquired taste, but a beloved breakfast staple in Australian homes.
Ethiopia 🇪🇹
Injera with Doro Wat
Injera is a sourdough flatbread; doro wat is the spicy chicken stew that usually comes with it. Ethiopian food is made for sharing.
Make it at home with our doro wat recipe.
Sweden 🇸🇪
Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Meatballs with gravy, boiled potatoes, and lingonberry jam. Famous worldwide, partly thanks to IKEA.
Make it at home with our Swedish meatballs recipe.
Pickled Herring
A Swedish staple served at Midsummer, Christmas, and Easter. A long tradition of preserving seafood in one bite.
Make it at home with our pickled herring recipe.
Canada 🇨🇦
Poutine
Fries and cheese curds under brown gravy. Born in Quebec, now Canada’s comfort food.
Make it at home with our poutine recipe.
Maple Syrup
Not a dish on its own, but maple syrup runs through Canadian cooking, from pancakes to meat glazes.
Egypt 🇪🇬
Koshari
Pasta, rice, lentils, and chickpeas under spiced tomato sauce and fried onions. Egypt’s favorite street food.
Make it at home with our koshari recipe.
Ful Medames
Fava beans with garlic and lemon, usually eaten for breakfast.
Make it at home with our ful medames recipe.
Peru 🇵🇪
Ceviche
Raw fish cured in citrus juice and spiked with chili. Peru’s coastal cooking at its best.
Try our Colombian shrimp ceviche for the Caribbean take.
Lomo Saltado
Marinated sirloin stir-fried with onions and tomatoes, served with fried potatoes. Peruvian and Asian cooking in one pan.
Make it at home with our lomo saltado recipe.
Lebanon 🇱🇧
Tabbouleh
A fresh herb and bulgur salad. The Lebanese case for fresh ingredients.
Make it at home with our tabbouleh recipe.
Hummus
Found across the Middle East, but the Lebanese version is known for its smooth, creamy texture. A fixture of every meze.
Make it at home with our classic hummus recipe.
Portugal 🇵🇹
Bacalhau a Bras
Shredded salt cod with onions and matchstick fried potatoes, bound with scrambled eggs. Portugal’s love of cod on a plate.
Make it at home with our bacalhau à brás recipe.
Pastel de Nata
Egg tarts with a crisp, flaky crust and a rich custard filling. Portugal’s most famous pastry.
Make it at home with our pastel de nata recipe.
Nigeria 🇳🇬
Jollof Rice
A one-pot rice dish cooked across West Africa. The Nigerian version brings serious heat and depth.
Make it at home with our jollof rice recipe.
Pounded Yam and Egusi Soup
Pounded yam served with egusi soup, made from melon seeds. Filling and traditional.
Make it at home with our egusi soup recipe.
Poland 🇵🇱
Pierogi
Stuffed dumplings, filled with anything from potato and sauerkraut to cheese and fruit.
Make it at home with our pierogi recipe.
Bigos
The name roughly translates as hunter’s stew: various meats with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage.
Make it at home with our bigos recipe.
Argentina 🇦🇷
Asado
Both a set of barbecue techniques and the social event built around them. Central to Argentine life.
Make it at home with our asado recipe.
Empanadas
Baked or fried pastries with rich fillings and a flaky crust, inherited from Spain.
Try our Colombian empanadas, the crispy corn-dough cousin.
Belgium 🇧🇪
Belgian Waffles
Bigger, deeper-pocketed, and lighter than other waffles, eaten with every topping imaginable.
Make it at home with our Belgian waffles recipe.
Moules-frites
Mussels steamed with onions and celery, served with fries. Belgian bistro food, defined.
Make it at home with our moules-frites recipe.
Philippines 🇵🇭
Adobo
Chicken or pork marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic, then simmered until tender.
Make it at home with our chicken adobo recipe.
Sinigang
A sour soup built on tamarind, tomatoes, and vegetables. Filipino cooking likes its flavors bold and contrasting.
Make it at home with our sinigang recipe.
Indonesia 🇮🇩
Nasi Goreng
Fried rice with meat and vegetables, flavored with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and topped with a fried egg.
Make it at home with our nasi goreng recipe.
Satay
Skewers of grilled, marinated meat, most famously with a rich peanut sauce. The heart of Indonesian street food.
Make it at home with our chicken satay recipe.
South Africa 🇿🇦
Bobotie
Spiced minced meat baked under an egg-based topping. South Africa’s mixed heritage in one dish.
Make it at home with our bobotie recipe.
Biltong
Dried, cured meat in countless flavors. South Africa’s favorite snack and a long tradition of meat preservation.
Make it at home with our biltong recipe.
Malaysia 🇲🇾
Nasi Lemak
Rice cooked in coconut milk with a spread of side dishes. Often called the national dish of Malaysia.
Make it at home with our nasi lemak recipe.
Laksa
A spicy noodle soup with a coconut milk base, where Chinese and Malay cooking meet.
Make it at home with our laksa recipe.
Czech Republic 🇨🇿
Svíčková
Marinated sirloin with a creamy vegetable sauce, served with dumplings, cranberries, and cream.
Make it at home with our svíčková recipe.
Koláče
Sweet pastries filled with fruit, poppy seeds, or cheese. A fixture at Czech celebrations.
Make it at home with our koláče recipe.
Finland 🇫🇮
Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian Pies)
A thin rye crust filled with rice porridge or mashed potato. Finland’s go-to snack and breakfast.
Make it at home with our Karelian pies recipe.
Lohikeitto (Salmon Soup)
A creamy soup of salmon, potatoes, and leeks. Fresh local fish, Finnish style.
Make it at home with our lohikeitto recipe.
Ghana 🇬🇭
Jollof Rice
The Ghanaian take on West Africa’s great rice dish, with its own seasoning and spice. A staple at gatherings.
Make it at home with our jollof rice recipe.
Fufu and Light Soup
Fufu is boiled and pounded starch, served with a spicy soup that usually carries meat or fish.
Make it at home with our fufu and light soup recipe.
Israel 🇮🇱
Falafel
Deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas or fava beans, usually stuffed into pita. Israel’s street food of choice.
Make it at home with our falafel recipe.
Shakshuka
Eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, spiced with cumin. An Israeli household staple.
Make it at home with our shakshuka recipe.
Cuba 🇨🇺
Ropa Vieja
Slow-cooked shredded beef in tomato sauce. Cuban comfort food, plain and simple.
Make it at home with our ropa vieja recipe.
Arroz con Pollo
Chicken cooked with rice, vegetables, and spices. Cuba’s Spanish heritage on a plate.
Try our Colombian arroz con pollo.
New Zealand 🇳🇿
Pavlova
A meringue dessert named after ballerina Anna Pavlova: crisp outside, soft inside, topped with fruit and cream.
Make it at home with our pavlova recipe.
Lamb Roast
New Zealand lamb is world class, and the traditional roast, served with kumara (sweet potato) and vegetables, makes the most of it.
Make it at home with our roast lamb recipe.
Iran 🇮🇷
Chelo Kebab
Iran’s national dish: steamed saffron rice with grilled kebab. Simple and deep at the same time.
Make it at home with our chelo kebab recipe.
Ghormeh Sabzi
A Persian herb stew of parsley, leeks, and kidney beans. Deeply aromatic.
Make it at home with our ghormeh sabzi recipe.
Vietnam 🇻🇳
Banh Xeo
A crisp crepe stuffed with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, finished with the fresh herbs Vietnamese cooking insists on.
Make it at home with our banh xeo recipe.
Ca Kho To
Fish caramelized in a clay pot. Vietnamese braising, balancing sweet and salty.
Make it at home with our ca kho to recipe.
Colombia 🇨🇴
Bandeja Paisa
A loaded platter of beans, rice, chorizo, pork belly, avocado, and a fried egg. Colombia’s idea of a full plate.
Make it at home with our bandeja paisa recipe.
Ajiaco
A chicken and potato soup made distinctive by guasca, a local herb. Pure comfort.
Make it at home with our ajiaco recipe.
Hungary 🇭🇺
Goulash (Gulyás)
Beef, vegetables, and paprika in Hungary’s most famous stew.
Make it at home with our classic Hungarian goulash recipe.
Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)
A creamy chicken stew built on paprika, cooked in homes across Hungary.
Make it at home with our chicken paprikash recipe.
Nepal 🇳🇵
Dal Bhat
Lentil soup (dal) and rice (bhat), usually with vegetable curries and pickles. The daily meal of Nepal.
Make it at home with our dal bhat recipe.
Momo
Dumplings filled with meat or vegetables, cousins of Chinese dumplings but spiced their own way, usually with a tomato-based dipping sauce.
Chile 🇨🇱
Empanada de Pino
A pastry filled with minced meat, onions, raisins, black olives, and hard-boiled egg.
Make it at home with our empanada de pino recipe.
Pastel de Choclo
A corn casserole filled with ground meat, chicken, raisins, olives, and hard-boiled eggs under a sweet corn topping.
Make it at home with our pastel de choclo recipe.
Romania 🇷🇴
Sarmale
Cabbage rolls stuffed with ground meat, rice, and herbs, often cooked in tomato sauce. A dish for special occasions in Romania.
Make it at home with our sarmale recipe.
Mămăligă
A cornmeal porridge close to polenta, served alongside stews or with sour cream.
Make it at home with our mămăligă recipe.
Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
Kabsa
Spiced basmati rice with chicken, goat, lamb, or camel and vegetables. The centerpiece of Saudi tables.
Make it at home with our kabsa recipe.
Shawarma
Common across the Middle East, but the Saudi version of marinated meat in flatbread has its own blend of local spices.
Make it at home with our chicken shawarma recipe.
Croatia 🇭🇷
Peka
Meat and vegetables cooked under a bell-shaped dome over an open fire. The slow method keeps everything tender.
Make it at home with our peka recipe.
Ćevapi
Small grilled sausages of minced meat, served with flatbread (lepinja), onions, and ajvar, a pepper condiment.
Make it at home with our ćevapi recipe.
Ukraine 🇺🇦
Borscht
Beetroot soup with sour cream and dill. Shared with Russian cooking, but the Ukrainian version has its own local character.
Make it at home with our borscht recipe.
Varenyky
Dumplings filled with potato, sauerkraut, meat, cheese, or fruit, served boiled or fried.
Egypt 🇪🇬
Koshari
Rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas under spicy tomato sauce and fried onions. Vegetarian, and everywhere in Egypt.
Make it at home with our koshari recipe.
Ful Medames
A fava bean stew seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Breakfast, the Egyptian way.
Make it at home with our ful medames recipe.
Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Biryani
Fragrant basmati rice with chicken, beef, goat, or fish and a blend of aromatic spices.
Make it at home with our chicken biryani recipe.
Hilsa Fish Curry (Ilish)
Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh. The curry version, cooked with mustard oil and spices, is the classic preparation.
Make it at home with our hilsa curry recipe.
Slovenia 🇸🇮
Potica (Slovenian Nut Roll)
A rolled dough cake filled with walnut, tarragon, poppy seed, or honey. The centerpiece of Slovenian holidays.
Make it at home with our potica recipe.
Štruklji
Boiled or baked dough rolls with sweet or savory fillings: cottage cheese, walnut, apple, poppy seed. Served as dessert, main, or side.
Make it at home with our skutni štruklji recipe.
Serbia 🇷🇸
Ćevapi
Small grilled sausages of pork, beef, or lamb, served with flatbread, onions, and condiments. Street food and family food at once.
Make it at home with our ćevapi recipe.
Sarma
Cabbage rolls filled with minced meat and rice, cooked in broth. A winter and holiday staple in Serbia.
Make it at home with our sarma recipe.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦
Bosnian Burek
A flaky phyllo pie traditionally filled with ground beef or lamb, usually eaten with yogurt.
Make it at home with our burek recipe.
Bosnian Ćevapi
Like the Serbian version but its own thing: beef, served in somun bread with raw onions and kajmak, a creamy dairy spread.
Make it at home with our ćevapi recipe.
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Fish and Chips
Battered, fried cod or haddock with thick-cut fries. Britain’s defining fast food.
Make it at home with our fish and chips recipe.
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
Slow-roasted beef with Yorkshire pudding, a baked batter of eggs, flour, and milk. The classic British Sunday.
Make it at home with our roast beef and Yorkshire pudding recipe.
Germany 🇩🇪
Schnitzel
Popular in Austria too, but the German version is usually pork, breaded and fried, served with lemon and potatoes or salad.
Make it at home with our wiener schnitzel recipe.
Sauerbraten
A pot roast, usually beef, marinated before slow cooking. Often counted among Germany’s national dishes.
Make it at home with our sauerbraten recipe.
Switzerland 🇨🇭
Fondue
Melted cheese in a communal pot, eaten by dipping bread on long forks. Swiss dining at its most social.
Make it at home with our cheese fondue recipe.
Rösti
A potato fritter that started as breakfast and became a national dish. Potatoes, kept simple.
Make it at home with our rösti recipe.
Austria 🇦🇹
Wiener Schnitzel
A thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet. Vienna’s best-known dish, and for many the national dish of Austria.
Make it at home with our wiener schnitzel recipe.
Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel)
Strudel filled with tart apples, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and breadcrumbs. The definitive Austrian dessert.
The full World’s Classics book has the complete recipes and the stories behind each dish. Until then, pick a country and start cooking.
Make it at home with our apfelstrudel recipe.