Lemmy users across the world, what is your favourite local dish ?
Thought I'd ask this because I want to discover more foods from across the world
(Also I shouldn't have to say this to americans, please state where you are from and state where you are from without acronyms or shortened names because I've seen US Defaultism on lemmy and not all of us are going to know your acronyms considering we're global users)
I'm Belgian so only one answer is allowed
Belgian fries with mayonnaise and Flemish stew
Weirdly the replies to your comment won't load on the lemmy instance I'm on, don't know about other instances
They do seem to load on your instance so I'm thinking it's some sort of federation issue
Anyways here's a screenshot for anyone else who can't see the replies
I pick vol au vent. 😁
Allez, een Américain Frites alsteblief !
Very admirable, it's a good choice
If you take it with fries, of course 😁
This interaction is basically me at a restaurant
As neighbor Dutchy, I can agree! Delicious.
Looks a lot like the moldovian Vertuta. I bet they taste similar.
My wife spent 18 months in Bulgaria. When she talks about the food banitsa invariably comes up as something she desperately misses.
A few kg of meat, traditionally (in the rhine-area) from horse, nowadays more beef, marinated for 1+ month in a few litres of wine and vinegar, with some vegetables. Slowly cooked so it disintegrates on your fork.
The sauce you get from Sauerbraten is sooooo good, too - goes well with any veggies and/or pasta to eat alongside it.
Yep, we always save a lot of sauce for later in the year, as we (my family) only makes it one time a year, for christmas (on the 25th and 26th). With dumplings on the 25th and noodles on the 26th.
I'm from France, if I had to select one dish for you to try it would be duck confit with sarladaise potatoes (cooked in duck fat). In terms of calorie density it makes me think of Homer's "I only eat food in bar form" meme. But so worth it.
Northwest US: smoked salmon with a side of berries. Sockeye with little or no sugar added is the best IMO. The berries should be native varieties if you want to try for authenticity, though the invasive blackberries are really tasty, too.
Finland: only had it a couple of times 'cause it's expensive, and takes long and is tedious to make, but loimulohi (fire salmon). It's salmon nailed to a plank and then heated up by an open fire. Very tasty.
Pretty much any big enough fish can be made like that, but I've only had salmon.
I imagine there is something like this in a lot of languages, but it's always amused me that Bulgogi (Korean BBQ beef/pork) translates literally to "fire meat"
I'm happy to learn Finns have a similar word!
In Japan, we usually trade that for skewers and have them staked in the sand around a fire, rotating them every now and again
That sounds amazing
here in the PNW (Pacific North West) of North America, we have lots of different kinds of salmon but wood fired salmon on a cedar plank (like a roofing shingle) is food fit for the gods
the natives have done it for ions and it is something you have to try if you like that fire salmon
also natives make salmon candy, which is dried salmon belly, dude its the best jerky ever made
From China, boiled dumplings/water dumplings. Preferably stuffed with pork and garlic chives with a little bowl of black vinegar and sesame oil to dip in.
My favorite food of all time. If it was possible to have dumplings every meal and be healthy I 100% would.
I love Chinese food so much. I've visited twice, and always make room for food.
My favorite street food is probably sheng jian bao, the pan fried buns with soupy pork filling sealed in.
In terms of a single standalone dish, it's hard to say. I like noodle dishes, like Taipei style beef noodle soup. Or Wuhan style re gan mian.
And for the type of meal where there's a lot of dishes on the table to be shared, my favorite dish in that setting is probably Mapo tofu. I did a food tour of Chengdu once and just everything Sichuan is so good, but Mapo tofu is just all my favorite Sichuan things in a single dish.
Singapore here Nasi lemak is to die for Coconut rice with a side of fried fish/chicken,fried egg,deep fried anchovies and peanuts topped with sambal (a sweet chilli paste) Used to eat it for breakfast daily Bring on the heart disease !!
From Almeirim in Portugal, there's "sopa da pedra", translates to "soup of the rock". It has several kinds of meat, beans, potato, and it's usually eaten with bread (some say even a specific local bread type, but I'm not picky on that). It used to come with a stone in it traditionally, but for higiene reasons restaurants are not allowed to anymore. Some people at home still do it, I believe.
With it there is an old tale:
There was once a poor friar that was traveling. Once it came time to rest, he knocked on someone's door and asked for their hospitality in exchange for a soup. His hosts let him in and they see the friar pulling an old smooth stone from his pocket and putting it in a pot, along with water.
"Some seasoning would make this soup better... Do you happen to have any chouriço?" [best translation I've got is "meat", or maybe "sausage"] asks the friar. And so his hosts find him some chouriço that they throw in the pan.
"It's looking great! Now this soup would really improve if we could thicken it up a little. Do you happen to have some potatoes or beans leftover from yesterday?" And some potatoes and beans have indeed been leftover from yesterday. The friar adds it to the soup.
The friar asks for a few more spices, olive oil, and soon there is a delicious smell coming from the pot. What a nice soup!
They eat and once the soup is finished the friar fishes out the stone, washes it and puts it back in his pocket. Tomorrow he'll knock on someone else's door along the way ;)
chouriço reminds me of "chorizo"
Wonder if there's some related etymology there
Chorizo is the Spanish variant, our neighbors. Chorizo and chouriço are not quite the same, but similar. AFAIK they have different seasonings.
Thailand - gaeng tai pla, som tam, mango sticky rice. First 2 are really spicy, so probably not for everyone.
gaeng tai pla
Is it the same as "Kaeng tai pla"?
Yes, just different transliteration. A Croatian magazine actually ranked it as the worst food in the world, which we Thai took offense for hahaha. https://www.nationthailand.com/life/food/40036968
Add to that jungle curry, gaeng pa!!! Also very spicy.
Jungle curry is heaven on earth!
German here. I don't know if its reaally local, but mine would be a family dish called "Holzfällerpfanne", the "lumberjack skillet". It's made out of fried potatoes, slices of apple, Champignons, fried onion, fried cabanossi and cheese on top (a lot of it).
So you basically slice all ingredients, fry the raw (and peeled) potatoes for a few minutes, add in the champignons, wait a few more minutes, add the apples next, and after another few minutes add the onions and cabanossi. When everything is slightly browned, spread a good amount of cheese on top, cover the pan with a lid and wait until the cheese is fully melted. Tadaa!
Deciding when to add which ingredient so everything is perfect at the same time is kind of key here, so it may help to fry the onions und cabanossi in a seperate pan to not overdo them.
Google search has gotten really horrible lately - I can’t find an English recipe for this one, or even a clean enough web page to use translate. Lots of random unrelated results though
Germany (Rhineland Region) I would go with “Mettbrötchen” even though it’s so plain it’s so unique in its style
Yeah raw pork definitely is quite unique haha
I tried looking for this but google won't give me an English recipe for it
There is really not much more to it than I described. The amounts of the ingredients can vary and there isn't one "right" ratio to follow. Here are some additional tips that might help, though I haven't made a Holzfällerpfanne in a long time so no guarantee:
I hope this helps! :)
merjimek chorbasy - is a lentil soup, I think it's originally turkish. nohutli et - lamb stew with chickpeas. yantyq - pie with minced lamb fried in a pan without fat. I'm originally from Crimea, Ukraine.
Stamppot. I’m from the Netherlands and I really love stamppot.
It’s basically boiled veggies (usually a type of kale, but it can also be made with endive or carrots (but then it’s called hutspot) and potatoes mashed together. Add a smoked sausage and some gravy over it. delicious!
But it’s best when it’s winter and it’s really cold outside and when you make it, the windows steam up. Then it’s really gezellig
I'm german, but my families traditional recipe was influenced by my uncle from the netherlands. It is basically uienstamppot with bratwurst and applesauce as a variation on "Himmel un Ääd" and it's sooooo tasty. I can never eat normal mashed potatoes when uienstamppot is so much better!
Also dutch and I can't stand the texture of stamppot, and the flavour is pretty meh as well. I'd rather skip dinner than eat stamppot.
Now, zoute haring, that's a true Dutch delicacy!
from the Arabian peninsula; Shawarma, bukhari or mandi.
Bonus: Foul and tamis, but those are from afghanistan iirc? They're very popular here though
in Guatemala, the spicy rice tamales are probably my favorite thing here.
but today I'm getting the chipilin tamales, which have little leaves mixed into the dough and are also real good.
It tastes awesome!! Look up images of it if you want. Black beans + sausage + carne seca (dried meat) is an amazing combo and I love this dish @w@
FYI your link formatting needs work, the closing brace is not used.
It works on my end (web client)
Vegemite on toast is just good.
Foreigners always fuck up the ratios.
I'm not Australian, but I guess the ratio is at least 1:1
You start with "surely I need more than that" amounts of vegimite and "surely I dont need that much" amounts of butter and adjust inwards over time until you hit your preference.
It's like spicy. If you aren't from the country, take it easy.
For most foreigners, molecular-thin to start with.
The ratio is a thin layer + additional added to taste as per your preference
I bought a small (20 g) jar at an international store on a whim. I followed the advice I'd seen of lots of butter and just a tiny bit of Vegemite and I have to say it was pretty tasty. I then had the intrusive thought to really slather it on and... yeah, if that had been my first experience I'd be convinced it was the most vile substance known to man.
Vegemite is good. I like Promite better.
As an Australian, yes I agree that foreigners fuck up the ratios
It's delicious when done right
Norwegian, here. Lutefisk is incredible if done right, but it's easy to fuck up severely. So if someone were to try and cook something based on my recommendation, I'd suggest Fårikål or Pinnekjøtt instead, as they're both incredibly easy to make and quite tasty.
My ex's mum would make this at Christmas and it was horrifying.
Visited my norwegian family over the new year, and got to try pinnekjøtt. Very tasty, if a bit annoying to get the meat off of the bones.
In my opinion, that means it's not done yet. Since it's mostly a steaming process, you can leave it in as long as you want to. I usually put it on in the morning, and just add a little water in the kettle throughout the day to make sure it does not dry out. Then 20 minutes in the oven before serving.
That way it usually falls off the bone easily.
"Braaibroodjie" - South Africa
It's a Toastie made on a wood fire, usually containing tomato, onion, cheese and buttered on all sides
Nam ngiao is a cotton flower and noodle soup from north Thailand and it's the best thai dish you've never heard of!
It uses dried cotton flower, beef or pork broth, a bit of tomatoes and of course a combination of thai spices.
It's an incredible mix of the golden triangle cultures (Thailand, Burma, Laos, Yunan China) and whenever I go there I do a little Nam ngiao tour as it's a bit lole with Japanese ramen - every shop as their own recipe and flavor.
From approximately the french Alps: Ravioles du Dauphiné or Tartiflette
I've lived all over the U.S., so here are some of my favorites:
Texas:
Louisiana:
The American South in general:
Southern California:
New York:
Chicago:
I’d go Chicago tavern style pizza over deep dish. Great list though
Pecan pie. Easily my favorite American dessert.
I love a well done pecan pie but I find myself avoiding it because you never know when some Karo jelly with a few pecans thrown on top horror is going to be what is served you.
With potatoes and mettwurst! Yum!!! Now I need to make Grünkohl before it's too warm outside to eat kale.
Do you mean local like within my own city or regionally/by country?
Countrywide: Hotdogs are the first thing I think of when I think "American food."
Statewide (California): The sour dough bread bowls at the San Francisco wharf are amazing as fuck.
In my city: The best thing here are taco trucks. There's even a whole dedicated parking area for a bunch of them to gather downtown called "Grub Hubs."
I almost mentioned the sourdough bread bowls because SF is known for their sourdough and those are tasty.
It’s really tourist food though. The local soup is Cioppino but I never see it served in a bread bowl.
There's not a lot of things I'm envious about when it comes to the US
But good and cheap tacos are one of them
Dish born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands: the "Kapsalon"
Hmmm. I will extend it to anything Norwegian. "Pinnekjøtt" usually a Christmas dish.
Cured (salted and/or smoked) sheep ribs. (Often lamb)
The ribs are then separated to individual ribs.
You water it for 16 hours, changing the water once. Or they will be too salty. Then you steam them until the meat releases from the bones (3ish hours)
Serves with mashed swedes, sausage, and potatoes, using the water as a sort of gravy (it's full of fat)
Interesting. I've had fårikål but that sounds more interesting to me. Probably on account of the use of cured meat, particularly smoked, likely giving a more complex flavor to the lamb.
Tbh I think Fårikål is a bit bland. At least if you don't give it a day. Don't know why it is, but the dish is often better the next day. And I think some people use to lean cuts. Fårikål needs fat as it is often slow cooked for several hours. That just makes for chewy blandness if you use lambchops or other "better" cuts. Personally I make it "French" by making a red wine version.
mashed Swedes
Tell me, Dr Hannibal Lecter: what is a 'mashed Swede'?
Heh, I see my autocorrect gave it a calital S. But since you askes, I believe the american word is rutabaga. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga?
Also jokingly called the "Nordic orange" because of its high content of vitamin C.
I forgot to mention that we so add a carrot and milk to make it more orange puree
As an Australian, I'm going to say Pavlova because it's the only thing that comes to mind when I think of favourite foods
I call bullshit on new zealand's claim with their so called unnamed chef that probably didn't even exist
I haven't had pav in such a long time. I reckon it's time I learned to make it.
Does chicken salt count as Aussie cuisine? Because who would ever go with regular salt if you're given the choice?
Edit: I just thought of another one, more a Tasmanian specialty since moving here: scallop pie. It tastes luxurious and basic at the same time, subtle and flavoursome, a bit of everything in one convenient package.
UK, we are the butt of many a joke and several post here talking about our traditional fast food. I will submit that a well cooked roast dinner is the equal of any other national dish, for me its either pork shoulder, skow cooked, or chicken, with parsnips, leeks in cheese, carrots, peas and maybe bread sauce, along with those roast potatoes, crunchy in the outside, soft and milky on the inside, just the right amount of salty crunch with the star of the show, a rich gravy. Even without the meat this would still be an incredible tasty plate of food.
Adana Kebab
Minced meat mixed with peppers, onion, garlic and tail fat, then cooked in strips covering the skewer. Served with lavash bread and onion salad, and if you're grilling it you can grill tomatoes and peppers to go alongside with it.
With some fresh ayran on the side.
I'm Aussie but spent a few weeks in Turkey and I was in Heaven.
This sounds amazing
So I'm from North Carolina, for the uninitiated this is one out of fifty of the United States of America, which is a nation located on the continent of North America bordered by Canada to the North and Mexico to the South. If you were paying close enough attention you might have heard of us in the news recently. North Carolina is located on the Eastern coast, that's adjacent to the Atlantic ocean, you'll find it just across the Northern border of South Carolina, to the South of Virginia, and to the East of Tennessee. We also share a relatively short stretch of border with Georgia to the Southwest. You might find us after a few hours examining a globe.
North Carolina is almost as famous for our barbecue as we are for our barbecue. Two distinct styles of pork barbecue emerged in North Carolina, the Eastern style characterized by smoking a whole hog prepared with a dry rub and served with a spicy, thin, vinegar-based sauce, and the Western style characterized by smoking pork shoulders basted with and served at the table with a sweeter tomato based sauce.
In both cases, shoulder meat will be coarsely shredded simply by pulling it apart with forks or bare hands, done right it's more tender than cooked hamburger. Piled high on an inch roll slathered in barbecue sauce and topped with coleslaw and you've got a pulled pork sandwich, serve it with a side of hushpuppies.
Fun fact: A candidate for North Carolina governor once lost the race because he was heard saying he was getting sick of barbecue. Nope, you don't get to be chief executive Tarheel like that. That ain't gonna work.
Sounds amazing ! thanks for the geographical context, I knew about NC but had no idea where to place it
Louisiana, US - Crawfish Étouffée.
Mission style burritos are tasty.
I also like California style pizza so long as the toppings aren’t too weird.
Hell yeah!
The picture in the Wikipedia article for california style Pizza doesn't look very appealing
Too much veg on that one. Scroll down for an egg pizza from Chez Panisse.
Germany
Gaisburger Marsch
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaisburger_Marsch
Beef Rendang (Indonesia or Malaysia) - a v unique curry unless you've had indo food before
Char Keow Teow (Malaysia) - great Fried rice noodles
Philly area
Yes cheesesteak, hoagie, soft pretzels.
But I believe strongly that a roast pork Italiano sandwich loaded up with sharp provolone, roasted long hots, and broccoli rabe is the best Philly sandwich.
Go a little out into the suburbs around Norristown, and you'll also find the "Zep" a sort of pared-down hoagie, one kind of meat, cheese, oil and spices, tomatoes, and plenty of onions.
I'm not going to wade into the minefield of which sandwich shops are best except to say Pat's and Geno's are garbage, but maybe worth it for the experience if you're a tourist. Avoid anywhere that advertises as a "Philly Cheesesteak" look for cheesesteak, steak sandwiches, or even just steaks. For a Zep I don't think it's controversial to say Lou's ro Eve's are the places to go.
Tomato pie- close relative of pizza, thick sort of focaccia-like crust, square, thick tomato sauce, dusting of Parmesan cheese, served cold. Staple of many parties here.
Also in the suburbs - Franzones pizza, Bridgeport is the original location, but the original owner sold it to a relative and opened the one in Plymouth/Conshy location and another in Manayunk. You're going to either love or hate the pizza, thin crust, very sweet sauce in a spiral on top of the cheese. There's a few imitators out there but Franzones is the original.
This is the right time of year for them so "Irish Potato" candies. Sweet cream cheese and shredded coconut, rolled in cinnamon. Nothing Irish about them but they kind of look like potatoes.
Zitners Easter eggs- chocolate candies with various fillings.
Goldenbergs Peanut Chews- chewy molasses candy with peanuts covered in chocolate
Mallow Cups- like a Reese's cup but full of marshmallow and coconut instead of peanut butter
Scrapple - don't ask what's in it, just eat it.
Pork roll (kind of a jersey thing, but ubiquitous in Philly too) it's basically round spam
Pepperpot soup- this is old Philly food, like revolutionary war Philly, it's damn hard to find these days but every few years some local restaurant gets the idea to recreate it. It's a hearty, slightly spicy beef and trip soup. There's some Caribbean pepper pot soups that are kind of similar.
I forgot about Irish potatoes. Those things are kind nasty, if you really don't like coconut shavings like me. So why do I have positive memories of them?
Also, shout out for tomato pie.
I have a really complicated relationship with coconut, because I really like the flavor, but hate the texture. The flavor wins out for me but not by much.
And come to think of it, I think a lot of the commercially made ones use some sort of coconut creme filling instead of cream cheese so it's more shelf stable and doesn't require refrigeration. I like the cream cheese ones slightly more.
PORK ROLL!
I personally don't like the stuff, but I'm obligated to endorse it lmfao.
Birch beer is also a thing here. And applejack!
Ah fuck, can't believe I forgot birch beer.
Any time I manage to get someone with any influence at a local brewery's attention I try to put the idea for a hard birch beer into their mind. I don't think it's taken root anywhere yet, but hopefully someday.
Applejack to an extent, I don't think it has quite as much cultural significance to Philly, but maybe to NJ with Lairds.
While I'm on NJ, the Taylor ham/pork roll debate is weird to me, it says pork roll on the package.
And while we're talking drinks, I suppose honorable mention goes to Yuengling. Pottsville is a bit outside of the Philly area, but it's ubiquitous in and around the city, if you order a "lager" you get a Yuengling. Its a solid alternative to the Bud/Miller/Coors big brand beers, but really nothing too special. I avoid buying it myself anymore because Dick Yuengling is kind of a dick, and there's plenty of other great beers being made in and around the city, but I've probably drank more lagers in my life than any other single beer.
EDIT: On birch beer, if you ever find yourself up to Ulysses PA in, I think, Potter County, they have the Pennsylvania lumber museum, they have a birch still there, and at least the one time I was there they had a guy talking about it with a little vial of birch oil from the still you could smell. He had a lot of cool information about birch trees/oil, turns out birch trees contain a compound that's similar to aspirin. And the birch oil does smell very much like birch beer.
Germany: Kesselsknall. Imagine a potato cake with bacon and sausages, baked in a cast iron casserole.
I could imagine that all day.
edit: It's telling that someone downvoted me expressing interest in food. Don't ever change, reddit.
Ghormeh Sabzi - or The story of how my SO got me by my belly. Iranian stew mandatorily served with rice crowned with it's Tadigh crust.
I love my local dish: crab cakes. I hate my local seasoning: Old Bay. Never bought a can in my life.
Old Bay has the amazing ability to smell dusty and stale even when it's fresh from the tin.
Sarmale
A semi local but a "screamer" is pretty great, it's a slush or slerpy with soft serve icecream on top or mixed in and probably the best answer to the flavourless ice you get at the bottom of the cup
Rootbeer is of course a great slush flavour for this
The screamer sounds a lot like the "gelati" from Rita's from around Philly. Good stuff. But it's all fruity water ice (AKA Italian ice).
Chicken Rice - Singapore
🇨🇦 I feel like I’m supposed to say poutine but honestly…
Beef patty in coco bread! It definitely didn’t originate here but it’s a pretty common street food besides bratwursts.
Now for a truly local pick, Beavertails! It’s like a big flattened donut you can put anything on, ranging from simple cinnamon and lemon, candy, or something savoury like cheese.
Ontario, Canada. For me it's Shawarma poutine.
Classic poutine is already amazing, and there are all sorts of variations, but shawarma poutine just hits the spot like no other. It still has the fries, gravy, and cheese curds, and they add chicken swarma, hot sauce, and toum (garlic sauce).
Maximum comfort food, especially to watch a movie with in the winter.
Damn, that sounds sooo good
I am from the southeast US. I don't necessarily believe any of these dishes are unique to my area, but I really enjoy them.
Grits were my first thought. I can’t believe how many people don’t like them, but then I remember the glue they serve at diners like Waffle House. It just needs to be prepared right. I spent two years on the west coast and I couldn’t stand how hard they were to find! A southern friend I met there even had a care package sent from their mother that had grits in it; just a testament to how much of a comfort food they can be… when made correctly. South Carolinian here.
A number of places serve instant grits which are just horrendous. If that was one's first experience I could see how it is a turn off. Sometimes it is from places you don't expect. I remember ordering cheese grits as a side at one BBQ joint in North Carolina and they were instant grits with a pinch of shredded cheese dropped on top.
A buddy of mine loves sweet tea and was upset he couldn't get it up in Ohio anywhere. However he did like that they served warm unsweet tea so he could get the sugar to dissolve lmao.
The Seattle Dog.
Basically, a hot dog with cream cheese and sauteed onions.
Its not as common as it once was, afaik you can only get it from street vendors in a few spots, or maybe way overpay for one at a restaurant or two.
... It is from Seattle, Washington State, USA.
Mmmm. Don't forget the Sriracha.
You know, apparently this is heresy in Seattle, but I'm not a big fan of Sriracha.
Its... ok?
Too sugary for me.
Palt. Potato dumping filled with meat.
The Bobbie from Delaware, USA!
Delaware is a small state on the Delaware River on the east coast of the United States, just south of Philadelphia and across the bay from New Jersey. For the comic fans, Gotham is somewhere near Cape May, NJ and Metropolis is near Lewis, DE.
Another great treat from this area is scrapple. Don’t look it up before you eat it. It’s deliciously horrifying!
Too late, American pork offal mush. At least the name is enticing.
Indian with a sweet tooth here. My vote goes to Halwa. It is a broad category of sweet dishes that can be made using different ingredients and each one of them are delicious in their own ways. They range from quick ones made of whole wheat flour, samolina or gram flour to tedious carrot and dry fruit ones. A bowl of home made Halwa is the very definition of comfort food for me.
What about Basundi?
Asking a person with a sweet tooth to choose between sweet dishes is unfair. I sided with halwa because of its versatility and relative ease of cooking. Basundi is mostly condensed milk so it is more of a dessert while halwa with its carbs can make it a complete meal. But why compare? Let me cook halwa, you cook basundi... let's share and double the fun.
UK here and the best thing I can think of is a full English in a bun, there's a butty van near me where they taste amazing. it's basically a heart attack in a bun with how much oil is on there but it's so good.
Or, just a simple sandwich, good quality thick bacon on fresh white sliced bread, a little ketchup, buttered, its really hard to beat as a treat. British bacon is unlike bacon elsewhere
Daeji Gukbab(돼지국밥)! You get it all over Korea but it's especially famous in Busan where I live. It's pork bone broth with meat served with a few toppings and a bowl of rice on the side. I always order the one with meat, intestines, and blood sausage. It's very rich and savory and comforting. It's also very cheap and often open 24hrs
I'm from Cleveland Ohio. Our local dishes are heavily influenced by Eastern Europe, plus Italy and Ireland. Pierogi are universally enjoyed all around north east ohio, but Cleveland is the center. And fat tuesday just went by, which for Cleveland is pączki day. Something that is always found at the baseball game that is unique to Cleveland is the Polish Boy. It's kielbasa, either deep fried or grilled, on a bun with coleslaw and french fries on top. This town also loves corned beef, if you ever come here, Slyman's is an institution and is a must visit. And something that I did not realize was local until recently is a romanburger. Essentially put a burger patty in an Italian sub. The exact recipe has variations, generally has to have mortadella and salami in addition to the burger, and a vinegarette sprinkled on instead of the usual burger sauce. We aren't afraid of calories here.
Brazil: Feijoada, it is a traditional food that is pretty much "just" pork and beans, but its fucking rad lol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada
Looking at recipes and it seems like a pretty diverse dish. Do you have one you'd specifically recommend?
From central Mexico, my favorite is huaxmole (or guaxmole, "mole de huaje"): pork with a sauce made of guaje (Leucaena leucocephala) seeds, green chiles and, sometimes, husk tomatoes. Other recipes use goat meat, red chiles and can be more like a soup.
Canada doesn't really have a local cuisine, unfortunately. Too much mutual cultural exchange with the US and too little history. Of the like three dishes to choose from, I do love a good Nanaimo bar. (That's a layer of chocolate, on a layer of an icing-like custard concoction, on a thicker base of a coconut-chocolate crumbs)
I forgot about Nanaimo bars. Omg I need to make some immediately.
I went to a bar in Nanaimo once. It was the Tally-ho. It was really divey when I was there. But it was that or go back to Cedar and hang out, and there was NOTHING to do in Cedar.
The baked treat is wayyyy better. Har har.
But it's true -- we've acquired a lot of different foods from people as they moved here, without a real image of our own. At least we can create mishmash of cultures and pick and choose some winners.
I guess someone's gonna have to barbecue a gooeyduck street-side and call it iconic. I'm at a loss