FoodBlog’s Around the World Series: North America in 6 dishes 😋
We bet your travel bug is really kicking in right about now, with the Covid-19 pandemic hopefully dwindling away soon, travel plans could be in our near future… but till then FoodBlog’s Around the World Series will keep you hungry the way we know best… with food, food and a whole lot more food. Here’s Part 2 of the series… happy dreaming! 💯
Are you ready for a North American culinary adventure? ✈️
Canada 🇨🇦
Canada is probably home to the nicest people in the world, and their cuisine is nothing less! You’ve probably heard of poutine at one point in your life. Well, that’s the national dish of this wonderful country. It consists of fries, cheese curds, and yummy gravy. Sounds like the perfect hangover food! 🍟
Apart from that, Canadians make some of the best bagels - the Montreal-style bagel. They are sweeter and thinner than the usual ones, and they are baked in a wood-fired oven, which gives them a unique smokey kick. Another Canadian sweet treat is the butter tart - a flaky pastry filled with butter, egg, and sugar. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that? 🥯
Mexico 🇲🇽
This beautiful country has some of the most amazing dishes. Their cuisine incorporates a lot of corn (maize), beans, tomatoes, avocados, chilli, and so much more! When we think of Mexican cuisine we immediately think of burritos, quesadillas, tacos, and all the usual stuff. While those are all some of the best meals you’ll ever taste, Mexico offers so much more! 🌮
The nation’s favourite dish is actually a sauce or marinade - mole - which is made of a blend of dried chiles, fruit, nuts, spices, and seasonings. Mexicans also love their chiles en nogada, partly because they taste super, and partly because the dish represents the flag of Mexico. The green is represented by poblanos filled with chopped meat, fruits and spices (a mixture called picadillo), the white is represented by a creamy sauce, and the red is represented by beautiful pomegranate seeds. ❤️
Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Puerto Rican culture is greatly influenced by Spanish traditions, and so are the dishes. However, over the years, Puerto Rico has incorporated some amazing creations that are unique to the country. Like the arroz con gandules y lechon - which is yellow rice with pigeon peas and roasted pork on the side. 🐷
Lechon asado and mofongo are another two favourite dishes of Puerto Rico. The former is basically a suckling pig slow-roasted on wood charcoal which is so loved, that there is a road named after it: Ruta del Lechon. Mofongo, on the other hand, is mashed, fried plantains stuffed with whatever you like, such as steak, shrimp, pork, vegetables, creating a delicious, harmonious dish. 🍤
Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Tropical fruits and veggies, rice, and black beans are all important components of Costa Rican cuisine. Their national dish is gallo pinto, which literally translates to painted rooster. It does not actually have rooster as one of its ingredients, but it is a mixture of stir-fried rice and beans that creates a spotted appearance. 🐓
This country is also home to the hearty olla de carne, a Costa Rican beef stew, and casado, which is a platter served for lunch. Casado usually includes rice, beans, plantains, a salad made of greens or pasta, and sometimes meat. Sounds amazing, right? 🤤
Cuba 🇨🇺
Beautiful beaches, wonderful scenery, colourful cities - all of these are clearly visible when you visit Cuba. Their culture is rich in history and their cuisine is rich in flavour! Cuba’s favourite dish is ropa vieja - a stew of pulled beef or pork and vegetables. This dish can also be found in Puerto Rico and Spain, but it is the national dish of Cuba. 🍲
Another one of Cuba’s favourite meals is the medianoche, which is a ‘midnight sandwich’ with roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, sweet pickles and mustard. Doesn’t that sound like something you would be craving late at night? 🥪
Jamaica 🇯🇲
Another gorgeous and colourful country! These guys adore their ackee and saltfish. This dish is made from their local fruit ackee and dried salted cod, served with Jamaican fried dumplings or bread. 🐟
Another popular delicacy is breadfruit, which, although is actually a fruit, is used as a starch base since it has a potato-like consistency. Callaloo is another loved dish amongst Jamaicans. It is a dark green leaf plant that is usually served as breakfast alongside boiled green bananas, but can also be served as a side dish. 🍌
If you’re still hungry for more check out Part 1 of the FoodBlog Around the World Series where we take a look at all the USA has to offer. 🇺🇸
Don’t you just love how every single country has a unique cuisine? Food, even when it is inspired by other cultures, is what gives a country its identity. Have you tasted any of these traditional dishes? Let us know! 💬
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