5 traditional South Korean dishes you have to try

Around 70% of South Korea is covered in mountainous terrain. Few areas are suitable for large-scale farming, with the north and west mostly smothered in high peaks. The lowlands and river valleys of the south-east naturally became the heart of rice production, while the centre and east were developed for field crops and the cultivation of wild vegetables. This has all had a huge effect on Korean cooking.

Before the development of modern infrastructure, transportation and communication were difficult between regions. As a result, each area of Korea developed its own unique cuisine, based on the local food supply. Even today, despite the ease of modern transportation, the unique food cultures and traditional dishes of each region remain.

Read next: 12 culture-filled stays in South Korea

Broadly speaking: in areas where temperatures run high (the south), food spoils more easily, so is more heavily salted or strongly seasoned; in the mountainous north, where the temperature is low, it tends to be milder; and all along the coast, you’ll find many different varieties of seafood dishes.

For example, the southern cuisine of Jeolla-do is noted for its strong seasoning and the use of fermented foods. Look out there for dishes such as the original Jeonju bibimbap (mixed rice), served in traditional brass bowls.

Alternatively, northern Seoul is where dishes and ingredients from across Korea collide. The food culture of the royal court developed in the capital, and although locals now prefer a large number of smaller dishes over banquets, these are still characterised by the milder flavours of the north.

1. Bibimbap

Bibimbap (Jinju Kang)

Bibimbap is Korea’s most iconic rice dish. The traditional Jeonju style is beloved for its formal take on the classic dish, with rice made using ox-bone broth and finished with soybean sprouts topped with namul (seasoned vegetables), mung bean jelly, yukhwe (for example, a beef tartate), a raw egg yolk and stir-fried gochujang (red chilli paste). But styles vary around the country: in Andong, they swap out the gochujang for soy sauce, and in coastal Tongyeong it’s made with seasonal sea vegetables and seaweed, then washed down with a soup of tofu and clams.

Where: To try the Jeonju-style version of bibimbap, head to specialists Sungmidang (3 Jungang-dong) or Hanguk-Jip (119 Eojin-gil) in its home city.

2. Bulgogi

Bulgogi (Jinju Kang)

Bulgogi refers to dishes of thinly sliced meat (often beef) marinated in various seasonings and grilled over an open fire. There are three famous methods: the Seoul style pours beef broth onto the grilled meat for a simmered effect; Gwangyang-style minimises seasoning, marinating the meat prior to grilling; and the Eonyang style grills the sliced marinated beef in chunkier clumps over charcoal.

Where: Seoul’s Woo Lae Oak (62-29 Changgyeonggung-ro) is known for its bulgogi, which is grilled tableside. Also try Hanilkwan, which originated in Seoul and has branches in the capital and Incheon.

 

Read next: Plot your perfect route around South Korea

3. Mandu (dumplings)

Mandu (Jinju Kang)

What sets Korean dumplings apart is that traditional versions almost always use ground tofu and kimchi as a filling; the modern take also now includes glass noodles. However, there are many varieties found around the country, including the beyongsi mandu, the royal court’s traditional half-moon shape, made without any folds; kyu-a-sang mandu, which are formed like sea cucumbers; and the pyeonsu mandu, a square summer dumpling.

Where: Seoul’s Jaha Son Mandu (12 Baekseokdong-gil) uses recipes passed down through the owner’s family.

4. Korean fried chicken

Korean fried chicken (Jinju Kang)

In Korea, when referring to ‘chicken’, one thinks of Korean fried chicken. This deep-fried (twigim) dish is now ubiquitous across the country, and while many styles exist, it is known for its crispy texture and sauces made from gochujang and soy sauce.

Where: You’re never far from a branch of bb.q Chicken in Korea; the brand even opened its own ‘chicken university’ in 2000.

 

Read next: 5 must-try royal dishes in South Korea

5. Jjigae (stew)

Jjigae (Jinju Kang)

These brothy stews are characterised by strong seasonings, typically falling under the category of doenjang (seasoned with fermented soybean paste), gochujang (seasoned with red chilli paste) or clear jjigae. Traditionally, the proper way to serve this stew was in individual servings as a banchan (side dish); these days, jjigae is usually a communal dish that is to be shared.

Where: In Seoul, head to Eunjujeong (32 Changgyeonggung-ro 8-gil) for the kimchi version, or Doma (33 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil) for doenjang jjigae.

 

This extract was taken from The Korean Cookbook (Phaidon; £39.95) by acclaimed Atomix chef Junghyun ‘JP’ Park and culinary researcher, chef and writer Jungyoon Choi. It celebrates traditional regional dishes and everyday food found in home kitchens from Seoul to Jeju Island. It collects together 350 recipes, including pantry staples, stews and hotpots. Out now.

5 Chinese breakfast dishes to try in Shanghai

After twenty years visiting and five years living in Shanghai, the hometown of my paternal grandfather, I can see why the locals are so fiercely proud of their city. When my 爷爷 (yeye) left, it was a city battered and bruised by invasions and revolutions, yet today it stands as a pearl on the sea, a polished and prosperous city with a global outlook.

For the first-time visitor, there are many advantages to eating and drinking in Shanghai. With over 100,000 registered restaurants and bars (approximately five times that of London) to cater to the 26 million residents, you are quite literally spoilt for choice. It’s almost impossible to walk down a street without stopping to smell something delicious.

However, the city’s sheer size, the breakneck speed of its redevelopment and the often hilariously mistranslated menus can test even the most seasoned traveller. Chinese cuisine is unparalleled in scope, expression and depth of flavour and skill – and breakfast feels like a good time to start exploring.

My advice is to wake up in the small hours as the sun is just about to rise and you will see an entire world at work. For me, breakfast time in China is an electric experience, with skinny alleyways and open doors with steamers, dumplings and spinning pancakes that have vanished by 10am. Skip the hotel breakfast, set your alarm early, and explore the greatest meal of the day, through one of the greatest cuisines there is.

Five china breakfast dishes you should try (and where in Shanghai to try them)

1. Xiao Long Bao 小笼包

Superstar xiaolongbao dumpling is Shanghai’s traditional cuisine (Michael Zee)

Across the city, ayis (this literally means ‘aunties’, but is a friendly term for most women in the service industry) tirelessly roll, fill and pleat millions of the global superstar of dumplings, the xiaolongbao. Just be careful not to scald yourself eating them!

Where: Fuchun at 652 Jiang Guo Xi Road

2. Sheng Jian Bao 生煎包

Sheng jian bao soup dumpling is a local flavour of Shanghai (Michael Zee)

The workhorse of soup dumplings, they are fatter, thicker (usually a semi-leavened dough) and fried on the bottom compared to their xiaolongbao cousins. They require less technical hand skill to make too and are easy to replicate at home. From my beloved Dong Tai Xiang, a Shanghainese chain of 24-hour restaurants specialising in them, they are the perfect hangover breakfast.

Where: Dong Tai Xiang at 309 Shaanxi Nan Road

3. Ma Jiang Mian 麻酱面

Sesame paste noodles are made by combining a blend of sauces such as sesame paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil (Michael Zee)

Sesame paste is a cornerstone of Chinese cooking – it’s a richer, smoother version of tahini, but the seeds are toasted first before grinding. Over the years, I have taken hundreds of guests to Wei Xiang Zhai for the sesame paste noodles. Customers are given a numbered clothes peg and take a seat, before rigorously stirring the bowl and then devouring the contents.

Where: 14 Yandang Road

4. Xian Doujiang 咸豆浆

A bowl of xian doujiang savoury soy milk is a best match with youtiao (Michael Zee)

In Shanghai, the spectrum of soy milk falls to the savoury end. In the bottom of a bowl, some vinegar, soya sauce, ginger, herbs and dried shrimp are added and a boiling hot, freshly made soup milk is poured over. After a minute or so, the milk starts to separate and a custardy texture emerges. Don’t forget to order a fresh youtiao for dunking.

Where: 110 Dongjiangjin Street

5. Jianbing 煎饼

An ayi making jianbing pancakes (Michael Zee)

My personal favourite breakfast is sadly not from Shanghai, but the northern coastal city of Tianjin. Every order is done à la minute, to your personal preferences. A pancake batter is scraped across a hot plate before being decorated like a canvas with sweet, sour, spicy, crunchy and herbaceous ingredients and in the blink of an eye, folded into a portable breakfast that is eaten as fast as it was made.

Where: 280 Xiangyang Nan Road

About the author

Michael Zee is creator of the online sensation SymmeteryBreakfast and author of Zao Fan: Breakfast of China. British-Chinese, Michael grew up helping out in his parents’ Chinese restaurants and lived in Shanghai for five years.

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The best places to try tapas in Spain

Spain is famous for its food – from paella and gazpacho to Spanish tortilla and chocolate-dipped churros – but there’s one dish that offers a taste of the country’s culture as well.

Tapas might be small in size but they’re big on flavour, packing Spain’s rich culinary heritage and abundant local produce into tiny, bite-sized morsels that can be completely different depending on which region you’re in.

The foodie tradition comes from the Spanish word ‘tapar’, meaning ‘to cover’, from the days when innkeepers served up glasses of sherry topped with a small piece of bread and meat or cheese, supposedly to stop flies and dust from getting into their patrons’ drinks.

An alternative version says medieval King Alfonso X became partial to the small plates while recovering from illness and decreed that they should be served across the kingdom to moderate the effects of alcohol.

Whatever you might believe about their origins, tapas are now firmly established as part of the country’s culinary repertoire – so you can join locals in hopping from one tapas bar to another enjoying an early-evening bite or two with each glass of vino. But which Spanish cities have the best tapas, which dishes should you look out for in each region, and do they come free when you order a drink?

Five places to try authentic Tapas in Spain

1. Bilbao

Ribera Market, Bilbao (Katie McGonogle)

You won’t find tapas bars in Bilbao – instead, you’ll find them serving pintxos (pronounced ‘pinchos’), which comes from the word for ‘spike’, aka the toothpick that holds these ingredients together before they are placed on top of a piece of bread. Most famous is the ‘gilda’, made up of a spicy green pepper, anchovy and an olive, said to have been invented at the Casa Vallés bar in San Sebastian – another Basque city that’s known for its tapas – and named after the character played by Rita Hayworth in the 1946 film. Admire the Art Deco architecture and stained glass of the waterfront Ribera Market, before tucking into a tour of its food stalls and booths, where you’ll see piles of glistening gildas alongside croquetas de bacalao (cod croquettes) and deep-fried idiazabal (sheep’s) cheese unique to the region – best enjoyed with a glass of the local white wine, txakoli.

2. Granada

Taberna Del Puerta Carmen restaurant, Granada (Shutterstock)

Set at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains in a region known for its abundant produce, yet only an hour from the Mediterranean coast, this Andalusian city brings the best of both land and sea to its renowned foodie scene. Not only do most places still uphold the tradition of a free tapa with each drink – sadly not a given across many other Spanish cities these days – but you can also pick up on the region’s Arab influences in its cuisine. It was the last region to be ruled over the Moors until the late 15th century, resulting in dishes rich with spices such as cumin, coriander and nutmeg. You’ll find plenty of fried sardines and anchovies, fresh Andalusian gazpacho, grilled sausage and local specialities like ham and beans, San Antón stew and – not for the faint-hearted – the Sacromonte tortilla (omelette) which includes calf and pig’s brains and testicles, so only order if you dare. Follow local residents on the many tapas routes around the city, with plenty of options around Plaza Nueva and Plaza Campillo or along the bar-filled streets of Calle Navas or Calle San Mateo.

3. Valladolid

University and cathedral in Valladolid, Spain (Shutterstock)

Less than an hour from Madrid by high-speed train sits the 17th-century Spanish capital of Valladolid, a hotbed of historic palaces, sweeping plazas and galleries, including the National Museum of Sculpture and the home of Don Quixote writer Cervantes. Each November, it’s also home to an annual tapas competition bringing together chefs from around the world to compete for both national and international titles, and prompting every bar with a tempting tapas menu to up its game. The region is known for its hearty meat dishes, so you’ll find top-quality Iberico ham and morucha beef from Salamanca in charcuteries like Jamonería Sarmiento, which converts into a tapas bar after dark; in the bars around Plaza San Martín and Plaza Martí y Monsó; or from the local producers in Mercado del Val, a late 19th-century iron-built market near the grand church of San Benito el Real. Or come for the festival, when creative culinary talents stretch the definition of tapas as far as it can go with fusion ingredients from all over the world.

4. Las Palmas

Vegueta old town, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (Shutterstock)

The Gran Canarian capital’s old town of Vegueta is a twisting maze of cobbled streets overlooked by brightly coloured buildings and wrought-iron balconies, centred around the grand Catedral de Santa Ana and home of Christopher Columbus, Casa de Colón. On a Thursday evening, people spill out from the bars along Calle Mendizábal and the old town’s array of pedestrian plazas on a pincho crawl, where a drink and a single serving should set you back less than €3. Alternatively, dine under the arches of the city market Mercado del Puerto, a Modernist structure designed by French engineer Gustave Eiffel, where you can pick up tempting bites from different stalls – each with its own speciality, from sheep’s cheeses to local cured meats – then perch at its tall tables to wolf them down. Expect mainland Spain classics alongside the Canary Islands’ signature papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes) with red and green mojo sauces.

5. Logroño

Calle Laurel, Logroño, Spain (Shutterstock)

La Rioja region might be best known for its eponymous wines, but its tapas game is top-notch too, not least in capital Logroño. In the heart of its medieval old town, Calle Laurel and its surrounding streets bring together dozens of bars and restaurants dishing out delicious pinchos each night, so you could spend an entire evening hopping from one spot to the next and still have to come back several times to try them all. Each place has its signature dish featuring local specialities like white asparagus, sun-ripened peppers, garlic-infused mushrooms and regional favourite patatas a la riojana which mixes in paprika-spiced chorizo. You’ll find the spicy sausage in every form, but the simplest and best is chistorra, or grilled chorizo with paprika and garlic.

Five Omani dishes you have to try

The sea covers 70% of the globe, connecting and influencing most nations, but there is something special about Oman’s relationship to it. Maybe it’s the confluence of the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean nearby, or the presence of the world’s largest ‘sand sea’ – an area known as the Empty Quarter. It is for these reasons that Oman is often called an island, surrounded as it is by oceans of water and sand.

This geography, coupled with the country’s history as a trading hub, has long influenced its cooking. Merchants from ancient Iran, Afghanistan and the Levant all travelled to and settled here, as did Mesopotamians, Sumerians and Persians. By the 16th century, the Portuguese had arrived from their colonies in India and settled in the north, taking over parts of the coast and what is now the capital, Muscat. These many influences can be tasted in the fish curries that are an ever-present in Muscat homes, the street food enjoyed on the Mutrah Corniche, the richly spiced, ghee-laden dishes of Oman’s interior, and in the deliciously varied seafood found in towns along the rambling coastline.

In researching my book, Bahari, I came to learn of all the different worlds in which the inhabitants of each Omani region live, from the Bedouin in the desert to the lively communities of the coastal cities. They each have their own foods and traditions, and generally seem uninterested in what is not theirs. But as I began writing, I slowly realised Omani cuisine is so rich and beautiful precisely because of this mix of so many places with fascinating histories.

1. Bahraini tikka

Bahraini tikka (Patricia Niven)

Bahraini tikka is well loved among our community in Muscat, but there is only one place in the capital that does a good one: Antalya in Al Hail. It mainly serves shawarmas, but nestled in the back is a man who makes excellent tikka: succulent, chargrilled skewers with a tender tang. Cooking on hot coals helps to bring a pleasing smokiness to the citrus taste, but this meat is best eaten with bread, as the dried lime can be sharp if taken on its own.

2. Mutahfy

Mutahfy (Patricia Niven)

Mutahfy fish curry is typically eaten by people from Muscat – usually Shia Muslims who grew up by the Mutrah Corniche. Though it is traditionally made with tuna, the sauce base is so full of flavour that it can be made without fish as a vegan alternative – I sometimes serve it as a dip. Try this and a variety of different Omani dishes (machboos, qabooli) at Rozna on Al Maardih Street in Muscat. You can’t miss it – it has been designed to look like a fort!

3. Machboos

Machboos (Patricia Niven)

Across most of the Gulf and in a few other Arab countries, this dish is known as machboos (meaning ‘to compress’) because the ingredients are cooked in one pot and the meat is packed tightly beneath the rice. The traditional method takes much longer, as you would fry each element separately. While it is often made with chicken, you can substitute this for vegetables or lamb. Head to Al Angham at Muscat’s Royal Opera House for a high-end version; a more cosy neighbourhood alternative is Machboos Kuwaiti in the capital’s Al Khuwair South area.

4. Qashod

Qashod (Patricia Niven)

The concept of this dish, which is usually made with tuna, is confusing at first, as it uses similar methods to a curry but has a very different consistency – it’s thick and has little excess liquid, so it’s rather like a pâté. A good friend taught me how to make it one winter in Salalah and explained that its thick texture was intended to make it easier to transport on long journeys. You’ll struggle to find it in restaurants, but this is commonly made in homes in Old Muscat, and tour guides with connections can usually hook you up with a homemade meal. Oman is small and this is the type of hospitality we do!

5. Khaliat nahal

Khaliat nahal (Patricia Niven)

Qaranqasho is an Omani celebration that takes place on the 14th day of Ramadan, mainly across the north coast. Children dress up in traditional clothing and mothers prepare nibbles and sweet baskets, then open up their doors to all. This is also the only time of year that you’ll see khaliat nahal, a sweet bread known for its honeycomb shape. It is found in both Oman and Yemen and is always filled with cheese, though the syrups drizzled over it differ from family to family. You’ll see it in a lot of bakeries, and it is also often found at the sweet shop Shahad Al Jazeera, which has branches in Al Amarat, Al Ansab,

 

This extract was taken from Dina Macki’s Bahari: Recipes from an Omani Kitchen and Beyond (Dorling Kindersley; £26), which sees the author travel Oman and Zanzibar unearthing regional delicacies and recreating the food of her heritage across some 100 recipes for meat, fish, vegetables, homemade breads and dips.

Five Māori Hāngi dishes you must try in New Zealand

When Kupe the explorer first discovered and named Aotearoa (New Zealand), he brought with him the ancient cooking techniques of Polynesia. Most revered of all was the method of cooking large feasts in the ground, known to Māori as hāngi. This process requires patience as rocks in an earthen pit are brought to an extreme temperature from burning wood over many hours. The type of wood used is important in the hāngi process, as it changes the flavour profile of the kai (food). Fish, vegetables and meat are then placed into the pit, protected by wet leaves or sacking, and then covered with earth. The result is wonderfully succulent food with a distinctive smoky flavour that is impossible to replicate.

Being an island nation, many of our chefs today spend their early careers travelling extensively and bringing different culinary inspirations back with them. The result is that a very wide variety of cuisines have become available given the small size of the population. Alongside this, our traditional foods have started to gain more attention.

A resurgence of interest in Māori styles of cooking and indigenous ingredients has not only seen more kai Māori (Māori food) on menus generally, but we are now seeing fantastic interpretations at some of our top restaurants, where our most accomplished chefs are now marrying Indigenous food traditions with their own creative flair. This is all great news for the seasoned traveller looking for a unique culinary experience in New Zealand.

Five Hāngi dishes you should try (and where to try them)

1

Pork Belly

Pork Belly (Peter Gordon)

The slow-steam method of cooking in the ground lends itself well to succulent meats, and pork belly is an absolute winner. Peter Gordon is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated chefs and his Auckland waterfront restaurant Homeland is an easy recommendation for the hungry traveller. Peter takes hāngi pork belly, adds an apple puree on top that has been made with roasted whole apples (till almost black) and makrut lime leaves. This is crowned with a salad of shredded apple, celeriac, sprouts, herbs, lime juice and zest, before being served wrapped in a banana leaf (a nod to Aotearoa’s neighbouring Pacific islands).

2

Steamed buns

(Shutterstock)

You’ll find plenty of Asian influenced cuisines across the islands, thanks to the many waves of migration from China, Korea, South East Asia and Japan. Steamed buns are a favourite in many yum cha restaurants. For something truly original, try the smoky flavour of a hāngi wrapped up inside. Old Country/Hāngi Master’s ‘Hāngi Steamed Buns’ are available at New World and Pak’nSave supermarkets.

3

Brisket and veg

If you’re lucky, you may find yourself trying a traditional hāngi at a Marae (meeting ground) as part of a special occasion, where you’ll likely taste brisket and veg. The finest have been cooked in the ground, and steam-oven imitations are best ignored – there’s no such thing as a shortcut to a proper hāngi. You’ll soon be able to buy a hāngi plate on South Island’s Queenstown waterfront from Hāngi Master.

4

Tītī

Tītī (or muttonbird) is a seabird that is found around the coast of Aotearoa. It is particularly prevalent on Rakiura (Stewart Island), off the southern coast of the South Island. When pickled, they can become very salty, and early European settlers gave them the nickname muttonbird, as they were a prized delicacy. It is not readily available around the country, so if you see it on a menu, give it a go. Try chef Tama Salive’s traditional ‘hāngi tītī and pork belly boil up’ at the Duke of Marlborough in Russell, North Island. It comes served with kumara (sweet potato), potato and watercress.

5

Lamb

New Zealand is known for its world-class lamb, and sheep can be seen grazing on the plains of the north or on the slopes of the South Island. While it is a staple meat for barbecues in summer, look out for chefs doing more interesting things you won’t find elsewhere. Chef Monique Fiso dished up a roast reme (lamb) dish at 2023’s Tohunga Tūmau dinner, served with cabbage, taro, fried kawakawa (New Zealand pepper tree), tītī sauce, roast mushroom and a demi-glace. You’ll find this and more at her world-renownedrestaurant Hiakai in Wellington, but be sure to book ahead.

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Five traditional Maltese dishes that the locals love

Over the centuries, many cultures have left something behind in the Maltese kitchen. Local families may have had their say in what goes and what stays, but these influences have steeped together to create unique flavours formed over many occupations. It presents us with the most intriguing ‘minestrone’ of Mediterranean cuisine.

While the island of Sicily has had perhaps the biggest say, with Malta having been an extension of the Sicilian Kingdom for over 400 years, it was the Phoenicians who introduced fishing skills and the Arabs who brought citrus. Later arrived the Knights of the Order of St John, who had grand tastes and added fare such as saffron and ice cream. The French then occupied the islands briefly at the end of the 18th century, but it was the English who left a clearer mark. Ingredients such as cheddar and corned beef crept into traditional recipes, clashing with their Mediterranean roots.

Defining an exact genetic make-up of Maltese food is no easy task, and fraught with anomalies. The origins of the peppered cheeselet (ġbejniet tal-bżar) is a great example of the many possible conundrums, as it resembles cheeses you might find in a food market in provincial France, but is also strikingly similar to shanklish from a store in Aleppo, Syria.

Across the islands, place names hint at ingredients. The isle of Comino, between the mainland and Gozo, is named after the wild cumin found there, whereas the Greeks and Romans once referred to Malta as ‘Melite’, thought to derive from the Greek word for honey – a product still loved here.

As you’d expect from the islands’ history, the Maltese are adaptable in nature. The recent tourism boom saw too many restaurants catering to the fish-and-chip crowd, but this is changing. Maltese food is growing in diversity, with chefs now owning their cuisine and insisting visitors savour its worth. It’s exciting to think of what is still to come.

Five Maltese dishes you should try

Pastizzi (Simon Bajada)

1. Pastizzi

Pastizzi are enjoyed by late-night revellers, fishermen in the wee hours and office clerks bridging the gap between meals. In short: everyone. The demand for these pastries is inexhaustible, hence the phrase ‘jinbiegħu bħall-pastizzi’ (‘selling like pastizzi’). Typical recipes include the classic ricotta cheese filling as well as the pea version that is thought to have crept in during Britain’s reign in Malta. The main objective is to make a roll of dough with as many buttered layers as possible. I should note that pastizzi are difficult to make, but you’ll find many buttery examples littering the side-street pastizzerijas of Valletta.

Lampuki pie (Simon Bajada)

2. Lampuki pie

This is no humble fish pie, but centuries of diversity on a plate. If we were to define Malta by a single recipe, it would be this one: British pastry encasing an Italian-style preparation of tomatoes, vegetables, olives, capers and Malta’s beloved lampuki fish (mahi mahi), which is caught between August and December, when huge schools head north in the Mediterranean. Maltese fishermen arrange rafts of palm leaves in their assigned zones in an attempt to attract these fish, who hide underneath them from the sun. The practice is never far from drama, as families have been known to enter territorial wars over lampuki fishing rights. When the fish is in season, local cooks often make multiple pies to freeze for later.

Bragioli (Simon Bajada)

3. Bragioli

Translated as ‘beef olives’, this dish of sliced meat encasing a stuffing does not actually contain any olives. Instead, the etymology comes from the old French word ‘alou’, meaning lark, because the shape of the meat rolls was thought to resemble birds without their heads. Each household has its own version, with some using boiled eggs in the stuffing while others braise the ‘olives’ in a tomato ragu – a version that is often seen in restaurants.

Tomato, caper and gbejniet salad (Simon Bajada)

4. Tomato, caper & ġbejniet salad

Ġbejniet cheeselets are made from sheep’s milk and are likened to ricotta – think crème caramel or silken tofu in its early stages of setting. They can also be dried and preserved (often cured in pepper) to give them a longer life, lending a texture similar to pecorino. I can’t kick the combo of creamy ġbejniet with tomatoes and capers – sweetness countered by a salty punch.

Gozitan pizza (Simon Bajada)

5. Ftira – Gozitan pizza

The age-old recipe for ‘Gozitan pizza’ uses a sourdough flatbread to envelop its fillings. Its roots can be traced back to the village of Nadur on Gozo, where two bakeries (Mekren and Maxokk) still make versions of the original today. These are baked in large wood-fired ovens integral to village life – some locals still use them to cook their Sunday feasts. Toppings include olives, capers and tomatoes, but the most traditional filling is ġbejniet cheese with thinly sliced potato.

Did you know?

As a port nation, the Maltese have always had a boldness when it comes to food. They were among the first Europeans to eat chocolate and drink coffee; it is also said that Malta, along with Spain and southern Italy, was one of the earliest adopters of the tomato – once widely considered to be poisonous. The fruit is rife in its cuisine today, and the Maltese have an unabashed love for kunserva, the islands’ own rich tomato paste.

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Flavours of South Africa: 5 dishes and where to try them

As the ‘cradle of humankind’, South Africa is considered the birthplace of cooking. The country’s long culinary heritage is duly seasoned with an incredible diversity of people, ingredients, flavours and preparation methods that have graced its shores for millions of years.

Cooking as we know it was born in south-eastern Africa at least 1.5 million years ago, when Homo ergaster realised fires weren’t only good for keeping warm. Since then, South Africa has experienced wave upon wave of migration, with each group of new arrivals bringing with them ingredients, flavours and techniques, all the way up to the current day.

On the surface – especially in the more touristy areas – South African cuisine can feel predictable and Westernised these days. It is entirely possible to dine only on imported favourites like pizza, pasta, burgers and sushi while touring the country. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find the influence of Khoekhoe pastoralists, Nguni herdsmen, Dutch and British colonisers, Malay slaves, Indian indentured labourers and Greek, Lebanese and Jewish immigrants, to name but a few.

Many of South Africa’s dishes combine the influences of several of these cultures in surprising ways. In Cape Town, immigrants from the Portuguese island of Madeira have made classic British fish and chips their own, whereas chakalaka, a spicy mixed-vegetable relish that brings many a township meal to life, clearly has its roots in Indian atchar.

South Africa’s well-developed restaurant scene has something for every palate and price point. While you should certainly try to get bookings at some of the big-name spots in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, you should also make a point of eating at the markets, cafés and greasy spoons that cater for everyone else. South Africa is a land of many flavours, and nowhere is this truer than in its food.

Five South African dishes to try and where to try them

Braaivleis (Alamy Stock Photo)

1. Braaivleis

The scent of braai (barbecue) smoke hangs thick in the air every Sunday in South Africa. Different language groups call barbecue by different names – braaivleis, shisanyama, etc – but they all loosely translate as ‘burnt meat’. Common cuts include boerewors sausage, lamb chops, steak and even chicken feet. Braais are traditionally family affairs but township shisanyama joints have become popular in recent years. Try PDL in Johannesburg (they’ll wash your car too, Mzoli’s in Cape Town, and Max’s Lifestyle in Durban.

Koeksisters (Alamy Stock Photo)

2. Koeksisters

These plaited golden ingots of dough are crisp on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside and slathered in way-too-sweet syrup. Despite being an Afrikaner icon, just one letter separates koeksisters from koesisters, their spongier, spicier, non-plaited Cape Malay cousins. The two names are so similar, says South African culinary historian Errieda Du Toit, “because they arose from the same kitchens”. Afrikaans koeksisters can be found in roadside farmstalls, while every corner café in Cape Town has a bowl of Malay koesisters behind the counter.

Bobotie (Alamy Stock Photo)

3. Bobotie

The first recipe for this spiced mince and raisin dish topped with a savoury egg custard was found in a Dutch cookbook in 1609. But the ex-slaves of the Cape Malay community made it their own by adding curry powder and serving it with sambal, chutney, sliced banana and yellow rice. These days it is a nationwide winter staple, but the best versions can be found in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap neighbourhood – the one at Biesmiellah Restaurant is really good.

Waterblommetjiebredie (Shutterstock)

4. Waterblommetjiebredie

Waterblommetjies (‘water flowers’ in Afrikaans) are the centrepiece of waterblommetjiebredie, a soup-like mutton stew that can only be made in winter (June to September), when cold fronts lash the Western Cape and blooms cover its seasonal vleie (marshes). Traditionally a bredie is cooked for hours until the vegetables break down into one “glorious indiscernible mush”, says du Toit. Zomerlust Gastehuis in the winemaking town of Paarl is known to make a mean one.

Amazi with umphokoqo (Alamy Stock Photo)

5. Amasi with umphokoqo

Amasi – fermented unpasteurised milk similar to kefir – was born centuries ago as a way of keeping milk edible for longer in a fridgeless society, and it’s still a staple for millions. Xhosa people typically enjoy amasi with umphokoqo, a polenta-like maize meal porridge. Nelson Mandela loved it so much that he even had a portion smuggled from home to London’s Dorchester Hotel on one visit. Amasi is sold by the litre in supermarkets, and if you ask nicely, your hotel should be able to conjure up a bowl of umphokoqo for breakfast.

Bunny chow (Shutterstock)

Did you know?

Durban is home to the largest community of ethnic Indians outside India, and it shows in the city’s food. Everything in Durban is a little spicier and the curries are, not surprisingly, excellent. But the most iconic Durban dish is bunny chow, a half-loaf of white bread that’s been hollowed out and stuffed with a hearty filling of your choosing – the spicier the better.

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5 German dishes and staples and where to try them

Not many visitors travel to Germany for the food, which is surprising when you put aside preconceptions and look deeper. Its restaurant scene alone is a juggernaut: Germany came fourth in a 2022 list of countries with the most Michelin stars (behind only France, Japan and Italy), and claimed nearly twice as many as the UK (down in seventh). Its reputation for calorific, meat-heavy cuisine and starches is deserved, but what it does, it does well, and at a good price.

If you don’t eat pork you may struggle for menu options, although venison – much of it imported from Scotland – is the fancy choice in many restaurants nowadays. However, vegetarian dishes are increasingly common, and the choice of international offerings (traditionally just Turkish or Greek) has diversified, so even an industrial city such as Düsseldorf has its own ‘Japan street’, with sushi and ramen joints accompanying Vietnamese and Thai eateries.

But what really makes Germany stand out is its bread (brot) culture, which was recognised by UNESCO in 2014. Meals, such as morgenbrot (breakfast) and abendbrot (dinner), were historically geared around this staple, and there is even a pair of dedicated bread museums to visit – one in Ulm, another in Ebergötzen. Today, Germany has over 3,000 varieties of bread; almost every village has its own bakery, and it’s traditional to buy fresh brötchen (rolls) in the morning. Often these bakeries are social hubs, too, offering cheap coffee and a basic dish of the day, making them a great way to taste a variety of local flavours.

5 staples in German cuisine and where to try them

Most Sauerbraten is made with roast beef (Alamy Stock Photo)

1. Sauerbraten

Many a town centre still has its rathaus – town hall – complete with ratskeller (basement bar) underneath. Here you will find traditional dishes served on heavy oak tables under vaulted ceilings. The dish sauerbraten often tops the menu, its centrepiece being a tender cut of roast meat – typically beef, but also pork, lamb or venison – which has been marinaded in vinegar. Ideal for cold winter days, it is usually served with a heavy dark gravy, dumplings and spiced red cabbage. Try it in the Munich Ratskeller.

Labskaus is often topped with a fried egg (Alamy Stock Photo)

2. Labskaus

This inexpensive favourite is popular in traditional seafaring communities along the coast. It has its origins in shipboard imperishables – mashed potatoes, corned beef, pickled beetroot – and is often topped with a fried egg and garnished with a gherkin and a rollmop herring. To honour its seafaring origins, it is best eaten in the likes of Hamburg’s Alt Helgoländer Fisherstube on the banks of the Elbe; this lies not far from the Fish Market, which comes to life on Sunday mornings.

Germany has thousands of wurst (Alamy Stock Photo)

3. Wurst

Germany’s 1,200 varieties of sausage (wurst) are surprisingly regional, even if Berlin’s currywurst – a bratwurst smothered in ketchup and chilli powder – is virtually a national dish. The best of the wurst depends on which side of the white sausage equator you belong: south of Frankfurt champions weisswurst, a white sausage usually made with veal. Also in the south, in Regensburg, you can find finger-sized bratwurst being grilled by the thousand at the 500-year-old sausage kitchen by the Stone Bridge. It’s basically an ancient shed, but what it serves is simple, tasty and best eaten with sauerkraut.

Spargel (asparagus) even has its own festivals in Germany (Alamy Stock Photo)

4. Spargel

Every spring, from mid-April until late June (‘when cherries are red, spargel is dead,’ goes the saying), Germans consume a staggering 70,000 tonnes of asparagus (spargel). It is white, not green, because it is harvested whilst it is still underground, and is often steamed, daubed with butter and served with new potatoes. The town of Schwetzingen, near Stuttgart, is host to one of several asparagus festivals and is also the gateway to the Baden Asparagus Road, a 136km route through growing country.

Käse is mostly produced by the milk of cows who reside below the Bavarian alps (Alamy Stock Photo)

5. Käse

The foothills of the Bavarian Alps are dotted with käserei, cheese-making dairies producing milk from cows that graze on herb-rich alpine meadows. Their products are local and distinctive: try garlic and chive-flavoured camemberts, hay milk and walnut bries, and hard cheeses matured with elderflower and encased in meadow blossom. Visit the Schönegger Käse-Alm, near Rottenbuch, a converted farm not far from the mountains that runs its own cheesemaking courses.

Did you know…


Germans have teatime too, but they call it kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake), a social ritual for friends and family usually taken at 3pm. Many a café will have a special deal, pairing the likes of mohn (poppyseed) cake, Black Forest gateau, cheesecake, butterkuchen and marmorkuchen (a chocolate and vanilla marble cake) with fresh coffee. If you’d prefer tea, ask for East Frisian; it is aromatic and usually served in delicate chinaware.

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It’s official: Peru has the best restaurant in the world in 2023

Peruvian cuisine has been gaining traction in the past two decades, but now, four restaurants in Lima have been awarded places on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, putting the country’s gastronomic experiences up onto a global pedestal in 2023. The capital was ranked more than any other city, and if that wasn’t enough, one of its eateries was crowned number one, making it the first South American nation to receive such honours. Here, we introduce you to the exquisite restaurants featured on the list, their chefs, and the food you might experience…

Central, Lima

Where on the list:No. 1

Central is a fine-dining restaurant in the Barranco neighbourhood, founded by Virgilio Martínez and his wife Pía Léon. According to World’s 50 Best, the restaurant transports diners through ‘15 different Peruvian ecosystems, categorised by altitude – from 15 metres under the Pacific Ocean to 4,200 metres up in the Andes’. It’s a real family affair, as Léon, Martínez and his sister Malena work together and often travel the country in the name of research, meeting producers and testing ingredients to inspire new dishes. Central first appeared in the World’s 50 Best list 10 years ago and has been rising steadily ever since.

More information:centralrestaurante.com.pe

Maido, Lima

Where on the list:No.6

One of the dishes at Maido in Lima (Jussi Puikkonen/Alamy Stock Photo)

Blending Japanese techniques with Peruvian produce, Maido is a unique culinary experience set up by Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumur. From Japanese origin, Tsumur was born in Lima, moving to Osaka to train in Japanese cuisine, before returning to his birth city and setting up Maido – meaning ‘Welcome’ in Japanese. Diners can choose from a 10-14 piece tasting menu, or an An à la carte menu, featuring seasonal products and catches of the day. Items you’ll likely spot on the menu include Nigiris a lo Pobre (angus beef, quail egg and ponzu), and Nikkei Sudado (fried fish, shrimp dumpling, sudado stew reduction and mussels).

More information:maido.pe

Kjolle, Lima

Where on the list:No.28

Kjolle focuses on the natural flavours of Peru’s ingredients (Shutterstock)

You may recognise the name behind this restaurant. Pía León – the head chef at Central – returns to the list with her solo enterprise, Kjolle. León and her team spend months researching and deriving a menu that celebrates Peru’s pantry and ensures the natural flavours come through and ingredients are not manipulated too much. Kjolle’s best-known dish is called Many Tubers, which World’s 50 Best described as “toasted yellow and red slices of olluco, an Andean potato-like root, held together by a creamy oca paste – a highland tuber – served on a tart made from cañihua dough, a cereal similar to quinoa”. In the past five years, León has also won first place in Latin America’s Best Female Chef (2018), followed by the World’s Best Female Chef (2021).

More information:kjolle.com

Mayta, Lima

Where on the list:No.47

For the second year in a row, Mayta has made the World’s 50 Best list. In 2018, after being open for a decade, Mayta moved into a new premise and completely redesigned itself – both its interior and its cuisine. Now, Chef Jaime Pesaque’s 12-part tasting menu is what pulls in the crowds, with its focus on authentic Peruvian ingredients – expect to taste goat, scallops and Andean herbs. Its strong stance on sustainability has also gained it attention. For example, many dishes feature Amazonian paiche, a meaty fish that tastes similar to seabass, but destroys many species. Catching and eating this invasive fish helps to preserve the Amazon’s diverse ecosystem.

More information: maytalima.com

For more information on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and to see the full list for 2023, head to their official website

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Six reasons to visit Bari, Italy

1. The old harbour and Lungomare

Docked boats in the old harbour (Dreamstime)

Forget Bari’s working port – the one where all the ferries leave for Greece, Albania, Croatia and beyond. Head instead to the old harbour, where life continues as it has for centuries.

This is where the traditional fishing boats land their catches and sell their seafood straight off their boats, where nets are repaired and raucous jokes are shared. Wandering amongst the boats here is a real treat – because you’re seeing the real Bari. You may even get to sample some of the produce, cooked over rudimentary stoves.

The Old Harbour is also the best place to start your tour of Lungomare, the imposing seafront built by Mussolini. In true fascist style, it is the longest and grandest seafront in Italy, but as is the way of the locals, that pretension is well and truly pricked by the lively bars, restaurants and cafes that line the path.

Join them for an evening stroll or an aperitif and maybe kick off your shoes and walk along one of Bari’s sandy beaches, the best of which can be found right here.

2. Bari Vecchio

Chapel of the Relics in Basilica of Saint Nicholas (Shutterstock)

Step back in time and wander through one of Italy’s most atmospheric old towns – Bari Vecchio. Sitting on a peninsula overlooking the old harbour, this walled part of the city is a labyrinth of twisting alleys, cobbled streets and small piazzas, begging to be explored. Within the thick stone walls you’ll find are 40 churches, a cathedral and the Basilica St Nicholas, built specifically to house the bones of Santa, stolen from Myra in Turkey by Barese sailors.

Like Naples on the other side of the country, the real joy is wandering aimlessly and observing every day Bari life. Children play football on the streets. Men smoke and gossip on street corners and grandmothers string washing out on lines that stretch across the lanes from balcony to balcony. Bari Vecchio is an old town that is still very much lived in.

Read next: Five reasons to visit Turin, Italy

3. The beaches

The golden beach in front of Monopoli (Shutterstock)

The beaches in Bari start along the Longomare and keep on going. The south coast is dotted with countless coves and bays, each boasting gorgeous beaches, atmospheric seaside towns and dazzling blue waters. Many regard it as the most beautiful coastline in Italy and chances are you’ll find it hard to disagree.

The crystal blue waters in Polignano a Mare are particularly tempting and you get to choose between rocky and sand beaches. Cala Porto is famous for its smooth white pebbles. Porto Cavallo is sandy. Cala Paura is a favourite with locals. If you want a beach with all the amenities, head to San Giovanni. It’s got showers, umbrellas, sun loungersand beach huts.

For a distinctly Pugliese beach experience, head to the ancient stone towns of Monopoli and Giovinazzo. The charming towns have golden sand beaches just outside their city walls. A gelato or chilled glass of wine are only ever metres away.

4. The food

Women preparing orecchiette on the streets of Bari. (Shutterstock)

The region of Puglia is famous for its cucina povera (literally translated as ‘food of the poor’), a cuisine that is simple and tasty and uses only seasonal and local ingredients. Originally, this was out of necessity. But now Puglia, and Bari in particular, finds itself at the forefront of a food movement that is taking off around the world.

The most common – and best loved – manifestation of that philosophy is orecchiette, a uniquely Pugliese pasta made without using eggs and shaped like small ears. You’ll see nonas creating them across the city and in the family-run restaurants where they are a speciality. The shape is perfect to collect the sauces that Bari is famous for – made from the freshest local vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes and mushrooms and given an extra zest by Puglia’s plump olives.

Another Bari speciality is riso, patate e cozze. Expect delicious layers of rice, potatoes and mussels baked in terracotta pots in wood fired ovens.

Street food is popular in Bari, too – try the panzerotti, deep-fried pastries stuffed with cheese and tomato. Down at the markets, you can tuck into the freshest seafood you’ve ever tasted. Vendors lay out plates of octopus, shrimp and anemone, with a wedge of lemon, ready for you to try.

5. The culture

Teatro Margherita (Shutterstock)

The good folk of Bari may have a reputation for being a little rough and ready, but they are really quite a cultured lot. The harbour-front Teatro Margherita, originally opened in 1914, is one of the city’s most loved and iconic buildings.

Indeed, it’s right up there with La Scala in Milan and San Carlo in Naples. Luciano Pavarotti and Rudolf Nureyev are just some of the famous names who have performed here. Recently restored, the theatre has become a hub for contemporary art in the city, with a jam packed calendar of concerts, exhibitions and performances.

Another recently restored venue is the Auditorium Nino Rota, named after the Italian composer, famed for The Godfather soundtrack. Helived and taught in Bari for almost 30 years, and hearing his work performed in this beautiful venue is a real delight.

The end of 2019 also saw the reopening of the ornate Teatro Piccinni after extensive renovations, completing a trio of renovated cultural establishments in this buzzing city.

6. The picturesque surrounding

Trulli of Alberobello, an hour away from Bari (Shutterstock)

Alberobello is a medieval village on the outskirts of Bari. An hour away by car, this commune is mostly known for its picturesque white-washed huts, originally built from dry limestone and still resided in today. These traditional Apulian houses are called Trulli, thought to have been constructed back in the 14th century.

UNESCO listed the buildings as a World Heritage Site in 1996 for being significant examples of spontaneous structures with important historical value. Although Alberobello is now a popular spot for tourists, it’s still worth making the trip.

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