Find your next
favorite food.

🇹🇷Turkey

Yufka

Paper-thin dough sheets for börek and baklava.

🇰🇷South Korea

Yugwa

유과

Yugwa is a Korean confection made from fermented glutinous-rice dough, fried until airy, then coated with syrup and puffed rice.

🇫🇷France

Yule Log

Buche de Noel

Yule log cake for Christmas, sponge rolled with cream and decorated festively.

🇹🇭Thailand

Yum Pla Muk

ยำปลาหมึก

Spicy grilled squid salad with red onions, cilantro, mint, and a lime-chili dressing.

🇹🇭Thailand

Yum Wun Sen

ยำวุ้นเส้น

Spicy glass noodle salad with minced pork, shrimp, celery, and a lime-fish sauce dressing.

🇧🇴Bolivia

Yungueño

A Bolivian cocktail of singani with orange juice and syrup

🇨🇳Yunnan, China

Yunnan Fermented Rice Drink

甜白酒

A Yunnan sweet drink of fermented rice, sweet and faintly alcoholic, served cool.

🇨🇳Yunnan, China

Yunnan Milk Fan

乳扇

Cow's milk curdled with papaya juice, stretched into a sheet and wound onto sticks to dry into a hard fan, then grilled or fried.

🇨🇬Republic of the Congo

Yuuma

Roasted peanuts ground into paste and served with boiled bananas, cassava, and palm oil; a simple, hearty combination from the Congolese countryside.

🇹🇷Gaziantep, Turkey

Yuvarlama çorbası

Yuvarlama corbasi, the Gaziantep Eid soup of tiny bulgur-and-meat balls in yoghurt with chickpeas, is a named ceremonial dish with a real calendar identity.

🇯🇵Kyushu, Japan

Yuzukoshō

柚子胡椒

Yuzukosho, the fermented paste of yuzu peel, chilli and salt, is a named Kyushu condiment bought by the jar and now used worldwide.

🇹🇬Togo

Yèkè Yèkè

A traditional Togolese stew of meat or offal braised in a spicy tomato and onion sauce; slow-cooked until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender, served with akoumé or fufu.

🇯🇵Japan

Yōkan

羊羹

Yokan, firm sweet bean paste set with agar and sliced from a block, is one of the foundational wagashi forms.

🇺🇸United States

Z-Man

A Kansas City barbecue sandwich of brisket, provolone, onion rings, and barbecue sauce on a Kaiser roll.

🇲🇦Morocco

Zaalouk

زعلوك

Cooked Moroccan eggplant salad mashed with tomato, garlic, cumin, paprika, and olive oil.

🇲🇱Mali

Zaamè

The Malian version of jollof rice, called zaamè in Bamanankan; rice cooked in a single pot with tomatoes, onions, chili, and meat (chicken, beef, or mutton); the Malian style has a special way of cooking that distinguishes it from Nigerian, Senegalese, and Ghanaian versions; a fragrant, flavorful rice dish; a staple of celebrations and everyday meals.

🇮🇹Sicily, Italy

Zabaione

Warm foamy custard of egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala (or other fortified wine) whipped over a bain-marie. Eaten alone or poured over savoiardi or fruit.

🇧🇬Sofia, Bulgaria

Zagorka

Загорка

Stara Zagora lager, the country's most widely sold beer, poured everywhere from seaside shacks to Sofia restaurants.

🇭🇷Zagreb, Croatia

Zagreb Steak

Zagrebački odrezak

Breaded and stuffed veal steak filled with ham and cheese, similar to Wiener Schnitzel but with filling, a Zagreb specialty.

🇮🇶Iraq

Zahidi Dates

تمر زهدي

Firm, dry golden dates grown across central Iraq, less sweet than soft varieties and sold by the kilo.

🇩🇿Algeria

Zalabia

زلابية

Small coils or balls of fermented batter fried until crisp, then soaked in syrup or dusted with sugar at Egyptian sweet shops.

🇵🇱Poland

Zalewajka

Zalewajka is a soup from Radomsko, rooted in local cooking tradition.

🇲🇹Malta

Zalzett Tal Malti

Zalzett tal-Malti

Zalzett tal-Malti is a coarse Maltese pork sausage seasoned with coriander and black pepper.

🇦🇫Afghanistan

Zamarod Pulao

زمرد پلو

Rice cooked with a purée of spinach and dill until it turns emerald green, served with lamb.

🇿🇼Zimbabwe

Zambezi Lager

Zambezi

Pale lager brewed in Harare and named for the river, the standard bottle alongside Castle and Bohlingers.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Doughnuts

Mikate

Zambian doughnut balls; sweet, deep-fried dough; golden and crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside; sold at street stalls and markets; eaten as a snack or with tea; similar to vitumbuwa but sweeter; a popular treat across Zambia; the sweet fritter of the streets.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Fritters

Vitumbuwa

Zambian fritters; a cross between a dumpling and a doughnut; either sweet or savory; made from wheat or maize flour dough deep-fried until golden; a national dish eaten everywhere; sold at street stalls and markets; crispy outside, soft inside; served with tea or as a snack; a beloved Zambian treat.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Gizzards

Malambo

Chicken gizzards are a popular delicacy in Zambia; cooked in a tomato-onion gravy; tender and chewy; served with nshima; a prized relish that uses every part of the chicken; a common street and home dish; the offal delicacy of Zambia; inexpensive and flavorful.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Maize Porridge

Nshima

The cornerstone of Zambian cuisine; thick porridge made from ground maize flour (mealie meal); stirred into boiling salted water and cooked until smooth and firm; firm enough to hold its shape when molded; eaten by hand, preferably the right hand; served with relishes, stews, fish, vegetables, and beans; the dietary essential that powers the nation; eaten at lunch and dinner.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Maputi

Maputi

Roasted maize on the cob or maize kernels; a popular street snack across Zambia; maize roasted over charcoal or open flame; smoky and slightly charred; sold at roadside stalls and markets; the grab-and-go snack that uses Zambia's staple crop; cheap, filling, and ubiquitous.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Moambe

Moambe

Zambian palm nut stew; chicken or meat cooked in a rich sauce made from palm nuts; shared with DRC where it is the national dish; a hearty, rich stew; served with nshima or rice; the palm nut stew that crosses borders; a celebration dish in Zambia.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Samp

Samp

Crushed maize kernels cooked until soft; eaten in Zambia as a staple; similar to samp in South Africa and Zimbabwe; sometimes cooked with beans; a comforting, starchy dish; served with relishes or stews; the crushed maize of Zambia; a variation on the maize staple.

🇿🇲Zambia

Zambian Spiced Drink

Chimodamotoka

Traditional Zambian spiced drink; a beverage made with local spices and sometimes fruit; refreshing and aromatic; served at gatherings and celebrations; a lesser-known traditional drink; the spiced refreshment of Zambia; served cold or warm depending on the season.

🇪🇭Western Sahara

Zammit

Azzammit

Zammit is a Sahrawi barley-flour preparation mixed with oil, sugar, and water into a dense paste or ball; the named form is especially documented in displaced Sahrawi communities.

🇧🇫Sahel (North / Fulani), Burkina Faso

Zamnin

Boiled fruits of Acacia macrostachya, washed extensively and cooked with potash; a famine-origin dish from Yatenga now served at ceremonies like weddings and baptisms.

🇮🇹Modena, Italy

Zampone

Stuffed pig's trotter, Modena tradition, often served with lentils.