World cuisine

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World cuisine

Maldivian Cuisine: Tuna, Coconut and the Flavours of an Indian Ocean Archipelago

Across the Maldives, an archipelago of atolls and scattered islands in the Indian Ocean, food brings together fish—especially tuna—coconut and staple foods such as rice and tubers. Clear fish broth, curries, flatbreads and tea-time snacks reflect island resources and long-standing connections with neighbouring South Asian cuisines, while particular dishes mark breakfasts, everyday meals and shared celebrations.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Chamorro Food and Pacific Encounters in the Northern Mariana Islands

Across the Northern Mariana Islands, Chamorro cooking shares the table with Pacific and Asian influences. Coconut, rice, seafood, citrus, and taro appear in distinct preparations, from kelaguen and red rice to stews, flatbreads, and sweets. Saipan, Tinian, and Rota offer documented examples, while family variations and the islands’ different histories make any single dish an incomplete portrait of the territory’s food.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Kuwait at the Table: Gulf Fish, Fragrant Rice, and Shared Traditions

Kuwaiti cuisine reflects life beside the northern Gulf and a history of trade linking the region with neighboring societies and distant markets. Rice cooked with meat or seafood, flatbreads, wheat dishes, fish, and aromatic spices form a varied repertoire. Machboos and murabyan bring rice together with land or sea; harees and jireesh offer slower-cooked wheat preparations. Breads, sauces, sweets, coffee, and dates also shape everyday meals and acts of hospitality, with recipes and customs varying among households.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Kiribati Cuisine: Atoll Foodways, Fish, Coconut, and Island Exchange

Kiribati’s foodways draw on the ocean and on island-grown coconut, swamp taro, breadfruit, pandanus, pumpkin, and other produce, alongside imported rice, flour, sugar, and canned meat. Across 32 coral atolls and Banaba, dishes and ingredients reflect both local environments and long-standing Pacific connections. This guide explores documented foods, methods, communities, and occasions without presenting one dish or custom as the sole expression of the country’s diverse kitchens.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Côte d’Ivoire’s Culinary Atlas: Cassava, Plantain, Grains, and Sauces

Côte d’Ivoire’s food traditions bring together cassava, plantain, yam, grains, fish, meat, and sauces made with palm nuts, groundnuts, and vegetables. Across the lagoon coast, forested areas, central communities, and the north, distinctive staples such as attiéké, foutou, placali, and tôh meet everyday and celebratory dishes including garba, alloco, and kedjénou. Their different textures, methods, and regional associations reveal a varied cuisine shaped by both local practice and the movement of dishes between places.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Food of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Cassava, River Fish, and Regional Variety

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s foodways reflect a vast Central African country shaped by the Congo River and its tributaries, varied communities, and locally available crops. Cassava appears as roots, leaves, flour, and fermented preparations; plantains, maize, rice, and other staples accompany vegetable dishes, fish, beans, and sauces. Pondu, chikwangue, moambe, liboke, and Kinshasa’s nganda restaurants illustrate distinct preparations and settings, not a single national menu.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Brunei’s Foodways: Sago, Rice and Shared Flavours of Northern Borneo

Brunei’s cuisine takes shape on the northern coast of Borneo, where rice, noodles, fish, coconut and chilli meet culinary traditions shared across Southeast Asia. Ambuyat, made from sago starch, is a distinctive local preparation, while nasi katok and an array of kuih connect everyday eating with food stalls, family occasions and community gatherings. Temburong offers a documented example of how local ingredients and cooking practices are shared across generations.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Grilled Meats, Filled Pies, and Slow-Cooked Pots

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s food traditions reflect local ingredients and centuries of Ottoman, Balkan, Mediterranean, and Central European exchange. Grilled ćevapi, soft somun, named varieties of pita, okra soup, slow-cooked stews, and nut-filled sweets all belong to a varied culinary landscape. Regional examples—from Sarajevo and Herzegovina to Krajina and Puračić—show why no single dish or custom can stand for every community.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Azerbaijan at the Table: Rice, Herbs, Slow-Cooked Stews, and Hospitality

Azerbaijan’s food traditions reflect a landscape stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Caucasus, with varied produce, grains, meat, fish, and herbs. Plov pairs rice with a separately prepared accompaniment, while Sheki is closely associated with the slow-cooked stew piti and Lankaran with stuffed lavangi. Dolma traditions connect communities through shared preparation, with local variations in ingredients and methods. Tea, often served in a curved armudu glass with sweets or fruit preserves, is an important expression of hospitality.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

American Samoa’s Foodways: Taro, Coconut, Seafood, and Shared Meals

American Samoan foodways draw on island-grown staples and the surrounding sea, with taro, breadfruit, coconut, fish, pork, and chicken appearing in traditional meals. The umu earth oven makes it possible to cook for families and larger gatherings, while dishes such as palusami and sapasui show how shared Samoan traditions coexist with adaptations shaped by outside contacts and contemporary ingredients.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Armenia: Highlands, seasonal harvests and a shared table

Armenian food is shaped by highland landscapes, fertile valleys and sharply changing seasons. Wheat, lavash, herbs, wild greens, fruit, fermented dairy and meat appear in dishes that range from everyday soups to festive feasts. Local practices include drying and pickling harvests, baking bread in a tonir, grilling khorovats and filling leaves or vegetables for tolma. These traditions vary between households and communities, and connect present-day Armenia with a wider history of exchange and migration.

31 Oct 2026 Read →

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World cuisine

Emirati Cuisine: Desert, Gulf Coast, Oasis and the Culture of Sharing

Emirati food reflects life across desert, coast and oasis, as well as centuries of exchange along regional trade routes. Dates, wheat, fish, meat, rice and aromatic spices appear in dishes with distinct textures and uses: harees is slowly cooked and beaten smooth, machboos absorbs seasoned broth, and thareed layers bread with stew. Coffee and dates welcome guests, while Ramadan, weddings and family gatherings bring particular dishes and practices of sharing into focus. These traditions are varied and connected to a wider Gulf food culture.

31 Oct 2026 Read →