Ca Kho To: Vietnamese Braised Fish

Ca Kho To is a Vietnamese caramelized fish stew cooked in a clay pot to perfection

Say what you want about Vietnamese food, but it’s hard to deny its uniqueness and special appeal. Even in a dish like ca kho to, which is a fairly everyday dish from the South, what you see (and what you get) is a diversity of ingredients exquisitely cooked in unpretentious, simple but really effective ways. … Read more

Encebollado: Ecuadorian Tuna & Onion Soup

This is Encebollado, a spicy tuna and onion stew, widely regarded as the national dish of Ecuador

Every once in a while, you come across a dish that is really special. It’s hard to explain the what and particularly hard to explain the why, but certain dishes seem to symbolize something more than just the sum of their ingredients. There’s true symbolism nestled into each and every bite. As integral as anything else … Read more

Pylsur: Icelandic Hot Dog

This is pylsur, the infamous Icelandic hot dog topped with homemade mustard, remoulade, raw onions and cornichon

Even in food, you can come to expect quite a few curveballs. Although there are few quite like the overall Icelandic cuisine. For one that boasts such uncommon traditional specialties like hákarl (rotten shark), svið (roasted sheep skull) or lundi (smoked puffin), it’s almost sort of odd the pylsur would be the most go-to Icelandic dish of … Read more

Pochero: Filipino Beef Stew

This is Pochero! A Filipino Pork Stew with baby corn, bok choy, tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, green beans and chorizo

Sometimes it simply doesn’t do a dish justice to try drawing parallels for it. Sure, pochero is kind of sort of “like Spanish cocido,” except that it’s simply not. While conceptually the same thing, the Filipino version of pochero has evolved into something far more exquisite than that. Pochero, Spanish Influences, and Unique Filipino Tastes In … Read more

Mohinga: Burmese Fish Soup

Mohinga: Burmese Fish Soup

For some nations, the national dish offers nothing more than hollow symbolism for the cuisine as a whole. For others, however, the national dish holds a far greater significance and lends a far deeper meaning to the overall national identity. The country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) falls into this latter category. For a once proud nation … Read more

Bougna: Kanak Yam and Seafood Curry

New Caledonian Bougna, a Kanak dish, featuring prawns and yams

This recipe is made with full shrimp (head on and not shelled) – combined with some yam, tomatoes, and onions simmering in some full fat coconut milk and topped with shredded coconut, served on optional banana leaves.