National Dishes Around the World (and How to Order Them)

Nothing tells you more about a place than what it puts on a plate. Here are the dishes that define a dozen countries — order one by its proper name and you'll taste the difference in how you're treated.

• 🇮🇹 Italy — Pasta & pizza — regional to the core: carbonara in Rome, ragù in Bologna, and true pizza in Naples. Say "senza panna" (no cream) and any Italian will nod in approval.
• 🇪🇸 Spain — Paella — born in Valencia, traditionally with rabbit and chicken (the seafood version is a coastal cousin). A lunchtime dish — never dinner, say the locals.
• 🇯🇵 Japan — Sushi & ramen — the delicate and the hearty. Slurp the ramen loudly; it's a compliment.
• 🇰🇷 Korea — Kimchi & bibimbap — fermented cabbage with everything, and a colourful rice bowl you mix yourself. Kimchi is practically a national identity.
• 🇲🇽 Mexico — Tacos & mole — real tacos are small, soft and stacked with flavour; mole is a deep, complex sauce that can take days to make.
• 🇮🇳 India — Too many to name — no single dish, but biryani, butter chicken and dal are loved nationwide. Regional variety is the whole point.
• 🇹🇭 Thailand — Pad thai — the sweet-sour-salty stir-fried noodle that conquered the world, best from a street cart for a couple of baht.
• 🇻🇳 Vietnam — Phở — the fragrant beef or chicken noodle soup eaten for breakfast, built on a broth simmered for hours.
• 🇩🇪 Germany — Schnitzel & currywurst — the crisp breaded cutlet, and Berlin's beloved sausage in curried ketchup.
• 🇧🇷 Brazil — Feijoada — a rich black-bean and pork stew, the Saturday feast served with rice, orange and greens.
• 🇪🇬 Egypt — Koshari — rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas under spiced tomato sauce and crispy onions. Cheap, filling, gloriously carby.
• 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Fish & chips / the Sunday roast — the seaside classic wrapped in paper, and the great weekly roast with all the trimmings.

Every one of these tastes better when you can talk to the cook — and ordering in the local language is the first step. Meet a native speaker below and get the pronunciation (and the insider tips) before your next trip.