Your mom cooks the best food ever in the universe. We know that. But if one day you want to try food which (would never be better of course) would be different from your mother’s, then this article is for you.

When you are out of country, you need some hints not to get lost in the variety of tastes and flavors. We will give you a list of stories not only about best destinations for food, but also about how to understand what is on your plate. What are the must-eats and must-drinks? And what you should avoid not to get into awkward situations…

Which are the Best Countries in the World for Food? Let’s start! Don’t get overexcited though, this list is not a rating- it’s just a collection of delicious destinations!

Vietnam

The main ingredients of Vietnamese food include shrimp paste, fish sauce, rice, herbs, Thai basil, fruits and vegetables. But at the same time, unlike other Asian countries, Vietnam has one of the healthiest foods in this region.

  • Goi cuon – spring rolls stuffed with coriander, greens, minced pork, shrimp or crab.

  • Banh mi – sandwich with vegetables, omelette and various different fillings.

  • Banh Xeo – Vietnamese pancakes. The literal translation is «sizzling pancake».

  • Pho – noodle soup.

  • Cha Ca – white fish, sauteed in butter with spring onions.

Must-Drink in Vietnam: Jasmine tea, Bia Hoi – local beer, strong iced coffee, lemon iced tea.

Greece

There are many things in general you can try, from salads to hot dishes, from sweets to soups. But if you want something traditional, cheap and fast – it`s definitely souvlaki. The iconic dish of Greece is a fast food that you usually can find anywhere on the streets, in the bars, in small take-out shops and cafes. You will see souvlaki over the whole country. And if you are lucky enough to be invited to a house party of Greek people – ask for mousaka. It is the best when it`s homemade.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Greak salad – it is called just «salad» in Greece. Be aware of this when you order in restaurant.

  • Souvlaki – “Little skewers” in Greek: it`s basically little pieces of marinated pork, fried on grill.

  • Mousaka – is an eggplant- or potato-based dish. You definitely would want to give it a try.

Must-Drink in Greece: ouzo, tsipouro

Remember: you wouldn’t want to seem odd in the nightclub – so don’t order Tsipouro there. Leave it for quiet evenings in mountains. And don’t be silly, don’t order GREEK salad.

Italy

It’s hard to speak about Italian food, it’s better to enjoy it. The traditional colors of Italian cuisine – red, green and yellow always create a great mixture of flavor and taste. Usually all the dishes are based on tomato, bread and olive oil. The secret of the cuisine is not in a sophisticated preparation process, it is more in the freshness of the products.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Pizza – Margherita, Quattro Formaggi, Speck e Mascarpone & many more…

  • Pasta – choose Carbonara, Pesto, Cacio e pepe and Amatriciana: these are the best options.

  • Caprese – ask for it just if the ingredients are: original mozzarella di bufala, “Cuor di Bue” tomato & Extra virgin Olive oil. With a slice of Italian fresh bread, it’s a simple and amazing dish.

  • Panna cotta – a creamy dessert made of heaven, usually served with red-berry jam.

Must-Drink in Italy: Red Wine (Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello di Montalicino & many more…), White wine (Gewürztraminer, Muller Thurgau, Chardonnay, Vermentino, Arneis & many more…), Sparkling wine (Franciacorta & Prosecco), limoncello, San Pellegrino water.

Pakistan

Pakistanis, being Muslims, don’t consume pork and alcohol, they rather concentrate on beef, chicken, fish and vegetables. They also use a lot of flavors, you will see these in majority of dishes: chilli powder, ginger, curry, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and garlic.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Shahi tukra – a sweet dish made with sliced bread, cream, sugar, milk and saffron.

  • Chicken tandoori – chicken marinated and roasted in tandoor 

  • Roti – local bread

  • Dhal – is a stew made with lentils

  • Raita – vegetable salad with yogurt

  • Must-Drink in Pakistan: lassi (yogurt drink)

Remember: alcohol is prohibited here!

Philippines

Filipino cuisine is based on a mixture of different traditional foods of India, Spain, China and America.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Adobo – not a photoshop tool, but rather chicken cooked in garlic

  • Torta – omelette

  • Pancit – noodles

  • Lumpia – spring rolls

  • Puchero – a strange but intriguing mixture of taste, created by beef in bananas and tomato sauce.

Must-Drink in Philippines: palm wine or gin made by Ginebra San Miguel.

Thailand

Like many other Asian cuisines, Thai cooking uses rice as a basic ingredient for the majority of dishes. The word “food” in Thai language means literally “to eat rice”. Furthermore, it has 5 main tastes, which you may meet in almost every dish. These are: sour lime, savory fish sauce, hot chilli, salt and sweetness (usually added by palm tree).

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Tom Yam Goong – a delicious soup with lemongrass, kalgan, laim, chilli, coco, shrimps and cream

  • Pad Thai –  a stir-fried rice noodle dish, made with tofu, eggs, tamarind and other delicious ingredients

  • Som Tam – a spicy green papaya salad.

Must-Drink in Thailand: there are multiple breweries in Thailand, so drink beer. As a stronger alternative you may use Sang Som which is the local rum, distilled from sugarcane.

Japan

Japanese food is one of a kind. You will never mistake it. Sushi, sashimi, unagi, and sake… we all know this. But this cuisine is not only about products and recipes, here a lot is about their indigenous culture and traditions. It is not surprising then that they made the whole world eat with chopsticks instead of knives and forks.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Tempura – the Japanese contribution to the world’s love for deep-fried foods.

  • Wagashi – sweets, made of red bean paste

  • Unagi – eel

  • Soba and Udon – types of Noodles

  • Tonkatsu – deep-fried pork cutlets

  • Must-Drink in Japan: Yakitori beer, Sake, Tea

Usually the Japanese serve their food with traditional rice wine – sake. It actually tastes more like vodka than wine. What is more – it is usually served hot. Be careful when the waiter brings you sake – don’t attack it like you’ve just stumbled out of a month in the desert. Drink slowly and carefully.

Remember: When someone starts to pour you a drink, you should hold your glass with both hands and thank him or her.

Ukraine

It’s all about extremely fat and therefore enormously tasty foods. Various pastries, soups, meat dishes and unexpected mixture of tastes – you may find all these in Ukrainian cuisine.

The famous Russian beetroot soup, borsch, actually comes from Ukrainian cuisine. Ukrainian borsch is a little bit different than the Russian one, but you will hardly notice. Anyways – it rocks.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Borsch – a meat-beetroot soup, made with everything that was found in the fridge.

  • Salo – salted pork fat. Sounds creepy, but it’s amazing.

  • Gorilka – homemade Ukrainian vodka. Strong as hell.

  • Vareniki – kind of raviolis with different fillings: potato, cabbage, cottage cheese or cherry.

  • Zrazi – beef cutlets with different fillings.

  • Must-Drink in Ukraine: Gorilka, Black Tea, Cranberry juice.

Remember: Instead of drinking vodka and eating pickles with it, here they serve gorilka and salo for the chaser.

China

It is not a coincidence that you will find Chinese food pretty much everywhere. But remember, there are 2 types of Chinese cuisine – authentic and fake. How to identify the first type? Easy. If you are in China – it’s all over. If you are in your city’s Chinese restaurant – choose the place where customers are Chinese, not tourists.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Soy puff – enormously tasteless piece of “bread”, which thought will help you not to suffer from all the spicy hot dishes.

  • Tofu – another tasteless food, it is a soy cheese. But when it’s fried with spices – nothing`s better.

  • Noodles – they could be made of pretty much anything. Be ready for this, and be curious – all these usually taste like heaven.

  • Bird’s nest soup: it is the soup that has been prepared with the gelatinous product derived from the nests of cliff-dwelling birds. You can imagine, it has a very unusual taste. You should only try it if you have extra money to order something as a plan “B”.

  • Chop suey – not only a song by System of A Down. It is also a stir-fried dish with meat or shrimps and vegetables (mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts). It is usually served on rice.

Must-Drink in China: Tea or any Chinese beer.

India

As we remember, the cow is a sacred animal here and the majority of Indians are vegetarians. Traditional Indian food uses many different spices and is slathered with  flavourful sauce. They are also big fans of Indian homemade white cheese, called Panir. Every dish is traditionally accompanied by naan bread. Of course, rice is one of the basic products of Indian cuisine as well.

Concerning alcohol – you would not find it anywhere in India, almost nowhere. Only Goa is famous for parties and drinks, because there is no alcohol tax here, unlike all other states of India.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Paneer Butter Masala – it’s the most popular dish in India, you may find it anywhere. It is made of tomato puree with cream and the traditional Indian herbs and spices.

  • Aloo Gobi – a side dish, made of potato and cauliflower.

Must-Drink in India: Masala Tea, Kingfisher beer, Old Monk rum.

Remember: Drink only bottled water and it’s better to eat when the food is cooked in front of you. Just in case.

Spain

With a huge variety of dining: from the simple street food to gorgeous restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, which was ranked first in the The World’s Best 50 Restaurants 2015, Spain has a lot to offer for a foodie traveler.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Paella – a Spanish risotto, usually with seafood.

  • Tapas – traditional Spanish snacks.

  • Jamon – a row cured meat. Delicious and flavorous.

Must-Drink in Spain: Sangria, beer.

Remember: Very important phrase to know – «Dos сervezas por favor» which means “2 beers please”

France

We all know France for being a gourmet capital. Well, seems like it deserves this title. Croissant with a little cup of coffee in the morning – it’s a must do in France.

All the food best-sellers come from here: baguettes, macaroni, praline, Madeleines, pain au chocolat, raisin brioche bread… The list is enormous. Onion cake and fish soup sound weird, but French know how to make it delicious as well.thai

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Charcuterie – all varieties of meat, sausages, ham etc.

  • Roquefort – famous blue cheese. Although it smells like old socks, the taste is worth all the aromatic inconveniences.

  • Bouillabaisse – fish soup.

  • Tartar – raw meat or fish, served with olive oil and flavors.

  • Croque-Monsieur – the best breakfast that you could ever imagine. It is a toast sandwich with fried egg, ham and melted cheese in between bread.

Must-Drink in France: wine, wine and wine.

Remember: the choice of wine is very important. We will give you a short hint: red wine for meat, white for fish and rose for a calm Sunday brunch.

Mexico

Warm, sunny, blue sea and liters of tequila – this is the ideal picture of Mexico. Actually, this is not only positive, but also true and realistic. Add to this corn, beans, tomato and chilli peppers, and you would get the real taste of the country.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Chili con carne – amazing, very spicy, tomato and meat based soup.

  • Tacos – crispy corn chips.

  • Quessadilla – a wrap with avocado, meat, chilli pepper and beans.

  • Guacamole – avocado based dip.

  • Enchilladas – kind of Mexican lasagna.

  • Empanadas – fried flakey pastry stuffed with chicken, beef or cheese.

Must-Drink in Mexico: Margarita and tequila obviously.

Switzerland

Switzerland is a country where 3 different cultures intersect: Italian, French and German. This is why it is sometimes hard to identify the characteristic of Swiss food. But apart from chocolate and cheese, they still have something to be proud of.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • La Fondue – melted cheese served in a communal pot to dip bread inside.

  • Les Röstis – roasted potato.

  • La longeole – the traditional swiss sausage made of pork and fennel.

  • Chocolate – a tradition in Switzerland.

Must-Drink in Switzerland: Rivella (a carbonated Swiss drink based on lactose) and Absinthe, apart from wine, of course.

Portugal

The Portuguese cuisine might be characterised by one short sentence of my friend Solene, she is French and spend half a year in Portugal, she says: “The cuisine is amazing, but be ready to gain 5 kilos in 6 months”. Mmm, let’s risk and go for it.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Bacalhau – raw fish in coconut or other marinade.

  • Pateis de Natal – small sweet pastries.

  • Alzeida – typical sausages.

  • Pollo arrosto – street food roasted chicken.

  • Francesinha – Portuguese croque-monsieur.

Must-Drink in Portugal: Vinho do porto – typical didgestive, Vinho Douro – local wine.

Korea

Rice, vegetables and meats are the main ingredients of this cuisine. In addition to that you will also find a variety of all flavors in Korean dishes – sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes and fermented red chilli paste.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Dolsotbap – cooked rice in a stone pot (dolsot).

  • Kongguksu – a cold noodle dish with a broth made from ground soy beans.

  • Ganjang – soy sauce.

  • Kimchi – fermented vegetable dishes usually made with cabbage.

  • Jokbal : pig’s feet.

Must-Drink in Korea: tea, Korean liquor «soju», and local light beers.

Sweden

Thanks to IKEA, we all know that Sweden is famous for meatballs with cream sauce and mashed potato, served with pickles. Historically, they also cooked reindeer meat. Usually, Swedish food is simple with contrasting flavors.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Fiskbullar – fishballs.

  • Ärtsoppa – yellow pea soup.

  • Raggmunk – potato pancakes.

  • Ostkaka – Swedish cheesecake.

  • Kanelbulle – cinnamon bread roll.

Must-Drink in Sweden: If it`s Christmas – drink Mumma, or Glogg (Mulled wine).

Montenegro

Montenegrin cuisine has an Italian flavour, Russian-sized dishes and French quantity of various pastries. Montenegro is well-known for cheese-making, wine and spirits, different soups and meat dishes. This cuisine is made to delight your preferences and to warm you during the cold season.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Polenta – a dish made of corn flavour.

  • Stuffed peppers – grilled peppers, stuffed with meat and vegetables. Served with a creamy sauce.

  • Skorup – salted cottage cream.

  • Plieskavitsa – a grilled dish of spiced meat mixture of pork, beef and lamb.

Must-Drink in Montenegro: Turkish coffee, Boza (fermented beverage).

Remember: Plieskavitsa is worth trying to read aloud and order in a restaurant. It is truly the rock-star of Montenegrin cuisine.

Australia

This cuisine will surprise you. Although Aussies don’t have a strong history of culinary traditions, they do have some unexpected features in food habits. Apart from multicultural food from all over the world, you will find here some local specialities, such as kangaroo, possum, ostrich and crocodile meat.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Vegemite – very salty and thick paste made from leftover brewers’ yeast with vegetable and spice additives.

  • Cheesymite scroll – bread made of Vegemite

  • Melbourne Chicken – cooked in olive oil usually served with pink sauce

  • Fairy bread – white bread with butter and sprinkles.

Must-Drink in Australia: Billy tea, wine, beer and coffee.

USA

Probably the best food destination to exist. Not because of strong American culinary traditions, but more because New York City gathers all of the cuisines mentioned before. Here you can find anything you want. But of course, NY City is also remarkable for American cuisine. Tempting burgers and succulent steaks – these are the best sellers in New York.

A little glossary for a newbie:

  • Mac & cheese: it’s the American version of Italian pasta. With some differences though: it has fewer flavors, no olive oil and no sauce.

  • Caesar salad – an Iceberg salad, mixed with grilled chicken, Parmesan cheese and anchovy sauce.

  • Cheesecake – a cake, made of pressured Philadelphia cheese. Usually served with red-berry sauce.

Must-Drink in USA: beer, Starbucks coffee, whiskey.