I have been trying to think about which country I want to write my very last passion blog about, and I came up empty handed. I mean of course there are many cool countries with amazing food that I haven’t blogged about yet, but I just felt like doing a regular food blog is not special enough for my last blog post. For my last passion blog post for RCL I, I wrote about why I chose to do a food blog and why food is so much more than just something you eat when you are hungry (feel free to check out that post here). Obviously I’m not going to write about that again but I wanted to make this final post special too. 

So, I decided to do something a bit different for this passion blog. I’m going to highlight my favorite dish from each country I have blogged about for the past two semesters. Get ready for lots of different cultures and food types!

1. Greece

Moussaka

Moussaka is one of my favorite foods in the world. I absolutely LOVE it. It’s a classic Greek meal, that’s basically like a lasagna but instead of the noodle layer there are layers of sliced eggplant. If you ever want to eat some great moussaka but aren’t planning on flying to Greece any time soon, I would highly recommend The Greek restaurant that’s here near Penn State! Truly delicious. 

2. Italy

Gelato 

Nothing tops Italian gelato when it comes to ice cream (not even the Penn State Creamery, sorry!). It’s creamy, good for your soul, and perfect for these sunny days that are finally here!!

3. Argentina 

Provoleta

In this traditional Argentinian meal, slices of cheese are topped with chili flakes and herbs, such as oregano, then grilled altogether. The cheese melts in your mouth and the crispy outside just makes it even better. Although it’s a really basic dish, it’s really pretty and looks way fancier than just a thick piece of cheese that is grilled. To just make it better, it is usually served with some crispy bread on the side that can be dipped in the cheese.

4. India

Chaat

For those of you who like food that incorporates many different tastes at the same time, chaat is for you!  Chaat is a very common street food in India that is sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy all at the same time. Its exterior is a spicy crispbread (aka puris) and the stuffing inside the bread is typically made up of potatoes, meat, vegetables, and pulses. 

5. Israel

Rugelach

Choosing my favorite Israeli dish was really hard because I love Israeli food and eat it a lot at home, but rugelach will always have a special place in my heart 🙂 It originated in the Jewish communities of Poland, and is one of the most popular desserts served in Israel, particularly in cafes. Although they look pretty similar to croissants, there’s no greater feeling in the world than when they are served fresh and hot and their chocolate filling melts inside your mouth. YUM!

6. Turkey

Lahmacun (pronounced LAH’-MAH’-juhn)

Lahmacun is a Turkish street food that is very similar to pizza in appearance, but has a thin dough and no cheese on its surface and is usually eaten folded or rolled. It’s typically topped with minced meat, tomatoes, onions, and herbs, and spices like chili pepper and paprika. It’s then baked until the dough is golden and crispy.

7. South Africa

Potjiekos (pronounced “poi-key-koss”)

The word ‘potjiekos’ means ‘small-pot food’, and this translation couldn’t be any more accurate. This dish is prepared outdoors, and is cooked in a small and round iron pot. The first layer is the meat, then the vegetables are added, which usually include onions, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and green beans. Lastly, the potatoes and carrots are added to the mix. In total, this dish requires to be cooked for about 2-3 hours so that the flavors have enough time to mix and have a distinct taste. Once the potjiekos is ready, it is usually served with rice or grits.

8. Spain

Tortilla espanola

Tortilla espanola is basically Spain’s famous omelet. It is made out of eggs, potatoes, and onions. It’s Spain’s national dish and plays an important role in Spanish cuisine.

9. Austria 

Wiener Schnitzel

This one was kind of a no-brainer for me because I LOVE schnitzel and eat at home all the time. In my opinion, schnitzels are most delicious when they are made very thin and very crispy from the frying (some people prefer them baked since that’s healthier, but I’ll take crispy over healthy any day 😉 ).

10. Japan

Wagashi (和菓子)

Although I have never tasted Wagashi or something close to it, these sweets are just too beautiful so I had to highlight them. Although they are made from only a few ingredients including mochi rice cakes, agar, chestnuts, anko paste (sweet red bean paste), and sugar, they are made into countless shapes and colors. Beautiful, right?

11. Australia

Lamington

A square-shaped butter or sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate and rolled in small pieces of coconut. It is the national cake of Australia and was named after Lord Lamington, a former Governor of Queensland (a state in Australia).

12. Peru

Causa rellena

There’s just something about causa rellena that really catches your eye. It’s so elegant but so simple (and hopefully tasty). It is made out of mashed potatoes, avocado, and chicken or tuna. If you are looking for a way to serve chicken or potato salad in a more unique way, I would highly recommend giving this one a try! 

13. Mauritius

Le bol renversé

This is a Chinese-Mauritian dish that is composed of layers of chicken, vegetables, and rice that are all stir fried together and organized into a dome shape. It looks super fancy but is pretty simple to make. Also, le bol renversé literally means “upside down bowl”, which I think is an awesome name 🙂

And last but not least,

14. Switzerland 

Tirggel

When I was writing last week’s passion blog about Switzerland, I instantly fell in love with tirggel. They are so beautiful and delicate. The images “printed” on these cookies are typically associated with the Zürich Canton (a part of Switzerland), romance, and biblical stories, and these cookies were first seen around the 15th century. They are almost too beautiful to eat… almost 😉

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s VERY LAST passion blog, and I wanted to thank you guys for traveling with me around the world to explore different cultures and cuisines. I couldn’t have asked for better readers! I’m going to miss reading all your comments and making you guys hungry at 9am 😋

Much love,

Oren🙂🥰