For those who love to eat, there’s no greater adventure than heading somewhere new to partake in a gustatory delight. Delicious food can do more than simply nourish a diner—it can open doors to unfamiliar worlds and take people into the heart of another culture. Even if you don’t have the budget to travel thousands of miles, you can learn a lot about another country or another region by trying its cuisine. And now that there are so many affordable and accessible options available to diners, it isn’t hard to step out of one’s home and discover a new gastronomic paradise.
What can a particularly adventurous diner do to satisfy their cravings? If you consider yourself one, you can start a new food itinerary using technology. There are many resources out there that can help you discover delectable new cuisines, such as the Muslim Pro app and Muslim Pro app Facebook page. Muslim diners, as well as friends or family members who’ll be eating with them, can scour these sources for halal restaurants. Another thing you can do if you want to be adventurous with your palate is to ask people for.
Recommendations—especially if they’re from the country, region, or cultural group whose cuisine you’re interested in.
Below are four must-try international cuisines for diners who like bold, diverse, and exciting flavors. Take your pick from these offerings and head on over to a food establishment that serves them!
Indian Cuisine
One of the best cuisines that an adventurous eater can start with is Indian cuisine. India has a particularly rich culinary tradition, and the Indian dishes that are commonly savored worldwide come from five different regions. Audacious eaters will love Indian cuisine for its complexity, strong flavors, and utilization of healthy and hearty ingredients. There are also a lot of vegan and vegetarian options within the broad umbrella of Indian cuisine, so even those who don’t eat meat for religious or health-related reasons will find something to enjoy.
Must-try dishes for newcomers to Indian cuisine are chicken tandoori (a dish made in a clay oven), samosas (crispy turnover pastries filled with meat or vegetables), biryani (a seasoned rice dish commonly cooked for festive occasions), and saag paneer (spinach cooked with fresh cottage cheese). Diners can cap off their meals with a lassi (a refreshing yogurt shake) or chai (fragrant spiced tea).
Thai Cuisine
Another good cuisine for a bold eater to explore is Thai. Thai food draws from ingredients that are plentiful in the Southeast Asian region, like rice, seafood, tropical fruits, and spices. The five foundational flavors in Thai cuisine are saltiness, sourness, sweetness, spiciness, and bitterness—and many dishes will treat you to all of these flavors at the same time.
Dishes that you should try from Thai cuisine are massaman curry (made with a rich and complex spice paste), pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles), tom yum (hot and sour soup), and yam nua (grilled beef salad). Finish a Thai meal with sweet mangoes and sticky rice and a tall glass of creamy orange-colored Thai iced tea.
Latin American Cuisine
There’s always something delicious and surprising to try within the broad range of Latin American cuisine, which includes foods from Caribbean countries like Haiti and Cuba, Central American countries like Costa Rica and Panama, and South American countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. Latin American cuisine actually draws from a diverse family of influences, from Native American to African flavors. You’ll be able to taste these in dishes that are cooked with the sofrito aromatic base of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs, as well as dishes served with rice, beans, and flatbreads.
Latin American dishes that you may not have tried before, and should try within your lifetime, include ceviche (raw fish or seafood marinated in citrus and spices), ropa vieja (slow-cooked beef with vegetables), gallo pinto (hearty beans and rice), and mole (meat served with a flavorful sauce that sometimes includes chocolate). Don’t forget to partake in rich and sweet desserts like dulce de leche (thick caramelized milk sauce), rice pudding, or flan.
Iranian Cuisine
If you factor in its location between South Asia and the Mediterranean Middle East region, you’ll find that it’s no wonder Iran has such a vibrant culinary tradition. Iranian culinary practices comprise what we know of as Persian food, as well as Kurdish cuisine. One can expect to be filled up by an Iranian meal, which will typically involve an even balance of meat, grains like rice and wheat, vegetables, nuts, and fresh fruits. Iranian cuisine also makes use of a lot of herbs and spices, which add delectably spicy, sour, or fragrant notes to each dish and which will please adventurous eaters.
You may have already gotten to know Iranian cuisine through a Persian favorite like kebab (skewered grilled meat). But you can go further along your tasting journey of Iranian food with dishes like khoresh (flavorful stew typically made with tomatoes, pomegranate juice, and saffron), sabzi polow (herbed rice pilaf), and tarkhine (soup made with grain and yogurt). End your meal with classic Iranian desserts like halva (confectionery made from flour, nuts, or seeds), baqlava (phyllo dough with nuts and sweet syrup), or Iranian nougat.
This is by no means an extensive list of international cuisines, but hopefully, it serves as a good starting point for tasty dishes you might not have tried yet. Which of these are you most excited to encounter on your next food crawl?
