The World’s Most Iconic Dishes – And The Destinations They Call Home

Summary:
Explore iconic dishes from around the world and the destinations where they originated. From Peking Duck in China to Paella in Spain, discover how food connects us to culture and inspires unforgettable travel experiences.

Why do we travel? We can answer that question in a myriad of ways, but one of the most important reasons why we travel is to experience new cultures. And because we are who we are, that often means food.

Food is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the local culture and experience new flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques.

While every destination around the world has its specialties, ranging from humble to fancy, here are some iconic dishes and where to enjoy them.

Peking Duck – China

Duck occupies a special place in Chinese cuisine, and duck cooked Peking-style is at the top of that pyramid. The bird is roasted until it’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, basted with its own fat, and served with thin pancakes, scallions, and a sweet bean sauce.

Countless restaurants in Beijing specialize in duck, some high-end and some more modest. As with many such dishes, the extravagance of the surroundings doesn’t always correlate with the taste of the food, so do your homework before sampling.

Also Read: Chinese New Year 2026: Where to Travel to Celebrate and Travel Tips

Neapolitan Pizza – Italy

There’s pizza, and then there’s Italian pizza.

Most Italian pizza is made with a soft and chewy crust, charred from being cooked in a wood-fired oven. But beyond that? The sky’s the limit. Some Italian pizzas hew to the traditional tomato-sauce-basil-and-cheese model (the margherita), while others include potatoes, local meats and veggies, and even pistachios.

No matter which direction you go, the emphasis will be on an incredible crust and the freshest ingredients – changing the way you look at pizza forever.

Also Read: Eating in Italy: The Best Food and Where to Find It

Pho – Vietnam

The brothy noodle soup can be found across the U.S., but go to Vietnam if you want the real deal.

A dish with humble origins that’s become a foodie favorite, pho varies greatly in style and flavor from the north of Vietnam (where it originated) to the south (where it’s spicier). It’s a street-market staple, though it can also be found in high-end restaurants around Vietnam.

While we think of pho as a lunch or dinner food, it’s actually more popular as a breakfast dish in Vietnam.

Pho is wonderful throughout the country, but the real thrill comes from sampling each region’s take on this dish.

Paella – Spain

Before anything is said about the taste, note that Paella looks amazing: A huge pan, like an overgrown wok, stuffed with saffron rice, a wide array of seafood, chicken (or rabbit), and sausage. Paella is not a spur-of-the-moment thing; you have to want to eat it, and eat a lot of it, and wait for it.

Paella originated in Valencia, but you can find it all across Spain, in small markets and fancy restaurants, in vegetarian and seafood versions, wet or dry. Look for places that specialize in rice, or join a class and learn how to make it yourself.

Also Read: The Best Places to Visit In Spain: From Cordoba to Valencia

Ackee rice – Jamaica

“Ackee rice salt fish is nice,” Harry Belafonte sang decades ago, but it’s true: When in Jamaica, ackee rice and saltfish should definitely be on your tasting menu.

A dish of humble origins, like a lot of foods on this list, ackee rice is made with the local ackee fruit, which when cooked looks and tastes more like scrambled eggs than fruit. The fruit is combined with rice and salted fish – cod or some other whitefish – to create a strongly flavored mixture that Jamaicans swear by, even if some visitors are hesitant at first.

 Trying ackee and saltfish is a delicious way to experience Jamaica’s vibrant culinary heritage.

Also Read: Jamaica Travel Insurance & Assistance Services

Tacos al Pastor - Mexico

Mexican street food is fast becoming a staple of the American diet, but it really does taste better in Mexico.

On either side of the border, tacos al pastor are most often made with pork marinated in adobo and citrus and cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is then sliced thin and combined with ingredients like corn and pineapple to provide an unforgettable mélange of flavors from sweet to salty to spicy.

Mexico City is ground zero for your hunt for the country’s best tacos al pastor. Local markets like Mercado Medellin and Mercado de Coyoacán often have multiple vendors selling tacos,  along with sweets and fruity aguas frescas to accompany them.

Ratatouille – France

The brilliant M.F.K. Fisher wrote lovingly about ratatouille in her classic book As They Were, and even though the rest of us know the dish from the Pixar movie of the same name, Fisher gives us deeper context. It should be consumed in a small, rustic restaurant or a kitchen in Provence, as fresh as possible, and ideally not in the heat of summer but in the chill of late autumn. It is, as Fisher wrote, “a good way to live.”

Also Read: Navigating Paris: Essential Tips for American Travelers

Kimchi – South Korea

One of the beauties of kimchi is that it can be just about anything you want it to be: a pleasantly mild, cabbage‑based side dish or a fiery, garlic‑packed, umami-rich creation that’s  eye-wateringly hot. And great thing about eating kimchi in South Korea is that you can have it those ways, and everything in between.

Kimchi is featured in soups and stews, mixed in with fried or cooked rice, or served as an accompaniment to meats like ribs. However you take your kimchi, be ready to take it repeatedly; it’s ubiquitous in South Korea.

Lamb – Morocco

Morocco seems to have a thousand different ways of cooking and serving lamb: made in meatballs and served in stews, ground and grilled on skewers, or roasted on a spit until the outside is crisp and the inside juicy.

Often the richness of the lamb is balanced with harissa, a hot chili paste that originated in neighboring Tunisia but has been adopted by Moroccan cuisine.

Goat and Jollof – Nigeria

Rice is a staple of so many cuisines around the world, and African cuisine is no exception. Jollof is a West African rice dish rich with tomatoes and infused with flavors like ginger, turmeric, and habanero chili.

Jollof rice is often served with goat. While not a staple of American cooking or eating, goat is a flavorful meat that’s popular in Mexico, South America, and Africa. The combination of the rice and goat is heavenly – and off the beaten path for many American foodies.

Bet you’re hungry. If reading about incredible food makes you want to travel, go ahead and start planning that next big trip. When you do, don’t forget about travel protection from Generali Global Assistance. With plans to help cover many types of trip, Generali Global Assistance is there for all your foodie adventures.

And it all starts with a quote.

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