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Shengjian bao
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Shengjian bao

Pan-fried pork buns

Shanghai wakes up to the sound of shengjian bao sizzling in huge flat pans, the cooks spinning the pans over the flame and splashing in water so the buns fry and steam at the same time. What you get is a soft, slightly fluffy top scattered with sesame and spring onion, a crackling brown base and a juicy pork filling that squirts if you bite too fast. They are breakfast food, bought by the four and eaten from paper trays with black vinegar. A heavy non-stick or cast-iron frying pan with a tight lid works perfectly at home. Chef's tip: let the shaped buns rise for 15 minutes before frying, no longer; over-risen dough flattens and loses its neat shape in the pan.

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AkibiyeCreamy taro with fermented soybean

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Labouyi farinSpiced wheat flour porridge

In Port-au-Prince and in towns across Haiti, a pot of labouyi farin is a cheap, filling breakfast that children grow up on: wheat flour simmered smooth with evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and a little lime zest, then sweetened and finished with vanilla. It should be pourable and silky, somewhere between custard and porridge. The common mistake is adding the flour straight to hot liquid, which makes lumps that never cook out; mix it into cold water first. Chef's tip: let it bubble gently for a full 10 minutes after it thickens, stirring, or it keeps a raw floury taste.

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Chikar cholayThick chickpea curry

'Chikar' is Punjabi for mud, a fond joke about how thick these chickpeas are. In the old walled city of Lahore, around Lohari Gate and Gawalmandi, breakfast shops simmer huge pots from before dawn, mashing part of the chickpeas into the ghee and tomato until the whole lot clings like a paste; on Sunday mornings families eat them with fresh kulcha or puri, raw onion and lemon. Contains dairy (ghee). Chef's tip: boil the chickpeas until they squash with no resistance at all; firm ones never thicken into proper chikar.

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Aloo pitikaMashed potato with mustard oil

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Ambadyachi udda methiHog plum coconut gravy

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Laphet yayBurmese milk tea

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LasopyBlended vegetable soup

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AlkubusSteamed wheat bread

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95 minNigerianBreads & ParathasVegan
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Lavang latikaClove-sealed syrup pastries

Lavang latika is a festive sweet of Bengal and Bihar, shaped like a tiny sealed envelope with a single clove pinned through the flap; it fills sweet-shop trays at Bijoya Dashami, Diwali and Bhai Phonta. Inside is mawa with coconut, nuts and cardamom, and after slow frying the parcels are soaked in syrup, so the outside is crisp and sweet and the clove gives a warm, peppery bite. The common mistake is folding the pastry loosely; the flaps must overlap well and be pressed shut before the clove goes in, or the parcels unfold in the ghee. Remove the clove before eating if you prefer. Chef's tip: soak the cloves in hot water for 5 minutes so they push through the pastry without cracking it.

90 minIndianIndian Sweets
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Alle belleCoconut-filled pancake rolls

Alle belle are the tea-time sweet of Goan Catholic homes: soft, lacy pancakes, sometimes tinted with a little green from pandan or turmeric leaf, rolled up around a sticky filling of fresh coconut and dark palm jaggery (godd). They appear at feast-day teas, at village fairs and in school tiffin boxes, and they contain egg in the batter. The common mistake is a thick batter, which gives heavy pancakes that crack when rolled; it should pour like single cream and spread thinly with a swirl of the pan. Chef's tip: cook the filling until it is sticky but still soft, then add a pinch of salt, because the salt makes the palm jaggery taste richer.

45 minIndianDesserts
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Aloo bhindiPotato and okra stir-fry

Aloo bhindi is the sabzi that Delhi children are happiest to find in their dabba with soft phulkas: okra fried until its edges crisp, potato cubes browned alongside, and sliced onion cooked sweet, all dusted with amchur and cumin. The single big mistake is washing the okra and cutting it wet, which releases slime that never cooks off. Wash it, dry every pod with a cloth and wait half an hour before slicing. Chef's tip: add the salt only at the very end; salt draws moisture out of the okra and makes it sticky.

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Aloo seddho bhaat for toddlersRice and potato mash for toddlers

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LekkerbekjeBattered fried whiting

Lekkerbekje means "little treat", and at the haringkarren and fish stalls of the Albert Cuyp and Dappermarkt it is the other big seller next to raw herring: a whole fillet of whiting (or cod) dipped in batter and fried until the coating crackles. It comes in a paper tray with a lemon wedge and a spoon of remoulade, and Amsterdammers eat it for lunch on market days, standing at the counter. The batter here uses sparkling water instead of beer for lightness. Chef's tip: keep the batter ice-cold and mix it only just before frying; the cold against the hot oil is what makes it shatter.

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Aloo sadekoSpiced potato salad

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Liangban sansiCold three-shred salad

Liangban sansi, 'cold-tossed three shreds', is one of the most common cold dishes on Chinese family tables, made in summer and at Lunar New Year as a fresh plate among the richer dishes. Fine strips of carrot, cucumber and kelp (or tofu skin) are blanched where needed and dressed with garlic, rice vinegar, soy and sesame oil, giving a crunchy, bright, gently sour salad. Serve it beside steamed fish or tofu. It is suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 70 kcal and 7 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is cutting the shreds thick and uneven, which makes the salad clumsy and the dressing slides off. A pinch of sugar in the dressing is optional; a sweetener works too. Chef's tip: soak dried kelp strips until soft and blanch them for one minute with a splash of vinegar so they lose their sliminess.

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Limonata a cosce aperteFizzy lemonade

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Lingad ka acharFiddlehead fern pickle

In Kullu, Mandi and Kangra, the monsoon brings lingad, the curled young shoots of the vegetable fern that grows along streams and terrace edges. Villagers pick them in the morning and sell them by the bundle; what is not stir-fried with potato goes into a small jar of pickle to stretch the short season. The shoots are blanched, dressed with mustard oil, crushed mustard seed, red chilli and lemon, and the result is green, crisp and faintly like asparagus with a nutty mustard heat. It is eaten with siddu, rice and madra, or simply with a hot roti. Outside the Himalaya, use ostrich fern fiddleheads, which appear in spring in North America and Europe. Fern shoots must always be cooked; raw or undercooked fiddleheads can upset the stomach badly. Common mistake: only flash-blanching them; boil for the full time. It is ready after a night in the fridge, when the coils have dulled to olive and taste tangy. Keep it in the fridge for up to 10 days; discard if you see mould, slime or smell anything off. Chef's tip: rub off the brown papery scales between your palms under running water before you weigh them.

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AmadumbeBoiled taro

Market women in Pietermaritzburg and along the KwaZulu-Natal north coast sell amadumbe by the bucket, hairy brown corms that look unpromising until boiled and peeled to reveal dense, creamy white flesh with a nutty, almost chestnut-like flavour. They are eaten hot as a starch with a stew, cold as a snack, or simply split and buttered; this vegan version dresses them in oil warmed with spring onion and chilli. Peeling them raw is the mistake to avoid, because the sap irritates the skin and leaves your hands itching. Always cook taro right through: undercooked corms taste scratchy in the throat. Chef's tip: boil them in their skins and slip the skins off while still warm, when they come away cleanly with a small knife.

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Lok lokBoiled skewers with dipping sauce

Late at night along Gurney Drive and in the back lanes of George Town, the lok lok vans open their side doors to reveal racks of colourful skewers: tofu, quail eggs, okra, mushrooms, fish balls, prawns and squid. You pick what you like, dunk it in a pot of bubbling water at the counter, then dip it in thick peanut satay sauce or sweet chilli sauce and pay by the colour of the stick. It makes a fun DIY supper at home, especially with children. Chef's tip: keep the water at a rolling boil and cook a few skewers at a time, so the seafood cooks through quickly.

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AsierSweet dill pickled cucumbers

Late August in Danish allotments means the asie, a fat yellow-green cucumber left on the vine until its skin turns thick and its seeds big, and the smell of hot vinegar in every kitchen. The cucumbers are peeled, seeded and salted overnight, then sealed in jars with a sweet vinegar lage, dill crowns and mustard seeds. Asier are a fixture of the Danish table all winter: beside frikadeller, flæskesteg and roast duck at Christmas, sliced onto smørrebrød with liver pâté, and with boiled potatoes and brown gravy on any Tuesday. The pickle is crisp yet tender, sweet first and then sharply sour, with dill and mustard on the finish. Common mistake: skipping the overnight salting, which leaves watery, flabby asier that dilute the vinegar. The salt draws the water out so the cucumber stays firm. They are ready after two weeks, when the flesh has turned translucent and sweet-sour right through. Chef's tip: no asier? Use large, overgrown ridge or field cucumbers; ordinary salad cucumbers are too watery.

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Arroz e feijão amassadinho for babiesMashed rice and beans for babies

Rice and beans are on almost every lunch plate in Brazil, from São Paulo office canteens to family tables in Minas Gerais, and babies join in from about eight or nine months with an amassadinho, a soft fork-mashed version. The beans are simmered with a little onion, garlic and bay leaf for flavour instead of salt, bacon or stock cubes, then mashed into soft rice with their thick broth. It is creamy, earthy and filling. It is free of the major allergens: no milk, egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: mash the beans well and press them through a sieve the first few times; the skins are the part babies find hardest.

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Arroz con queso cruceñoCreamy baked cheese rice

Lunch tables in Santa Cruz and Beni regularly carry a dish of arroz con queso next to the grilled meat: rice cooked soft and stirred with milk, butter and plenty of crumbled lowland cheese, then baked until the top turns golden. Cruceño cooks serve it with fried plantain and a tomato salad. Local cheese is usually made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian mild Cheddar or a feta-style cheese if you need one. The most common mistake is draining the rice; it needs its starch to turn creamy. Chef's tip: hold back a third of the cheese and scatter it on top just before baking, so you get a melted core and a browned crust.

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Asal-o-khamehClotted cream and honey on flatbread

On Friday mornings in Tehran and Isfahan, families queue at the bakery for hot barbari or sangak, then come home to a treat: thick clotted cream, called khameh or sarshir, drizzled with honey and scooped up with the warm bread, alongside glasses of black tea. The mistake is serving it with cold bread; the warmth is what softens the cream into the honey. Honey is not suitable for babies under one. Chef's tip: let the cream sit out for 10 minutes and spread it first, then drizzle the honey in a thin stream so you get sweet ribbons rather than a puddle.

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Atol shucoSour black corn drink

In San Salvador's Plaza Libertad and outside churches on cool mornings, atol shuco is ladled from steaming clay pots into gourd bowls. Shuco means 'dirty', for its dusky purple-grey colour: it is made from fermented black corn, so it tastes slightly sour and earthy, topped with ground toasted pumpkin seeds, a few whole black beans and a pinch of chilli salt. It is savoury and filling rather than sweet. The usual mistake is leaving the masa to ferment too long in a hot kitchen; check it after a day and use it as soon as it smells pleasantly tangy. Throw it away if you see mould or it smells unpleasant. Chef's tip: if you can't wait for fermentation, a squeeze of lime at the end gives a similar tang.

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Arrollado huasoRolled spiced pork belly

Arrollado huaso, the 'countryman's roll', is the pork belly roll of the Central Valley: a flat piece of pork belly spread with ají paste, garlic and cumin, rolled tight, tied and wrapped, then simmered for hours and sliced cold. It is the star of September fondas and Christmas tables, sliced thin with hot bread, pebre and boiled potatoes. The mistake that spoils it is a loose roll, which unwinds and cooks unevenly; tie it every 3 cm. Chef's tip: cool it overnight in its cooking liquid with a weight on top; it sets firm and slices into neat spirals. The pork must reach 71 °C in the centre, as the rolled-in surface is now inside.

190 minChileanMeatGluten free
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Arepitas dulcesSweet fried corn cakes

In Lara and the Andean states of Trujillo and Mérida, breakfast often comes with a basket of arepitas dulces: small, puffy fried arepas made with corn and wheat flour, sweetened with papelón (unrefined cane sugar) and scented with anise seed. They are crisp outside, soft and cakey inside, and are split and filled with salty white cheese or eaten with coffee. The common mistake is frying them in oil that is too hot, so they brown before the middle cooks; keep the oil at about 170 °C. If you fill them with cheese, note that some white cheese is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one. Chef's tip: dissolve the papelón in the warm water first, so the sugar is spread evenly and doesn't form dark burnt spots in the oil.

40 minVenezuelanBreakfast & Brunch
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Arrope de chañarChañar fruit syrup

In the oases of the Atacama, from San Pedro to Toconao, the small brown fruit of the chañar tree is gathered in late summer, dried in the sun and boiled for hours into arrope, a molasses-like syrup with notes of dates and caramel. Grandmothers keep a bottle for winter coughs, but most of it ends up on toast, stirred into hot water or over mote (cooked wheat) and fresh cheese. Dried chañar is sold in northern markets and online; it needs no sugar at all. The classic mistake is walking away at the end, when the syrup thickens fast and scorches, turning bitter. Chef's tip: stop reducing when the syrup coats a spoon thinly; it sets much thicker as it cools.

240 minChileanBasicsVeganGluten free
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Rum ballsChocolate rum balls

Rum balls are the grown-ups' Christmas sweet in Australia, rolled by the trayful in December and handed round at end-of-year parties from Sydney to Perth. They are made from chocolate cake crumbs or crushed biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa and dark rum, rolled in coconut. They contain alcohol and are for adults only; for children or anyone avoiding alcohol, use rum essence and a splash of orange juice instead. A common mistake is a mix that's too wet; chill it before rolling. Chef's tip: make them a day ahead so the flavours mellow.

30 minAustralianDesserts
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Aval kanji for babiesRice flake porridge for babies

In Tamil homes from Madurai to Chennai, aval (flattened rice, the same poha sold in every kirana shop) is one of the first grains a grandmother reaches for when a baby turns six months. The flakes are dry-roasted until they smell like puffed rice, ground to a fine powder and simmered with water into a thin, pale porridge with a gentle toasted flavour, usually given as a mid-morning feed. For babies it is made with no salt, sugar, jaggery or honey. It is free of the major allergens: no milk, egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: roast a whole cup of aval at once, grind it and keep the powder in a dry jar for up to two weeks, so each feed takes five minutes.

15 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
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Ayote en mielSquash in spiced syrup

Nicaraguan grandmothers set a pot of ayote en miel on the stove on Holy Wednesday, so there is something sweet to share with neighbours right through Easter week, often alongside sweet green mango and coconut. Chunks of squash simmer in dark panela syrup with cinnamon, cloves and allspice until they are glossy and tender and the syrup tastes of caramel and spice. Stirring is the common mistake: a spoon breaks the soft squash into mush, so shake the pot instead. Chef's tip: leave the skin on the squash; it holds each piece together and turns soft enough to eat.

75 minCentral AmericanDessertsVeganGluten free
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Bachali kura pappuDal with Malabar spinach

Bachali, or Malabar spinach, climbs over back walls all across Telangana and Andhra, and its thick, glossy leaves go into this everyday pappu that turns up at lunch several times a month with rice, ghee and a pickle. The leaves give the dal a silky body and a faint lemony note. People often overcook it until the greens turn khaki; add them after the dal is soft and cook just long enough to wilt. Chef's tip: use the tender stems too, chopped small; they add a pleasant crunch.

35 minIndianCurriesVeganGluten free
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BahoSteamed beef, plantain and cassava

Baho, also spelled vaho, is the dish Nicaraguan families plan a Sunday around, especially in Granada and Managua: beef marinated overnight in sour orange and garlic, then steamed for hours in a big pot lined with banana leaves on a bed of green plantain, ripe plantain and cassava. Everything comes out tender and fragrant with the leaves, and it is served with a crunchy, vinegary cabbage salad to cut through the richness. Marinate the beef in the fridge, never at room temperature. The mistake that ruins it is letting the pot boil dry, which scorches the leaves and the plantain at the bottom; top up the water every hour. Chef's tip: keep a few banana leaves back to tuck over the top, so the steam stays trapped inside the parcel.

250 minCentral AmericanMeatGluten free
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Bajre ki raabdiFermented pearl millet buttermilk porridge

In the villages of Haryana and the Rajasthan border, raabdi is drunk at midday in May and June to keep cool in the fields. Pearl-millet flour is stirred into buttermilk and left to ferment for a few hours, then cooked slowly until thick, cooled in a clay pot and thinned with more buttermilk and salt. It tastes tangy and earthy, a little like a savoury porridge you can drink. Ferment at warm room temperature (25–32 °C) for 4–6 hours: it should smell pleasantly sour with a few bubbles. Throw it away if you see pink, black or furry mould or it smells rotten or of nail varnish. The common mistake is cooking on high heat, which scorches the millet and leaves raw lumps. Chef's tip: keep the cooked raabdi in the fridge and drink it within 2 days, thinning each glass to taste.

35 minIndianDrinksGluten free
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Bánh da lợnSteamed layer cake

Bánh da lợn is piled up in glistening slabs at the dessert stalls of Bến Thành Market and on the trays of Saigon's afternoon sweet sellers. Thin layers of tapioca and coconut batter are steamed one at a time, alternating fragrant pandan green with nutty mung bean yellow, so every slice shows neat stripes and has a soft, bouncy, slightly springy bite. People peel the layers off one by one, especially children. Chef's tip: let each layer set until it turns translucent before pouring the next, or the colours run into each other.

100 minVietnameseDessertsVeganGluten free
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Bánh khúcCudweed sticky rice dumplings

Long before sunrise, vendors walk Hanoi's Old Quarter with steaming baskets, calling out for xôi xéo and bánh khúc. These are soft green dumplings coloured and scented with rau khúc, a grassy, herbal cudweed, wrapped around mung bean paste and peppery pork belly, then rolled in sticky rice grains and steamed until the grains turn glossy. They are eaten hot from a scrap of banana leaf with a pinch of sesame salt, often on a cold winter morning. Look for frozen or dried cudweed at Vietnamese grocers. Chef's tip: keep the green dough thin but even; thick dough cracks and lets the filling escape.

120 minVietnameseSnacks & StartersGluten free
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Batido de lechosaPapaya and orange shake

Lechosa is what Venezuelans call papaya, and on breakfast tables from Valencia to Puerto La Cruz it turns up as a batido beside arepas or empanadas, often blended with the oranges that are piled cheap in every market. It is thick, smooth and sunset-orange, tasting of honeyed papaya and bright citrus, and it fills you up until lunch. Some families blend it with milk instead of juice, which turns it into a creamy merengada. The common mistake with milk is letting it stand: papaya's natural enzyme starts to turn milk bitter within half an hour, so drink it straight away. Another mistake is scraping the seed cavity too hard; the black seeds and their slippery coating make the batido bitter and peppery. It is ready when there are no fibres left, it pours in a thick stream and the colour is an even orange. Choose papaya that is mostly yellow-orange and gives slightly under your thumb; a green-streaked one tastes flat and a little musky. Chef's tip: a few drops of lime juice cut through papaya's musky note and make it taste fresher.

5 minVenezuelanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Batido de mameyMamey milkshake

In Havana and all over the island, the cafeteria counter has a blender that never stops, turning out batidos of mango, guanábana, papaya and the favourite of all, mamey. The fruit has a rough brown skin and a soft, salmon-red flesh that tastes like sweet potato, pumpkin pie, almond and apricot at once, and blended with cold milk it makes a shake so thick it is almost a dessert. It is drunk mid-afternoon on hot days, at breakfast with toast, or at a kid's birthday party; Miami's Cuban cafés keep the tradition alive with frozen pulp. The common mistake is using a hard mamey, which tastes starchy and slightly bitter; the fruit must give like a ripe avocado when pressed and show deep red flesh when you scratch the skin with a fingernail. The batido is ready when it is smooth, pumpkin-orange and pours slowly in a thick ribbon. Frozen mamey pulp from Latin American shops is a good substitute; reduce the ice because the pulp is already cold. Chef's tip: a pinch of salt and a drop of vanilla bring out mamey's almond notes.

5 minCubanDrinksGluten free
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BekangFried fermented soybeans

Bekang is the Mizo name for soybeans boiled and left to ferment in leaves until sticky and strongly savoury, and fried bekang is one of the most loved sides on the Aizawl table, spooned over plain rice. To ferment your own, keep the wrapped, drained beans at 30–40 °C for 2–3 days: they are ready when coated in sticky white threads and smell of ammonia and nuts. Throw them out if you see black, green or pink mould or they smell rotten. The common mistake is frying on high heat until the beans scorch and turn bitter. Chef's tip: bought kinema, axone or natto work in place of homemade bekang.

17 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
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BelgramiChewy fresh cheese sweet

Belgrami belongs to Udwantnagar in Bihar's Bhojpur district, where sweet makers have cooked it for generations and travellers buy boxes on the way through. Fresh chhena is cooked down with sugar until it firms into a dense, slightly chewy, pale cream block with a gentle caramel note, then cut into pieces. It keeps for days, which makes it a favourite gift at weddings and Chhath. The common mistake is stopping too early: it must cook until the mass pulls into one lump and no longer sticks to the pan, or the pieces stay soft and weep. Chef's tip: use chhena from full-fat cow's milk and hang it for an hour, so it is dry enough to cook down quickly.

105 minIndianIndian SweetsGluten free
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Beni shogaRed pickled ginger

Beni shoga is the bright pink tangle you see on Osaka street food: piled beside yakisoba, scattered on okonomiyaki, folded into takoyaki batter and heaped on a bowl of gyudon at lunchtime. Kansai cooks make it in early summer, when umeboshi plums finish salting and leave behind red umezu, the salty, sour, shiso-coloured plum vinegar that both cures and dyes the ginger. The result is crunchy, sharp and salty, with a clean ginger heat and none of the sweetness of sushi gari. Young summer ginger gives the most tender threads; mature ginger works but is hotter and more fibrous, so cut it thinner. If you cannot find red umezu, use rice vinegar with salt and a slice of raw beetroot for colour (see the note). The common mistake is skipping the salting and drying: wet ginger dilutes the umezu and turns soft and dull. Squeeze it and let it dry so it drinks up the vinegar. It is ready when the threads are evenly rosy right through and taste salty-sour rather than raw. Chef's tip: save the pink vinegar left in the jar; a spoonful in potato salad or rice for onigiri is excellent.

20 minJapaneseChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Besan chillaGram flour pancakes

Across North India, besan chilla is the answer when the tiffin needs packing in fifteen minutes: a pourable gram flour batter studded with onion, tomato, chilli and coriander, cooked thin on a tawa, then rolled up with chutney or ketchup. It is naturally egg-free and filling. The common mistake is a thick batter, which gives a heavy, raw-tasting pancake; it should flow like single cream. Chef's tip: spread the batter with the back of a ladle in quick circles from the centre outward, and cover the pan for the first minute so the top steams set.

25 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
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Louise sliceJam and coconut meringue slice

Louise slice, or Louise cake, is a New Zealand tea-time classic found on church cake stalls and in grandma's tins from Invercargill to Whangārei. A buttery shortcake base is spread with raspberry jam and topped with a chewy coconut meringue that bakes to pale gold. It is light and pretty, and very easy. A common mistake is baking the meringue too hot, which browns it before it sets inside. Chef's tip: spread the meringue right to the edges so the jam doesn't bubble through.

60 minNew ZealandBaking
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Bhang ki chutneyRoasted hemp seed chutney

In Kumaon every kitchen keeps a jar of hemp seeds, and this tangy chutney is ground fresh to go with rotis, aloo ke gutke and festive pakodas all through the year. It uses hulled, food-grade hemp seeds sold for cooking, which are not psychoactive at all; they simply taste like a cross between sesame and toasted pine nuts. The seeds are dry-roasted, ground with mint, chilli and the juice of the big hill lemon, and loosened with a little water. The usual mistake is roasting the seeds too dark, which turns the chutney bitter and grey. Chef's tip: grind in a mortar or with short pulses and stop while it still has some texture; a perfectly smooth paste loses the pleasant crunch.

15 minIndianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Bhure chawalRice with ghee and sugar

Bhure chawal is about as simple as Haryanvi village cooking gets: steaming rice tossed with plenty of desi ghee and bura, the fine, fluffy sugar sold in Haryana, and sometimes a few chopped nuts. It is the treat grandmothers make after the evening milking, at a new daughter-in-law's first meal, or on cold nights when something sweet is needed fast. Use fragrant, well-cooked rice and good ghee, as there is nothing to hide behind. The common mistake is adding the sugar to lukewarm rice, so it stays gritty instead of melting into the ghee. Chef's tip: no bura? Blitz ordinary sugar to a powder and add a pinch of cardamom.

25 minIndianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Bihari aloo bhujiaFried potato sticks

In Bihar, aloo bhujia is not the packaged snack but the everyday matchstick-potato fry that sits beside dal, bhaat and chokha on the lunch plate, cooked in mustard oil with panch phoron and a slit green chilli. Patna households make it most days of the week because it takes twenty minutes and pleases everyone. The common slip is crowding the pan and stirring too much, which turns the sticks to mash; give them room and toss gently. Chef's tip: soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes and dry them well; washing off surface starch keeps the sticks separate and lightly crisp.

25 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
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Arepa peladaHand-peeled corn arepas

Before bagged flour reached every shop, arepas in Lara and across the Llanos began with whole dried corn boiled with a spoon of food-grade lime until its skins slipped off; 'pelada' means peeled. The dough has a deeper, slightly smoky corn taste and a coarser crumb than flour arepas, and on cattle ranches it is still eaten at breakfast with butter or avocado. Handle the lime (calcium hydroxide) with care: keep it off your skin and away from children. The common mistake is rinsing too lightly, which leaves the dough yellow, soapy and bitter. Chef's tip: grind the corn twice and add water a spoonful at a time; a dough that is too wet slumps on the griddle.

180 minVenezuelanBreads & ParathasVeganGluten free
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BinatogBoiled hominy with coconut

Binatog is an afternoon snack sold from bicycle carts that ring their way through the side streets of Manila, especially around Tondo and Sampaloc, the vendor scooping steaming white corn from a big tin can into small cups. The kernels are plump, chewy and nutty, piled with snowy grated coconut and finished with salt or sugar to taste, so everyone gets it the way they like. It is simple, filling and naturally vegan. Dried white hominy (pozole corn) has already been treated with lime, which gives the chewy, popped kernels; if you can only find canned hominy, rinse it and warm it for 10 minutes instead. Chef's tip: keep the kernels at a gentle simmer; a hard boil splits them before they become tender.

120 minFilipinoSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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BlatjangDried apricot chutney

Bo-Kaap households keep a jar of blatjang beside the salt, because a spoonful goes next to almost everything: bobotie, a bowl of curry and rice, cheese on toast, a braaied mielie. Dried apricots are simmered down in vinegar with onion, ginger, garlic and red chilli until the fruit collapses into a thick, glossy, burnt-orange paste that is sweet first, then sour, then warm at the back of the throat. Some aunties keep it chunky, others push it through a sieve until it is as smooth as a sauce; both are right. The usual mistake is to take it off the heat while it still looks loose in the pot, which leaves a runny chutney that weeps in the jar. Chef's tip: soak the apricots overnight in the vinegar and they break down in half the time, with a cleaner, brighter fruit flavour.

60 minSouth AfricanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Blote billetjes in het grasWhite and green beans with butter

Dutch grandmothers named this dish 'bare bottoms in the grass' for the pale white beans peeping out between the green ones, and it is a summer weekday supper all over the Netherlands, when runner and French beans are cheap. Green beans and cooked white beans are simmered together, then stirred with butter, a little stock and plenty of pepper, often with boiled potatoes on the side. Many families add bacon or a smoked sausage; this version keeps it vegetarian, so serve it with a fried egg or a vegetarian sausage if you want more. The usual mistake is boiling the green beans until grey: they should stay bright with a slight bite. Chef's tip: a splash of the bean-cooking liquid stirred in with the butter makes a glossy little sauce that clings to everything.

30 minDutchVegetarianGluten free
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Boller i karry for toddlersMeatballs in mild curry for toddlers

Boller i karry, meatballs in curry, is one of Denmark's best-loved dinners, voted a national favourite and cooked on weeknights from Copenhagen's Nørrebro to farmhouses in Jutland. The meatballs are pork, poached gently rather than fried, and the sauce is mild and creamy, made from the poaching liquid with apple and leek and just a pinch of curry powder. For toddlers from 12 months there is no stock cube and very little salt, and the meatballs are cut small. It contains wheat (gluten), milk and egg; there are no nuts or soya. Chef's tip: keep the poaching water at a bare shiver; boiling makes the meatballs tough and crumbly.

60 minScandinavianMeat
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Bollitos pelonesBeef-stuffed corn dumplings in tomato sauce

Bollitos pelones are proper home cooking from central Venezuela: little balls of corn dough tinted with onoto, stuffed with a spoonful of spiced minced beef and simmered in a light tomato sauce until the dough firms. Mothers make them for school-day lunches with white rice, and they reheat well. The common mistake is stirring the pot, which breaks the balls apart. Chef's tip: give the pan a gentle shake instead of stirring, and don't touch them for the first 10 minutes.

75 minVenezuelanMeatGluten free
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Anijsmelk (aniseed milk)

When the canals of Friesland freeze hard and the whole of the Netherlands goes out on skates, koek-en-zopie stalls appear on the ice selling erwtensoep, warm sausage and steaming cups of anijsmelk. At home it is a winter bedtime drink for children and grandparents alike, made either by crushing aniseed into simmering milk or, as many Dutch families do, by stirring in anijsblokjes, sugar cubes flavoured with aniseed. It tastes softly sweet and liquorice-like without being sharp, and it is smooth and warming, with a faint warmth on the tongue. The common mistake is boiling the milk: it rises over the pan, scorches on the base and forms a thick skin. Heat it slowly and stop when tiny bubbles appear around the edge. It is ready when the milk smells clearly of anise after steeping and has turned faintly ivory. Anise seeds are sold in spice shops; in a pinch use one star anise, though it tastes stronger and less sweet. There is no caffeine, which is why Dutch parents serve it at bedtime. Chef's tip: crush the seeds just before using, the oils fade quickly once ground.

10 minDutchDrinksGluten free
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LaphingCold starch sheet noodles

Laphing came to Kathmandu with Tibetan families, and the alleys around the great stupa at Boudha are full of tiny stalls selling it every afternoon, to monks, students and office workers alike. Flour dough is washed in water to separate the starch from the gluten; the starch is steamed into thin, jelly-like sheets and the gluten into a spongy filling, then everything is rolled up and drowned in fiery chilli oil, garlic water, soy sauce and vinegar. It is cold, slippery, chewy and very hot. Contains wheat (gluten) and soya. Chef's tip: steam each sheet no thicker than 3 mm; thick layers set rubbery instead of silky.

180 minNepaliSnacks & StartersVeganSpicy
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Arepa pelúaArepa with shredded beef and cheese

Late at night in the areperas of Caracas, the pelúa is the order for the hungry: a split corn arepa packed with carne mechada (slow-cooked shredded beef in sofrito) and a heap of grated yellow cheese that melts into 'hairy' strands, which is what pelúa means. The beef can be made a day ahead, and many families cook a big pot to fill arepas all week. The common mistake is a dry arepa dough that cracks on the griddle. Chef's tip: the dough should feel like soft play-dough and leave your palms just damp; add water a spoonful at a time until it does.

135 minVenezuelanSnacks & StartersGluten free
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Bouillon d'awaraAwara palm fruit stew

Families in Cayenne, Kourou and Mana start bouillon d'awara days before Easter Monday, when it is eaten together and shared with neighbours; local lore says whoever eats it will come back to Guiana. The base is a thick orange paste of awara palm fruit, cooked very slowly with smoked chicken, salted pork, smoked fish, crab or prawns and a mass of vegetables until everything melds. Awara paste is sold frozen or in jars in Guianese and Antillean shops; if you can't find it, use a mix of palm-fruit concentrate (sold for West African banga soup) and puréed pumpkin, which gives a similar richness though not the same flavour. Salted meats must soak in the fridge overnight. The usual mistake is letting the thick stew catch on the bottom, so stir often. Chef's tip: the stew tastes even better on the second day, reheated until piping hot.

360 minGuyaneseMeatGluten free
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Bubur kacang hijauSweet mung bean porridge

In Java, the bubur kacang ijo seller pushes a cart through the neighbourhood from early morning, ladling warm mung bean porridge sweetened with palm sugar and topped with thick coconut milk. Many people eat it with a slice of white bread dunked in, and late-night stalls in Jakarta sell it alongside instant noodles. The common mistake is adding the sugar too early, which keeps the beans firm; cook them soft first. Chef's tip: cook the coconut milk separately with a pinch of salt and a pandan leaf and pour it on top, so the bowl has a sweet layer and a slightly salty, creamy one.

60 minIndonesianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
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Budín de zapallo italianoBaked courgette pudding

In late summer, when courgettes (zapallo italiano) pile up in Santiago's ferias, home cooks turn them into budín: a soft, savoury bake bound with eggs, milk and cheese, served in squares with rice or a tomato salad for a light weekday lunch. Chileans use mild queso chanco or gouda, which is usually made with animal rennet; choose a cheese marked vegetarian if that matters to you. The big mistake is skipping the draining step: courgettes are mostly water, and a budín made with wet courgette weeps in the dish. Chef's tip: salt the grated courgette, leave it 15 minutes and squeeze it hard in a clean tea towel until it stops dripping.

65 minChileanVegetarian
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Bún đậu mắm tômNoodles, tofu and shrimp paste

Bún đậu mắm tôm is served on round bamboo trays in the narrow alleys of Hanoi's Old Quarter, where groups of friends squat on low stools at lunch to share squares of pressed rice noodles, cubes of tofu fried until puffy, slices of boiled pork leg or belly and bundles of perilla and Vietnamese balm. Everything is dipped into mắm tôm, pungent fermented shrimp paste whisked with lime, sugar and a splash of hot oil until it foams. It is loud, salty and moreish. Chef's tip: whisk the shrimp paste hard for a full minute; it turns pale and fluffy and its harshness mellows.

50 minVietnamesePasta & Noodles
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Bún mắmFermented fish noodle soup

Vạn Kiếp Street in Saigon's Bình Thạnh district is lined with stalls serving bún mắm, a noodle soup that came up the river from the Mekong Delta. The broth is built on mắm cá linh or mắm cá sặc, small river fish fermented with salt, simmered until the bones dissolve and strained into a dark, savoury, lemongrass-scented stock. It is loaded with prawns, squid, white fish, slices of boiled pork belly and soft aubergine, and eaten with a mountain of herbs and bean sprouts. Look for jars of mắm at Vietnamese grocers. Chef's tip: strain the fermented fish through a fine sieve, pressing hard; tiny bones make the broth gritty.

95 minVietnameseSoups
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Arroz con palmitoBaked rice with hearts of palm

Hearts of palm grow commercially in Costa Rica's northern lowlands, and arroz con palmito is the creamy, cheesy rice bake that turns up at family birthdays, first communions and Christmas buffets across the country. Cooked rice is folded with sliced palmito, sweet corn and a light white sauce, then baked under melted cheese until bubbling. Overcooking the rice at the start is the usual mistake; it keeps softening in the oven, so cook it just tender. Costa Rica's Turrialba cheese and most mozzarella use animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian melting cheese if needed. Chef's tip: slice the palm hearts into coins rather than chopping them; they keep their delicate, artichoke-like bite.

45 minCentral AmericanRice & Grains
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Buñuelos de algasSea lettuce fritters

On the beaches of Rocha, from La Paloma to Punta del Diablo, vendors walk the sand with baskets of hot buñuelos de algas: puffy, salty fritters speckled green with sea lettuce, eaten with a squeeze of lemon. Use dried sea lettuce or mixed seaweed flakes from a shop, or fresh sea lettuce only from a seller who harvests clean water; never pick it from a harbour or near drains. The usual mistake is frying in oil that isn't hot enough, so the fritters soak it up and turn greasy. Chef's tip: rest the batter for 15 minutes so the seaweed softens and the fritters puff more.

35 minParaguayanSnacks & Starters
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Finger bunsIced coconut finger buns

Finger buns are the classic Australian school canteen and tuckshop bun, sold in every suburban bakery and supermarket from Perth to Brisbane: soft, slightly sweet long rolls, sometimes with sultanas, topped with bright pink icing and a scatter of desiccated coconut. Kids eat them split and buttered. A common mistake is icing them warm, which makes it run off; let them cool completely. Chef's tip: brush them with a sugar glaze straight from the oven for a soft, shiny crust under the icing.

45 minAustralianBaking
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Burong isdaFermented fish and rice

Burong isda is a Kapampangan treasure. In Pampanga, and in neighbouring Bulacan and Tarlac, families make buro in the rainy months when mudfish and tilapia are plentiful, and the sautéed paste is set out at home lunches with fried or grilled fish, steamed okra and eggplant, and blanched mustard leaves (mustasa) to wrap it in. Cooked rice and salted fish ferment together for about a week until the rice has melted into a soft, pinkish porridge and the fish bones soften. Sautéed with garlic, onion and tomato, it becomes creamy, sour, salty and deeply savoury, a little like a cheese spread. Because the fish ferments raw, two rules matter: cure it first in 20% salt, and always cook the buro until bubbling hot before eating; never eat it straight from the jar. Pregnant people, babies, older people and anyone with weak immunity should only eat it freshly cooked, or skip it. Common mistake: packing hot rice, which spoils the ferment; cool it fully. It is ready to cook when it smells pleasantly sour, like sourdough, and the rice is soft. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of angkak (red yeast rice) gives the traditional pink colour.

75 minFilipinoChutneys & DipsGluten free
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Cà pháo muốiPickled white aubergines

In northern Vietnam, a bowl of cà pháo muối is part of the plain summer meal: boiled water spinach, a light crab and jute-leaf soup, a few slices of braised pork and these small, round, white eggplants, crunched whole or halved with a dab of mắm tôm. Hanoi families pack them into jars in the hot months, when the eggplants are cheapest, with garlic, chilli and a few slices of galangal. After three to five days the skins turn an olive-yellow, the flesh goes creamy-ivory and the taste becomes clean, salty-sour and juicy, with a gentle crunch and no raw bitterness. Abroad, use firm green-and-white Thai eggplants about 3 cm across. Common mistake: letting the eggplants float above the brine; the exposed tops turn black and soft, so weigh them down. They are ready when the brine is cloudy, smells pleasantly sour and a halved eggplant has no white, raw-tasting core. Eat them only once fully soured, and in side-dish amounts. Chef's tip: soaking the cut eggplants in salted water first keeps their flesh pale and draws out bitterness.

35 minVietnameseChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Cà tím om đậuBraised aubergine and tofu

In Hanoi, cà tím om đậu is a humble lunch dish of the old quarter rice shops and home kitchens, especially in the cooler months, and it is traditionally braised with pork and a spoon of fermented shrimp paste. This vegan version keeps the soft, smoky aubergine, golden tofu and sweet-sour tomato sauce, and swaps the shrimp paste for soy sauce, while purple perilla (tía tô) adds its unmistakable minty-anise lift. Serve it with plain rice and a bowl of clear vegetable soup. The usual mistake is crowding the tofu in the pan so it steams instead of frying, leaving it pale and soft. Chef's tip: soak the cut aubergine in lightly salted water with a dash of vinegar for 10 minutes, which stops it browning and keeps it from soaking up too much oil.

40 minVietnameseVegetarianVegan
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Batida de cocoCoconut cachaça cocktail

Along the barracas of Salvador's beaches and at the June São João parties across Bahia, batida de coco comes out of the blender in jugs, poured into plastic cups and drunk while the forró plays. It is a drink for adults only that hides its strength well: creamy, cold and sweet like a coconut milkshake, with cachaça warming the finish rather than shouting. The texture should be thick but pourable, pale ivory, with a soft froth on top. The common mistake is blending the ice for too long, which leaves a thin, watery drink that separates into a fatty layer within minutes. Blend the liquids smooth first, then add the ice and pulse only a few times, until the noise from the blender goes quiet and smooth. It is ready when no lumps of ice rattle and the batida coats the side of the glass. Because it tastes so gentle, keep the cups small and drink responsibly. Chef's tip: chill the cachaça, coconut milk and tin of condensed milk overnight, and you will need less ice and get a richer, denser batida.

8 minBrazilianDrinksGluten free
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Café chorreadoCloth-filtered coffee

Every Costa Rican grandmother has a chorreador: a small wooden stand holding a cloth bag, the bolsita, over a cup or jug. Hot water is poured through the grounds by hand, a little at a time, and the result is the coffee drunk at breakfast with gallo pinto and again at the afternoon cafecito around three, with a tamal, a slice of pan casero or a rosquilla. The cloth catches the oils and fine grounds, so the cup is clean, bright and smooth, with the soft acidity and caramel sweetness of Tarrazú and Central Valley beans. In the countryside the water is sometimes sweetened with tapa de dulce before it goes through. It is strong coffee, so mind the caffeine late in the day. The common mistake is pouring all the water in at once, which floods the bag and leaves weak, uneven coffee; pour in slow circles, in four or five goes. It is ready when the drips slow to a trickle and the coffee is dark reddish-brown and smells of toasted caramel. Never wash the bag with soap; rinse it in hot water and hang it to dry. Chef's tip: boil a new bag once with a spoonful of coffee before using it, to season the cloth.

10 minCentral AmericanDrinksVeganGluten free
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SerobeChopped tripe and offal

At a Tswana wedding or a funeral gathering, the men tending the three-legged pots will make serobe from the insides of the slaughtered goat or ox while the seswaa cooks alongside, and it is served first to the elders. Tripe, heart and liver are boiled until tender, chopped very fine and seasoned simply with salt, onion and a little of the rich broth, so it comes out soft, chewy in places and deeply savoury. Eat it with bogobe, pap or samp and a spoonful of morogo. Buy dressed (cleaned and scalded) tripe from a butcher, and cook everything right through. Chef's tip: chopping it fine by hand is the whole point; a food processor turns it into paste, so take your time with a heavy knife.

180 minSouthern AfricanMeatGluten free
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Caffè lecceseEspresso with almond milk over ice

In Lecce and the towns of Salento, summer mornings start at the bar with a caffè in ghiaccio, and the local version, a fairly recent invention now poured everywhere from Otranto to Gallipoli, adds a pour of latte di mandorla: the sweet almond-milk syrup Puglian bakers have made for generations from local almonds. A short glass is filled with ice, the almond syrup goes in, and a hot espresso is poured straight over so it cracks the ice and blends into a pale, cold, nutty coffee. It is sweet without being sticky, with a marzipan aroma and a clean bitter finish. The common mistake is letting the espresso cool before pouring: it no longer melts and mixes with the dense syrup, which then sits at the bottom. Pull the shot and pour it at once, then stir. It is ready when the drink is evenly caramel-coloured and the glass feels icy. Lecce bars serve it from about May to late September, often with a pasticciotto. Espresso means a fair hit of caffeine. Chef's tip: if you can only find unsweetened almond drink, stir 1 tsp of sugar into it first, but real Puglian almond syrup gives the true taste.

4 minItalianDrinksVeganGluten free
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CafungaBanana coconut cake in leaves

Cafunga belongs to Venezuela's eastern coast, in Sucre and the Afro-Venezuelan villages of Barlovento, where ripe bananas, coconut and panela are wrapped in banana leaves and baked until fragrant. It comes out dense and moist, somewhere between a pudding and a cake, and is sold in its leaf at fiestas and village markets. The common mistake is not softening the leaves first, so they crack and leak. Chef's tip: pass each leaf over a gas flame or dip it in boiling water until it turns glossy and pliable.

80 minVenezuelanBakingVeganGluten free
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Caldillo de congrioConger eel and potato broth

Caldillo de congrio is the soup of the central coast, from the fish stalls of Valparaíso to the little restaurants of Isla Negra, where Pablo Neruda wrote an ode to it: firm pieces of congrio (a white cusk-eel, not a true eel) poached in a tomato and onion broth with sliced potatoes, finished with a splash of cream and plenty of coriander. Outside Chile, use kingklip, monkfish, ling or thick hake. The common mistake is boiling the fish with the potatoes from the start; it falls to shreds. Add it at the end. Chef's tip: make the broth with the fish bones and trimmings if your fishmonger gives them to you; it doubles the flavour.

60 minChileanSoupsGluten free
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Frozen Christmas pudding

In the heat of an Australian December, many families swap the steamed pudding for a frozen one, ice cream packed with fruit, nuts and chocolate and set in a pudding basin so it still looks the part on the Christmas table in Brisbane or Perth. It is made days ahead and turned out just before serving. A common mistake is letting the ice cream melt too much while mixing, which makes it icy when refrozen; soften it only until stirrable. Chef's tip: soak the fruit in orange juice the night before so it stays soft when frozen.

30 minAustralianDesserts
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Calia e simenzaRoasted chickpeas and pumpkin seeds

Calia (toasted chickpeas) and simenza (salted pumpkin seeds) are sold together in twisted paper bags by the old caliari of Palermo, at the Festino of Santa Rosalia in July, along the Foro Italico seafront and outside the Teatro Massimo after a show. You crack the seeds with your teeth and chase them with the crunchy, nutty chickpeas, a habit that can last a whole evening. This home version roasts soaked dried chickpeas and salted seeds in the oven. Chef's tip: dry the soaked chickpeas really well; any surface water steams them instead of making them crunchy.

60 minItalianSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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Tomato bredieMutton and tomato stew

Winter Sundays in the Boland and the Cape Flats smell of tamatiebredie: fatty mutton neck left to murmur for two hours with a kilo of ripe tomatoes, a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and potatoes that soften into the sauce. The tomatoes collapse into a thick, brick-red gravy that is sweet, gently spiced and glossy with mutton fat, and the meat falls from the bone at a nudge. Serve it over plain white rice with a spoonful of fruit chutney or a beetroot salad on the side; like most bredies it tastes even better the next day. Most people drown it in water at the start, which leaves a thin, sour soup, so let the tomatoes provide the liquid and top up only by the splash. Chef's tip: for a meat-free pot, skip the mutton, soften the onions and spices the same way, then simmer two drained 400 g tins of butter beans with the tomatoes and potatoes for 40 minutes.

150 minSouth AfricanMeatGluten free
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Passionfruit sponge

The passionfruit sponge is the star of the Australian country show cake table and every Sunday afternoon tea, made from the vines that cover back fences from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast. Two airy, fatless sponges are filled with whipped cream and topped with a tangy passionfruit icing. A common mistake is knocking the air out when folding in the flour; use a light hand and a big metal spoon. Chef's tip: beat the eggs and sugar for a full 8–10 minutes until thick enough to hold a trail.

55 minAustralianBaking
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Chicharrón cochabambinoPork fried in chicha

Cochabamba's Sunday chicharrón is pork, cooked the slow way: big chunks of pork rib and shoulder simmered in chicha, the valley's fermented corn drink, with garlic and cumin until the liquid evaporates and the meat fries golden in its own fat. It is eaten with mote (big white corn), boiled potatoes and llajwa. Chicha contains alcohol, and some remains after cooking, so this dish is for adults; for an alcohol-free version use unsweetened apple juice with a splash of cider vinegar. The common mistake is rushing the last stage over a high heat, which burns the outside before the inside is tender. Chef's tip: once the liquid has gone, turn the pieces only every few minutes so a real crust can form.

150 minAndeanMeatGluten free
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Dubki kadhiUrad dal dumplings in curd curry

Dubki means a dip, and in this Chhattisgarhi kadhi the spiced urad dal batter is dropped raw straight into the simmering curd so the dumplings cook in the pot rather than in hot oil. It is the lighter, everyday cousin of pakora kadhi, served with rice at lunch across Durg and Raipur and at village feasts. The common mistake is dropping the batter into kadhi that is barely warm; the dumplings fall apart, so the kadhi must be at a lively simmer. Chef's tip: whisk the batter by hand for a full 3 minutes until a spoonful floats in water, and the dumplings will be airy, not dense.

290 minIndianCurriesGluten free
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