Food Around the World

Where does our food come from?

The dishes that we eat often have surprising cultural importance and amazing origin stories. We might be surprised to learn that these food dishes are much less distinct to a specific culture than we might first guess. Just like the food we eat, we are each a conglomeration of myriad stories from across the globe that have resulted in the development of the people we are today. See below for the answers to the 2021 International Education Week Quiz!

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Food Around the World

Learn about different foods, their history, where they originate, and more! You can also take a quiz to test your food knowledge and get the chance to win a prize!

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Andouille Sausage

500-1500 AD
France

While this pork sausage is most well known in the United States as a staple of Cajun and Creole cuisine, Andouille sausage actually originates in France. It is believed to have been created during the middle ages. Today this sausage is popular in France, and many cultures that have their roots in French culture, such as those in Louisiana. LaPlace, Louisiana has been nicknamed “The Andouille Capital of the World,” and the sausage is used in any number of Cajun and Creole foods, especially gumbo and jambalaya.

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Barbacoa Beef Romaine Salad

1500s
Taino People, Barbados

Barbacoa was believed to have started when natives of Barbados discovered how marinating and slow cooking their meats helped them to stay good for a lot longer. This practice was called “barabicu,” or “sacred fire pit,” at first but eventually became known as “barbecue.” This style of cooking was eventually adopted by Mexico and has since spread to the United States.

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Beef Taquito

1940
San Diego, California

In Mexico, the word “taquito” is commonly used to refer to small tacos sold on the street. Credit is often given to restaurant owner Ralph Pesqueria Sr. who, during World War II, wanted to create a more portable lunch item and gave the name “taquito” to small, rolled up beef tacos!

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Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Post-American Revolutionary War
American South

One of the most well-known breakfast dishes to originate from the American South, biscuits and gravy is a popular dish in the United States. While it’s believed to have originated after the Revolutionary War, some food historians argue that the version we have today began in the late 1800s. It started as a working class food, made with ingredients that were available. Pork sausage was easily attainable and affordable, and the gravy was made using the fat released when cooking the sausage. A white sausage gravy is still one of the most common for this dish!

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3 Cheese Quesadilla

Spanish Colonial Period
South-Central regions of Mexico

The “quesadilla” is a popular food in many countries around the world today. Though often filled with a variety of popular ingredients, a classic quesadilla is made with a corn tortilla and Oaxaca cheese (queso Oaxaca) and cooked on a comal (a smooth, flat, circular griddle). Three cheese quesadillas are typically made with some form of cheddar, monterey jack cheese, and provolone cheese on a flour tortilla. It seems any way you make it, a quesadilla is always going to be a delicious treat!

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Chicken Al Pastor Bowl

1800s
Ottoman Empire

“Al Pastor” in Spanish means “shepherd’s style.” It is made from spit-grilled pork and originated from when a vertically-grilled meat dish was spread throughout the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, there was a large emigration of people from Lebanon into Mexico, which is how this dish became integrated into Mexican culture.

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Chicken Gumbo

1800s
Louisiana

Gumbo is a literal testament to the idea of a “cultural melting pot.” Taking from the traditional cooking ways of France, West Africa, and the local Native American peoples, this dish comes in a variety of fashions. The actual origin and history of the dish is hotly debated, but the first documented evidence of gumbo was in the early 1800s. It is normally made with meat, stock, onions, okra or filé powder, and more. For Creole gumbo, the “holy trinity” of celery, bell peppers, and onions is often required. This cultural dish is most popular in Louisiana, but has since expanded, and is appreciated in new parts of the world!

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Chicken Piccata and Linguine and Lemon Caper Sauce

1900s
Italy/U.S.

Traditional Italian Piccatas are normally made using veal (the meat of calves). This dish was Americanized by switching the veal with chicken in the early 20th century into what is now known as Chicken Piccata. This dish is usually prepared with olive oil, shallots, lemon, garlic, and capers, but can be easily customized to fit one’s desires!

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Chile Verde Fries

1600s
Northern Mexico

“Chile Verde” is a green chili that was commonly added to a stew that originated in Northern Mexico made with pork or beef. Nowadays it’s common to pour the Chile Verde on modern french fries!

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Churros

The origin of this delicious fried treat is an interesting mystery. Churro-like dishes have been found everywhere from Portugal, to Greece, to China. The version that many know today seems to have been introduced to Latin America by the Spanish in the 1500s, where it became quite popular. The Spanish may have gotten theirs from the Portuguese, who could have brought the recipe from China, where a stretched dough food called “youtiao” is common. Whether churros come from here, or there, or anywhere, they have proven to be a hit everywhere!

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Corn Chowder

1884
Boston, Massachusetts

Chowder has been a common dish for centuries among Europeans that used to make a thick soup with potatoes, onions, celery, milk or cream, and some form of seafood. In 1884, the first printed record of corn chowder appeared in the Boston Cookbook, replacing the usual clams with corn. The dish has since become familiar in the United States, and has been mass produced and canned by many popular brands. With no shortage of variations and recipes, corn chowder has been used as a heart warming meal for over a century!

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Cream of Wheat

1893
Grand Forks, North Dakota

Actually a kind of porridge mix made using ground wheat middlings (the germ and endosperm of the wheat grain), also known commonly as “farnia,” Cream of Wheat has a smoother texture than grits — as grits is made from milled corn instead of wheat. The dish is made by adding boiling water or milk to the farina and stirring until the mixture has thickened. Cream of Wheat was popular throughout the 20th century, and is still eaten by many people today!

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French Fries

1600s - 1700s

After the potato was brought to Europe from the New World, french fries began making an appearance in the Belgium region around the 17th and 18th centuries. During WWI, United States soldiers serving in Belgium were introduced to the dish - and the rest is history.

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Hamburger

1100s - 1200s
Mongol Empire

The hamburger originally was invented when Mongol soldiers would take pieces of meat and place them under their saddles, tenderizing them while they rode. The soldiers would then consume the raw, but newly tenderized, protein.

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Italian Panini and California blend

1950s-60s
Italy

Panini, meaning “small bread/bread rolls,” is now the name of a popular press-grilled sandwich that originated in Italy in the mid-20th century. It grew in popularity among Milanese bars, eventually making its way into U.S. restaurants. Usually made with ciabatta, or another Italian bread roll, this sandwich can be made with a variety of ingredients, which makes it a popular food choice!

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Orange Chicken

1800s-1987
Hunan Province of China

This popular recipe may have evolved from the traditional “tangerine chicken” of Hunan province, China, substituting ingredients such as the tangerine with orange peel or an orange flavored sauce. The new recipe, coined by Chef Andy Kho of Panda Express in 1987, caters to the sweet and sour tastes found in American Chinese cuisine.

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Korean BBQ Chicken

37 BC - 668 AD
Maek Tribe, Central Asia

This Korean tribe would carry pre-seasoned meat with them on their voyages as a way to save time preparing food. Vegetables became popular later during a time of widespread Buddhism but when the Mongols took over Korea between 1231 and 1259, these cultural dishes mixed into what we now know as Korean BBQ!

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Kung Pao Chicken

1800s
Sichuan Province of China

The name Kung Pao originates from “Gongbao,” a short-form title for Ding Baozhen, an official and governor of Sichuan Province in the 19th century. Legend says that the young Ding fell and almost drowned, but was rescued by a local. The rescuer fed Ding a meal featuring marinated chicken, peanuts, and Sichuan peppers, which would come to be known as the famous Kung Pao chicken we are so familiar with today.

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Linguini

1700s
Campania, Italy

Linguini means little tongues. Linguini is traditionally paired with pesto, but is also delicious with oil-based sauces as well as fish sauces in stir fry dishes. In the early years of Linguini noodle making, the pasta was handmade with eggs. Fun fact: National Linguine Day occurs on September 15th of every year so mark your calendars to celebrate and try some today!

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Pizza

1700s-1800s
Naples, Italy

Ever want inexpensive and fast food? So did the hardworking Neapolitans in Italy. Pizza—flatbreads with various toppings, eaten for any meal and sold by street vendors or informal restaurants—met their needs. “Judgmental Italian authors often called their eating habits ‘disgusting,’” but today people across the world might disagree as they grab a slice.

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Poblano Chicken

1600s
Puebla, Mexico

An ancient national dish of Mexico dates back to the Aztec rituals. One legend claims it was prayer that inspired the dish when an archbishop made an unannounced visit to the Convent of Santa Rosa. The nuns had nothing to serve him, so they prayed for an angel to inspire them for a dish. Mixing various types of chiles with spices, day-old bread, nuts, chocolate, and approximately 20 other ingredients and letting it boil for a couple of hours, they made the first Poblano mole sauce. Today, we eat a similar sauce with chicken or turkey.

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Pork Charsiu w/ Bao Bun

1000 BC
Zhou Dynasty, China

This dish, more commonly referred to as “Char Siu,” has been around for over 3000 years. It started as a comfort food in the Zhou Dynasty in China and is now a very popular style of barbecued pork. The golden ratio of fat to pork in Char Siu is said to be 3:7.

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Shoyu Chicken with Pan-Fried Rice and Stir Fry Frozen Vegetables

1850s
Hawaii

Although the exact origin of this dish is unknown, it is commonly believed that Shoyu Chicken came about when immigrants from all over southeastern Asia came to Hawaii to work on sugar and fruit plantations. Their different cultures and styles of preparing food mixed into what is now known as Shoyu Chicken. The name “Shoyu” refers to a Japanese style of soy sauce, which characterizes this dish very well!

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Sliced Italian Sausage and Shells and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Breadsticks

500 BC
Basilicata, Italy

Initially referred to as “lucanica,” the Roman Historian, Marco Terenzio Varrone, recorded that salted and spiced meat was commonly stuffed into pig intestines, a practice that was adopted from the Lucanians. Evolving into what is now known as “salsiccia,” Italian sausage has been paired with many dishes associated with Italian cuisine, and has become popular all over the world!

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Texas Chili

1700s
Northern Mexico/ Southern Texas

In the 1700s, Spain recruited Canary Islanders to move to San Antonio.The Canary Island women made a tangia-like stew with meat, cumin, garlic, chili peppers, and wild onions that they cooked outdoors in copper kettles. These “Chili Queens” cooked up the dish and served it from stands around San Antonio’s Military Plaza. Since then, Chili has spread across the nation, but to be sure it is true Texas Chili, make sure it doesn’t include beans or tomatoes!

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Vegetable Korma

1500s
Pakistan, Bangladesh, India

Korma, which evolved during the Mughal Empire’s reign in South Asia, was said to be the dish that marked a chef eligible to cook in the royal court kitchens. The name, “Korma” refers to a style of braising meat or vegetables and then putting them on a long and slow cooking process using moist heat. The recipe has evolved to include various regional recipes, the most famous being the onion curry version.