Toum is an authentic Lebanese and Syrian garlic paste. It is made with whole garlic cloves, which are slowly crushed using a mortar and pestle, or nowadays simply ground in a food processor. During this process, oil (preferably neutral oil such as canola, or the flavorful olive oil) is gently added to create a homogeneous garlic paste with an unusual, fluffy texture.

Finally, salt and lemon juice are added to the mix, giving the paste a salty flavor and ivory color. Toum is used for marinades, sauces, and dips, and can enrich any meal. It is usually combined with chicken in traditional dishes such as roast chicken, chicken skewers or chicken shawarma, but is also commonly combined with beef, lamb, or goat meat. 

Aji criollo or salsa de aji is a spicy Peruvian salsa prepared with a combination of yellow aji chili peppers and oil. The sauce is usually pleasantly spicy, but it can also be extremely hot and spicy, so one should be careful when tasting it for the first time.

The sauce is traditionally used as an accompaniment to various meat and fish dishes, but it's also often used as a dip for french fries and tequeños. Although it shares the name with an Ecuadorian sauce, those two differ significantly, both in appearance (Ecuadorian version is green), and in the method of preparation and ingredients used.

Guasacaca is Venezuela's version of guacamole, although it is not as thick. This simple combination of avocado, coriander, parsley, bell peppers, onions, garlic, salt, oil, and vinegar is typically consumed with barbecued meats such as beef, chicken, sausages, and morcillas.

It is used as a dip with fried plantain and yuca, but it can also be drizzled on empanadas. The sauce is usually made in a blender, resulting in a creamy sauce, while some prefer the mashed version, resulting in a chunkier sauce.

Salsa de rocoto is a hot Peruvian sauce or dip that's a staple at most tables in the country. It is prepared with fiery red rocoto peppers, oil, and lime juice, with the occasional addition of parsley, cilantro, or milk. Due to the fact that this salsa is so popular in the country, there are numerous variations, ranging from medium hot to insanely hot, so be careful when trying it for the first time.

Use the salsa with a variety of fish and meat dishes, potatoes, or try it in sandwiches.

Lunumiris is a flavorful Sri Lankan staple that is traditionally served as a condiment accompanying egg hoppers, a typical breakfast dish. In Sinhala language, lunu means onions, while miris means chili, referring to the two ingredients used to make this spicy condiment.

The paste is usually combined with salt, pepper, lime juice, and Maldive fish, and the mixture is then ground using a mortar and pestle. Once prepared, the condiment can be served immediately with a variety of dishes, or it can be refrigerated for up to one week.

Guacamole is a world-famous buttery delicacy dating back all the way to the Aztec empire of the 1500s. It’s a healthy blend of ripe, mashed avocados, onions, chiles, optional tomatillos and selected seasonings such as sea salt and coriander.

The star of this incredibly simple dish is the avocado, high in unsaturated fat, potassium, vitamins, minerals and protein, its name stemming from the Aztec ahuacatl, meaning testicle or testicle tree, which is why it was believed that it was an aphrodisiac by the Aztecs.

Guacamole is sometimes prepared in the molcajete, a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle where onions, chiles, and salt are ground to a paste and added to the coarsely mashed avocados. Of course, guacamole is only as good as the avocados it is prepared with, and among the best are the nutty and creamy Hass and smooth Fuerte avocados. 

This internationally popular, beige-colored spread is traditionally made with mashed chickpeas, tahini sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic. People across the world love hummus for its tangy flavor and the fact that it is filled with nutrients.

When served, it is typically dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and is then used as a dip for vegetables or a flavorful filling for flatbreads such as pita. Even today, not much is known about its origins, although the earliest mention of hummus dates back to 13th-century Egypt. 

Tzatziki is a Greek concoction made from yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and numerous herbs and spices such as dill, mint, or parsley. It is usually served as a sauce accompanying many meat dishes, as a simple dip, or an appetizer. Its name is derived from the Turkish word cacik, denoting a very similar dip, although some suspect that tzatziki was derived from the Indian raita dip.

Tzatziki is always served cold, and it is especially popular to serve it with dishes such as gyros and souvlaki. Often, it is served with pita bread as part of the first course of a big meal. With its huge popularity, and the fact that it is one of the best summer dips, it is not strange that there are many regional variations of tzatziki, in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Serbia.

Mutabal is a Middle Eastern dip that's usually made with a combination of roasted eggplants, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, olive oil, and salt. The ingredients are blended or mashed together until the dip develops a desired consistency, either smooth or a bit more coarse.

Once prepared, mutabal can be garnished with parsley, pomegranate seeds, or cilantro on top. If desired, onions can also be added to the mixture. It is recommended to serve mutabal as a part of a meze platter with pita bread on the side.