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This thick and aromatic fish curry originated in southern Thailand. The base of the dish is prepared with tai pla—fermented fish entrails—and a spicy curry paste consisting of chili peppers, galangal, shrimp paste, turmeric, shallots, and lemongrass.
Other additions usually include dry fish, diced eggplant, bamboo shoots, string beans, or other vegetables. Because of its intensity and strong, pungent aromas, kaeng tai pla is best served with steamed rice on the side. Traditionally, this Thai curry was only prepared with fish, and most varieties do not use coconut milk.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Curry
Hon mhai is a traditional insect dish that's especially popular in Bangkok. It's made by deep-frying silk worms, then seasoning them with salt, pepper, and sometimes a secret sauce that's prepared by the vendor, because the snack is usually sold from street carts.
Once fried, the silk worms turn crunchy and greasy, while the flavor is sometimes described as slgihtly bitter. Hon mhai silk worms are prized because they're rich in protein and some believe that they have medicinal properties.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Ambuyat is the extremely sticky national dish of Brunei, made with sago palm tree starch that gets cooked into a substance similar to glue. It is typically eaten for lunch with a fermented sour sauce and a variety of vegetables on the side. Ambuyat is traditionally prepared for special occasions where it serves as a substitute for rice.
Locals eat it with a double pronged bamboo stick known as chandas and the best way to eat Ambuyat is by twirling it around the stick, then dipping it into a sauce and swallowing it instead of chewing. Ambuyat may be accompanied by a variety of side dishes, dips, and sauces due to its blandness (a minimum of three main and side dishes), and some say it tastes like "nothing at all." The most popular dips are binjai, made from a local sour fruit, and tempoyak, made with the (in)famous durian fruit.
Tinutuan is Indonesian rice porridge that originated in North Sulawesi in the city of Manado, but it's also often associated with Minahasa. The most common vegetables used in tinutuan include spinach, pumpkin, cassava, and corn, but other vegetables can be used as well.
Due to its liquid consistency, it is served in a bowl, together with salted fish and a spoonful of sambal on top. This savory porridge is originally vegetarian, but on special occasions, meat is sometimes added to the dish. It is commonly served for breakfast, and people usually flock to the stalls in the early morning to get this nutritious breakfast.
MOST ICONIC Tinutuan
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The city of Skuon in Cambodia is so infested with spiders that the nearly-starved locals have adapted and started consuming them in the 1970s, and the practice has continued ever since. It is no wonder that the city is known as Spider Town or Spiderville.
The spiders (usually tarantulas) are breaded and deep-fried in hot oil, then served with some fresh local herbs on a bed of rice or noodles. The flavor of these critters has been described as a cross between cod and chicken – at least the hairy legs are supposed to taste so, because consumers are warned not to bite into the abdomen, which contains spiders’ internal organs and bodily fluids.
MOST ICONIC A-ping
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Rice burger is the Japanese version of one of the most famous fast food products in the world – the omnipresent hamburger. Instead of traditional wheat buns, this Japanese dish uses pressed rice patties made with plain rice, eggs, and cornstarch.
The patties are pan-fried or grilled in order to create a firm shell which holds the rest of the ingredients together. The filling, however, does not necessarily correlate to the one of the traditional hamburger, and can consist of a variety of authentic and local ingredients and dishes.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Burger
MOST ICONIC Rice Burger
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Khoresh kangar is a traditional stew originating from Iran. The stew is usually made with a combination of acanthus (the tender white part of the plant's stalks), onions, tomato paste, saffron, lime juice, turmeric, oil, salt, pepper, and meat such as beef, veal, lamb, or chicken.
The meat is browned in oil with sautéed onions, and it's then seasoned with turmeric. The tomato paste is added to the pot, the mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper, and then simmered over medium heat until the meat is tender. The acanthus is fried and added to the pot with lime juice and saffron.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Khoresh
Orez shu'it is a traditional side dish originating from Israel. It was invented by the Sephardic Jews of Jerusalem. The dish is made with white beans that have been cooked in tomato paste, and once done, the combination is served over white rice while still hot.
Nowadays, it's served as a side dish in most restaurants. Sometimes, it will be enriched with the addition of fried onions or pieces of meat such as lamb, chicken, or beef.
As a result of the preparation method, kichel cookies are light and airy, which earned them the nickname of nothings. The ingredient list is short and simple; eggs, flour, sugar, salt, oil, and sometimes baking powder. Although sweet, they are often eaten with savory dips or with chopped herring in South Africa.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Yerushalmi kugel is a savory casserole made with thin cooked noodles that are coated in caramelized sugar. After it is mixed with eggs, olive oil, pepper, and salt, the combination is placed in a pan and then baked until firm. The dish first appeared in the 18th century, when European Jews brought culinary traditions of preparing similar baked casseroles.
As the name suggests, the dish originated in Jerusalem (Yerushaláyim), where it is still popular and available at bakeries and street markets. It is also a staple dish served on Shabbat and other Jewish holidays. Yerushalmi kugel can be baked in round or rectangular pans.
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