Thought I’d ask this because I want to discover more foods from across the world
(Also I shouldn’t have to say this to americans, please state where you are from and state where you are from without acronyms or shortened names because I’ve seen US Defaultism on lemmy and not all of us are going to know your acronyms considering we’re global users)
Living in Valencia, paella valenciano is great, but for me the duck with rice is just… Amazing
Boston baked beans. To my taste, good ones are cooked low and slow so that the beans almost start melting together, and they should be both sweet and tangy.
Hard to say. NZ cuisine is like British cuisine, but it got stuck in the 80s.
The Flat White. But that’s not strictly food.
Or maybe a potato top pie.
From Almeirim in Portugal, there’s “sopa da pedra”, translates to “soup of the rock”. It has several kinds of meat, beans, potato, and it’s usually eaten with bread (some say even a specific local bread type, but I’m not picky on that). It used to come with a stone in it traditionally, but for higiene reasons restaurants are not allowed to anymore. Some people at home still do it, I believe.
With it there is an old tale:
There was once a poor friar that was traveling. Once it came time to rest, he knocked on someone’s door and asked for their hospitality in exchange for a soup. His hosts let him in and they see the friar pulling an old smooth stone from his pocket and putting it in a pot, along with water.
“Some seasoning would make this soup better… Do you happen to have any chouriço?” [best translation I’ve got is “meat”, or maybe “sausage”] asks the friar. And so his hosts find him some chouriço that they throw in the pan.
“It’s looking great! Now this soup would really improve if we could thicken it up a little. Do you happen to have some potatoes or beans leftover from yesterday?” And some potatoes and beans have indeed been leftover from yesterday. The friar adds it to the soup.
The friar asks for a few more spices, olive oil, and soon there is a delicious smell coming from the pot. What a nice soup!
They eat and once the soup is finished the friar fishes out the stone, washes it and puts it back in his pocket. Tomorrow he’ll knock on someone else’s door along the way ;)
chouriço reminds me of “chorizo”
Wonder if there’s some related etymology there
Chorizo is the Spanish variant, our neighbors. Chorizo and chouriço are not quite the same, but similar. AFAIK they have different seasonings.
Ha! We have a very similar folk tale in Hungary about a soldier returning from war with a rock, asking an old lady to cook the “stone soup”, asking for more and more legit ingredients.
Out of curiosity, is the soup similar?
Just re-read the tale, it’s actually a bit similar, it has sausages (kolbász, much closer to chorizo than the english type), potatoes and rice.
That’s so interesting! I wonder if some immigrant took it from one country to the other, along with the story
All I could find was that the version I know comes from Székelys of Bukovina. Maybe it’s convergent evolution of resourceful people🤷♂️
Czechia and it’s a tie between goulash (the Czech variety, not the Hungarian one) and Vepřo knedlo zelo.
Can you explain the difference between Czech and Hungarian style? I only had the Hungarian type.
Well, they’re basically an entirely different meal, that probably shares name only for historical reasons.
The Czech version doesn’t contain much vegetables, is a thick paprika-based sauce and has onions. Hungarian is more soup-like in consistency and has some vegetables. The Czech one also has dumplings as a side dish.
The Czech one is slow-cooked until the meat is tender, easily taking many hours to cook if you use beef (as is the tradition, but many people use pork because it’s cheaper). Beer is sometimes added for flavour.
Thanks! Will have to Czech that out.
Switzerland: Fondue!
Germany
Gaisburger Marsch
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaisburger_MarschPhilly area
Yes cheesesteak, hoagie, soft pretzels.
But I believe strongly that a roast pork Italiano sandwich loaded up with sharp provolone, roasted long hots, and broccoli rabe is the best Philly sandwich.
Go a little out into the suburbs around Norristown, and you’ll also find the “Zep” a sort of pared-down hoagie, one kind of meat, cheese, oil and spices, tomatoes, and plenty of onions.
I’m not going to wade into the minefield of which sandwich shops are best except to say Pat’s and Geno’s are garbage, but maybe worth it for the experience if you’re a tourist. Avoid anywhere that advertises as a “Philly Cheesesteak” look for cheesesteak, steak sandwiches, or even just steaks. For a Zep I don’t think it’s controversial to say Lou’s ro Eve’s are the places to go.
Tomato pie- close relative of pizza, thick sort of focaccia-like crust, square, thick tomato sauce, dusting of Parmesan cheese, served cold. Staple of many parties here.
Also in the suburbs - Franzones pizza, Bridgeport is the original location, but the original owner sold it to a relative and opened the one in Plymouth/Conshy location and another in Manayunk. You’re going to either love or hate the pizza, thin crust, very sweet sauce in a spiral on top of the cheese. There’s a few imitators out there but Franzones is the original.
This is the right time of year for them so “Irish Potato” candies. Sweet cream cheese and shredded coconut, rolled in cinnamon. Nothing Irish about them but they kind of look like potatoes.
Zitners Easter eggs- chocolate candies with various fillings.
Goldenbergs Peanut Chews- chewy molasses candy with peanuts covered in chocolate
Mallow Cups- like a Reese’s cup but full of marshmallow and coconut instead of peanut butter
Scrapple - don’t ask what’s in it, just eat it.
Pork roll (kind of a jersey thing, but ubiquitous in Philly too) it’s basically round spam
Pepperpot soup- this is old Philly food, like revolutionary war Philly, it’s damn hard to find these days but every few years some local restaurant gets the idea to recreate it. It’s a hearty, slightly spicy beef and trip soup. There’s some Caribbean pepper pot soups that are kind of similar.
PORK ROLL!
I personally don’t like the stuff, but I’m obligated to endorse it lmfao.
Birch beer is also a thing here. And applejack!
Ah fuck, can’t believe I forgot birch beer.
Any time I manage to get someone with any influence at a local brewery’s attention I try to put the idea for a hard birch beer into their mind. I don’t think it’s taken root anywhere yet, but hopefully someday.
Applejack to an extent, I don’t think it has quite as much cultural significance to Philly, but maybe to NJ with Lairds.
While I’m on NJ, the Taylor ham/pork roll debate is weird to me, it says pork roll on the package.
And while we’re talking drinks, I suppose honorable mention goes to Yuengling. Pottsville is a bit outside of the Philly area, but it’s ubiquitous in and around the city, if you order a “lager” you get a Yuengling. Its a solid alternative to the Bud/Miller/Coors big brand beers, but really nothing too special. I avoid buying it myself anymore because Dick Yuengling is kind of a dick, and there’s plenty of other great beers being made in and around the city, but I’ve probably drank more lagers in my life than any other single beer.
EDIT: On birch beer, if you ever find yourself up to Ulysses PA in, I think, Potter County, they have the Pennsylvania lumber museum, they have a birch still there, and at least the one time I was there they had a guy talking about it with a little vial of birch oil from the still you could smell. He had a lot of cool information about birch trees/oil, turns out birch trees contain a compound that’s similar to aspirin. And the birch oil does smell very much like birch beer.
Oh, pork roll and applejack is NJ, I am NJ.
As for the debate, I agree its pork roll. It’s like calling all video game consoles a Nintendo when you call pork roll Taylor ham.
I will steal the cheesesteak to eat, if you don’t mind. I’ll only grumble mildly when y’all come to the shore in exchange.
I generally don’t let many people from Jersey know this, but you guys may have the best cheesesteaks with Donkeys Place. They’re a little heretical with the seeded Kaiser roll, but they’re damn good.
I’ll have to check it out! Seeded rolls don’t agree with me, but I’ll make them agree with me! I promise to keep it a secret!
Camden I think is the original location, but they have a couple other places now, Mt Holly and Medford I think?
Dick Yuengling is kind of a dick
That’s unfortunate. I always tried to getting some when I’m in the area, just because of the local history. I’m not a fan otherwise, but the brand has killer nostalgia
Meant to reply a couple days ago but forgot
Yeah, unfortunately he’s a trump supporting, union busting asshole.
I’ve heard, but have been unable to verify, that his daughters who are set to take the company over someday, may have their heads on straight. I hope so. There are absolutely far better beers in and around Philly (I’m happy to give a long list of recommendations,) and Yuengling isn’t anything too special as a beer. But it’s special for being America’s oldest brewery, and it’s certainly carved out a special place for itself in this area. Like I said, I’ve drank a lot of Yuengling in my life, odds are I have a few cans in my beer fridge right now because there’s a good chance that it’s what my friends grab out of habit whenever they bring beer over for a party, I’ve been to more than a few bars with “Yuengs and Wings” specials (which rhymes for those who aren’t familiar with it) and it does it’s job adequately of being a beer that tastes like beer for when you just want to have a beer, so I do hope that when Dick retires or dies his daughters make up for some of his bullshit. I’d like to have my old standby cheap beer option back in the rotation someday.
Thanks. While I’m always looking for tips on good beers, I’m not likely to be in the area anytime soon
I forgot about Irish potatoes. Those things are kind nasty, if you really don’t like coconut shavings like me. So why do I have positive memories of them?
Also, shout out for tomato pie.
I have a really complicated relationship with coconut, because I really like the flavor, but hate the texture. The flavor wins out for me but not by much.
And come to think of it, I think a lot of the commercially made ones use some sort of coconut creme filling instead of cream cheese so it’s more shelf stable and doesn’t require refrigeration. I like the cream cheese ones slightly more.
Nanaimo bars! I love sweets. Unfortunately.
Robbers roast (rosvopaisti) in Finland. I suppose other countries have something similar, but it’s a piece of meat cooked in a ground oven. First dig up a small hole, line it with rocks, keep bonfire going in the hole for couple of hours, scrape the coals out and put meat wrapped in parchment paper, wet newspapers and foil in to the hole, fill it with sand and set up a new bonfire on top of the sand. Throw onions, garlic, carrots and whatever you like to accompany/season the meat while you’re at it. Things like potatoes or sweet potatoes doesn’t really work as they just turn into a mush, at least unless you individually wrap them, but the process isn’t consistent enough, just cook whatever sides you want separately.
With meat include pieces of fat on top of it and season however you like. It’s traditionally made out of lamb, but I prefer cow (or moose if it’s available). Pork works just fine too. The whole process takes 10-12 hours, so it’s not for your wednesday dinner, but it’s very much worth the effort.
When the weather is good and you do it right the meat just breaks down and you’ll almost need a spoon to eat it. Absolutely delicious. And as you have bonfire going for all day you can cook sausages on a stick and have a ‘few’ beers while feeding the fire. It’s an experience with absolutely delicious food in the end.
Just be careful that you don’t pass out on all the beer while cooking and miss the fun part.
A few kg of meat, traditionally (in the rhine-area) from horse, nowadays more beef, marinated for 1+ month in a few litres of wine and vinegar, with some vegetables. Slowly cooked so it disintegrates on your fork.
The sauce you get from Sauerbraten is sooooo good, too - goes well with any veggies and/or pasta to eat alongside it.
Yep, we always save a lot of sauce for later in the year, as we (my family) only makes it one time a year, for christmas (on the 25th and 26th). With dumplings on the 25th and noodles on the 26th.
Pork butt roast and sauerkraut. It’s a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe meant to bring good luck and fortune to the household on New Years. You simply season a pork butt with salt and pepper and put it in the slow cooker with a large container of saurkraut and cook on low til it shreds. Served with mashed potatoes, peas, and pork gravy. Guaranteed to give you a food coma.
For appetizers, I love beet-pickled eggs. It’s essential to pickle them for 24+ hours to ensure the pink fully penetrates the egg white.
A semi local but a “screamer” is pretty great, it’s a slush or slerpy with soft serve icecream on top or mixed in and probably the best answer to the flavourless ice you get at the bottom of the cup
Rootbeer is of course a great slush flavour for this
The screamer sounds a lot like the “gelati” from Rita’s from around Philly. Good stuff. But it’s all fruity water ice (AKA Italian ice).
TexMex though really it stretches from southern California to Texas. Good tortillas alone are amazing but throw in beans and some kind of slow cooked meat like green chile pork and it’s perfect!
Ontario, Canada. For me it’s Shawarma poutine.
Classic poutine is already amazing, and there are all sorts of variations, but shawarma poutine just hits the spot like no other. It still has the fries, gravy, and cheese curds, and they add chicken swarma, hot sauce, and toum (garlic sauce).
Maximum comfort food, especially to watch a movie with in the winter.
Damn, that sounds sooo good
