National dish

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A national dish is a dish, food or a drink that represents a particular country, nation or region. It is usually something that is naturally made or popular in that country.

The concept is highly informal and vague, and in many, if not most cases the relationship between a given territory or people and certain typical foods is ambiguous. Typical dishes can vary from region to region, and the use of the term "national dish" does not always imply the existence of a "nation" in any legal sense; e.g. rösti is the national dish in German-speaking Switzerland and fondue is in French-speaking Switzerland, although the political integrity of the Swiss state is undisputed. Similarly, countries can share a national dish; e.g., traditional food in Austria, the German state of Bavaria, and the Czech Republic is similar; whereas bigos, borscht, and pierogi are popular in several Central and East European countries and generally associated with one or more of them. Beverages can also be assigned the status of a national "dish", such as beer in Germany or the Czech Republic, wine in France, vodka in Poland and Russia.

National dishes also function as stereotypes. These can be either autostereotypes, describing a nation's self-image, or heterostereotypes associated with a nation in the outside world, or both. While most "national dish" stereotypes are positive to neutral, they can also acquire the status of ethnic slurs.

For example, sauerkraut continues to be seen as the German national dish, accounting for the usage of kraut as a pejorative term for Germans, even though the dish has become quite rare in today's German cuisine.

Similarly, the French are said to have a particular taste for frog legs, although the dish is not actually very common in that country, and the French are sometimes referred to as frogs in English. The epithet refers to the Franks having toads charged on heraldry, replaced by lillies. This was in further reference to the French origins in Frisia, where the lily pads are still used for their national symbol.

Up to the 1970s, Germans used to identify Italian and Turkish immigrants as Spaghettifresser ("spaghetti devourers") and Knoblauchfresser ("garlic devourers"). However, this usage all but disappeared when the German population began to embrace Italian, Turkish, and other immigrant cuisines in the 1980s and is rather seen as an affectionate term if it occurs at all.

An interesting case in this context is the German-style döner kebab. Supposedly invented by a Turkish immigrant in Berlin in the 1970s, it became the most popular German take-away food during the 1990s, but is almost exclusively sold by Turks and considered a Turkish specialty in Germany; however, in Turkey it is often associated with Germany.

In some cases, supposed national dishes are similar to urban legends, especially when relating to countries that are exotic from the perspective of another country. E.g., the popularity of fried spiders in Cambodia, dogs in Korea and China etc. is largely overestimated in the West. Urban legend-like national dishes can also turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy, as demonstrated by the example of the Scottish deep-fried Mars bar, which is believed to have become at least moderately popular after English media circulated the story of its existence.

For more on the stereotyped usage of foods and its political implications see Freedom fries.

[edit] Dish/Food

Argentina - locro, asado (sweets:dulce de leche, alfajor). Also milanesa, empanadas, sandwiches de miga and matambre (see Argentine cuisine).
Australia- Meat pie, hamburger with beetroot, fish and chips, Vegemite on toast, Pavlova
- By state
Austria - Sachertorte, wiener schnitzel (Vienna), apfelstrudel
Barbados - Cou-Cou and Flying fish
Belgium - pommes frites, moules bruxellois (Brussels)
Bhutan - ema datsi
Brazil - Feijoada, rice and beans
Cambodia - ahmok, fried spider
Canada - maple syrup, Kraft Dinner, Timbits. Cuisine is poorly defined in the national mythos, especially outside of Quebec. However, each region has a distinctive dish or in the case of Quebec, an entirely separate regional cuisine.
- By Province or Region
  - Alberta - steak (beef or bison)
  - British Columbia - salmon steak, Nanaimo bar
  - Manitoba - Red River cereal
  - Newfoundland - fish and chips, flipper pie
  - Ontario - butter tart
  - Quebec - poutine, pea soup, tourtière
Chile - sea bass, palta (avocado), jaivas (food)
China - The staple diets in Northern China are: mantou, bing (Chinese flatbread) and wheat noodles; as for the South: rice, rice noodles and rice congee.
- By city/province:
  - Beijing - Peking duck, hot pot
  - Fujian - Popiah, Fotiaoqiang, Oyster omelette
  - Guangdong - Dim sum, slow cooked soup, Char siu, century egg
  - Hong Kong - egg tart, dim sum, BBQ pork with rice, wonton noodle soup [1], pineapple bun [2]
  - Hunan - Sweet and sour chicken
  - Macau - Galinha à Portuguesa, baked pork chop bun
  - Shanghai - Xiaolongbao, ci fan tuan, red-cooked stews, Shanghai hairy crab
  - Sichuan - Szechuan hotpot, Kung Pao chicken, Twice Cooked Pork, Mapo doufu
Colombia - Bandeja paisa, arepas
- By Department:
  - Santander - Hormigas Culonas
  - Cundinamarca - Ajiaco
  - Valle - Sancocho
Cyprus - Halloumi
Denmark – Pork Roast, Frikadeller, Smørrebrød
Egypt - Ful medames
Ethiopia – doro wat (chicken stew) , injera
Finland - Karelian pasties, mämmi, hernekeitto (Finnish yellow pea soup)
France - Pot-au-feu, baguette (particularly Paris), cassoulet, truffles, foie gras (declared part of the French cultural heritage by legislation in 2005)^[1]
- By region
  - Alsace - Sauerkraut, tarte flambee
  - Bordeaux - Entrecôte with Bordelaise sauce
  - Brittany - Crepes
  - Burgundy - Coq au vin, beef bourguignon
  - Lorraine - Quiche lorraine
  - Normandy - Camembert
  - Provence - Bouillabaisse, salade nicoise, ratatouille
Germany - Sauerkraut, Currywurst, eisbein, doner kebab
Greece - moussaka, gyros, Greek salad
Hungary – goulash
Iceland - hakarl
India - curry, samosas, naan, chapati, chutney, dal
- By region
  - Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad Biryani, aavakaaya
  - Goa - Pork Vindaloo, Goan fish curry
  - Kashmir - Rogan Josh
  - Kerala- Sadhya
  - Punjab - Tandoori chicken, aloo gobi, raita
  - Tamil Nadu - Masala dosa, idli, appam
Indonesia - Gado-gado, nasi goreng, rijsttafel
Iran - Chelow kabab
Ireland – colcannon, Irish stew
Israel - felafel, turkey schnitzel
Italy - pizza, pasta, minestrone, ciabatta, polenta (northern Italy)
- By region
  - Bologna - tortellini, tagliatelle al ragù, mortadella, lasagne, Parmigiano Reggiano
  - Florence - Bistecca alla Fiorentina
  - Genoa - foccacia
  - Naples - Pizza Margherita, gelato
  - Milan - risotto, ossobuco with gremolata
  - Rome - porchetta, spaghetti carbonara, Stracciatella
  - Sardinia - pecorino, pane carasau
  - Sicily - arancini, caponata, ricotta
  - Torino - agnolotti, grissini, Gianduiotto
  - Venice - scampi
Jamaica - saltfish and ackee
Japan - sushi, ramen, soba noodles, udon, gyudon, tempura
Jordan - mansaf
Korea - kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap, naengmyeon
Laos - larb
Lebanon - kibbe, tabbouleh
Malaysia - nasi lemak, roti canai, char kway teow, satay, assam laksa
Mexico - pozole, taco, mole, guacamole
Morocco - couscous, tagine, pastilla, harira
Myanmar - mohinga
New Zealand – pavlova, fish and chips, Colonial Goose
the Netherlands - stamppot, hutspot
Nigeria - Jolof rice
Norway – lutefisk, fårikål, kjøttkaker
Palestine - Musakhan
Peru - ceviche, quinoa, maize
Philippines - adobo, lumpia, sinigang, bistek, bangus
Poland - bigos, barszcz, pierogi
Portugal - stockfish, Bacalhau, Feijoada
Romania - Mamaliga, Mititei, Cozonac, Fasole cu carnati
- By region:
  - Moldova – Grape-leaf Sarmale, Fermented wheat bran Borscht
Russia – borscht
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Coconut dumplings, Spicy plantain, saltfish, breadfruit
Saint Lucia - green figs & saltfish
Senegal - tiebou dieun
Singapore - Hainanese chicken rice, curry laksa, chilli crab
Slovakia - Bryndzové halušky
Spain - tapas, paella, tortilla de patatas, gazpacho
Sri Lanka - rice and curry
Sweden - pea soup, smörgåsbord, köttbullar, sill & surströmming
Switzerland – rösti, fondue
Taiwan - Suncake, Stinky tofu, Ba wan, Beef noodle soup
Tanzania - ugali
- By region:
  - Zanzibar - octopus curry
Thailand - Pad Thai, gaeng (Thai curry), jasmine rice, tom yam, tom kha gai
Tunisia - Couscous
Turkey - döner kebab, pide, kofta, dolma
Ukraine - pierogi
United Kingdom
- By country:
  - England – roast beef dinner, fish and chips, chicken tikka masala, English breakfast
  - Wales – laverbread, Welsh rarebit, Cawl
  - Scotland – haggis, deep-fried Mars bar
  - Northern Ireland – Ulster fry
  - Jersey – Jersey Royal potatoes
  - Isle of Man - kipper
United States - apple pie, turkey and pumpkin pie (as part of Thanksgiving dinner), hamburger, hot dog, donut
- By region:
  - New England - New England clam chowder, New England clam bake
  - The South - grits, corn bread, country fried steak, fried chicken, gumbo, barbecue
- By state: See List of U.S. state foods for more
  - California - sourdough bread, hamburgers, fish taco
  - Hawaii - lau lau, Spam, poi, kalua pig
  - Illinois - Chicago-style deep dish pizza, Chicago hot dog
  - Louisiana - jambalaya, Gumbo, Crawfish, po'boy
  - Maine - lobster
  - Michigan - coney dog, Pasty
  - New York - buffalo wings, Manhattan clam chowder, pizza
  - Pennsylvania - Philly cheesesteak, hoagie
  - South Dakota - fry bread
  - Texas - chili con carne
Uruguay - Chivito, asado
Venezuela - pabellón criollo, hallaca, arepas
Vietnam - bánh mì, phở

[edit] Drink

Dishes may sometimes enjoy government promotion. The Hongkong Post issued a series celebrating Hong Kong's tea culture. Depicted here is the making of a cup of milk tea.