A key aspect of tourism is seeking out memorable and unique dining experiences from around the world. Often referred to as food tourism, this is a part of experiential travel that’s just as significant as choosing where to stay or what to see. Nowadays, food holds equal importance when deciding on a travel destination. Just like we have lists for the best hotels and must-see attractions, there should also be a guide for the best dishes around the world. While rankings can be subjective—since everyone’s taste is different—here’s a list of some of the most highly recommended dishes by experts and travelers. Ready to dive in?

1. Sushi (Japan)

Prepared with vinegared rice and a wide range of ingredients including seafood, vegetables, and sometimes fruits. Sushi tastes best when served with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce. A popular garnish for this dish is Daikon radish. The type of fish in it defines a sushi’s taste. However, the vinegared rice gives the dish a tangy taste overall. Tuna, eel, and Salmon tend to have a light flavour while octopus flavoured sushi is generally strong in taste.

2. Rendang, Indonesia

Often called “the world’s most delicious dish,” Rendang is prepared by simmering beef with coconut milk with a mixture of the best of spices including turmeric, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, chillies, and galangal. The dish is then stewed for a few hours which gives it a tender texture and exotic taste. The blast of flavours is surely one of the reasons why the dish is loved globally and is also one of the best dishes in the world. Easy to rustle up, this dish is often served at ceremonies or to honour guests.

3. Ramen, Japan

If not tried, you must have heard of Ramen at least once in your life. However, we are not talking about the packaged instant noodles. Ramen is a Japanese dish made of wheat noodles and served in the broth along with vegetables and meat. Ramen comes in several flavours, from tangy to spicy, depending on the flavour of the broth. Every region in Japan has it’s own. Tonkotsu, a popular style of ramen includes pork bone broth and the miso ramen, another popular dish originated in Hokkaido.

4. Tom Yam Goong, Thailand

A type of sour and hot Thai soup, Tom yam goong is prepared with shrimp along with a load of healthy herbs and spices?  lemongrass, lime, kaffir leaves, galangal, and red chili peppers to name a few. the soup plays around with a bit of all possible flavours? spicy, sour, salty and sweet. To add to its flavour, the soup is topped with coconut milk and cream. The dish is a local favourite all over Thailand.

5. Kebab, Turkey

A dish popular across the Middle East, Kebabs are originally from Turkey. They consist of ground meat or seafood, fruits, and vegetables in some cases and are cooked on a skewer with a big fire underneath, just like a barbeque on the grill. It is cooked with various accompanying ingredients including garlic, black pepper, and vegetable oil. Mutton or lambs are generally the traditional meats used in kebabs. Other recipes include beef, goat, fish, and chicken as well. This dish has a perfect blend of taste, ranging from tangy to spicy, making it one of the best dishes in the world.

6. Pho, Vietnam

A simple yet an incredible dish, Pho (pronounced as ‘fuh’) is a Vietnamese dish made of rice noodles and meat (usually beef or chicken) served in broth and topped with herbs. The dish has got a great fragrance which lingers in the eater’s head for a while. A popular street food item, Pho is flavourful yet balanced in nature. A perfect dish to have on a winter evening. You and this dish are certainly made “pho” each other.

7. Peking duck, China

Peking duck is a dish that finds its way to Beijing. The ducks for this dish are specially bred and slaughtered after 60 days and seasoned first before being roasted in closed ovens. This gives the meat a crisp skin and thin texture. The dish is served with cucumbers, spring onion, and sweet bean sauce. The dish is cut in front of the diners and then served in three parts. First, with sugar and garlic sauce and then with pancakes. The rest of the duck is also served with broth. The taste so delightful, after completing the dish, this is the only way you would want your duck.

8. Paella, Spain

Paella has got its roots in Valencia, Spain. It is an ancient dish recreated with a modern touch in the present times. There are various ways to eat Paella. The original recipe contains white rice with green beans, meat (rabbit or chicken, sometimes duck), butterbeans, snails, topped with seasoning such as rosemary and. The recipe also uses artichokes during its season. Another very common but seasonal ingredient is artichokes. Cooked in olive oil in a pan, the dish is full of flavours and hence one of the best dishes in the world.

9. Steak and Kidney Pie, England

The Brits love their pies. And why wouldn’t they? Steak and kidney pie is a piquant pie filled with diced beef, kidney (often of lamb, beef, or pork), brown gravy, and fried onion. It is a representative dish of British cuisine and culture. The gravy is made up of ale, flavoured beef broth, and cornstarch. There are special pastry crusts prepared for the pie such as puff pastry, hot water crust pastry, and shortcut pastry. Although quite expensive (the authentic ones), the dish is worth trying once even if you are not a pie fan.

10. Apfelstrudel, Austria

More commonly known as Apple Strudel, Apfelstrudel is a popular pastry in Austria and other parts of Europe. The dish consists of an oval strudel pastry cover with mouthwatering apple filling inside. The apple filling is prepared with grated apples, cinnamon, sugar, breadcrumbs, and raisins. This delicacy tastes best when served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. You can experiment with vanilla sauce instead of ice cream and custard instead of cream to try new flavours. Apfelstrudel can be served any time accompanied by coffee, tea, or even champagne and is widely found at Viennese cafes.

11. Pad Thai, Thailand

A common street food dish all over Thailand, Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice dish accompanied with noodles. This healthy dish is made with stir-frying noodles with eggs and tofu. What brings out the flavour from the dish is the unique blend of sauces – tamarind pulp, dried shrimp and fish sauce and garnished with garlic and red chillii pepper. The dish is served along with roasted peanuts and lime wedges. There are extra ingredients that are provided on the side such as radishes, bean sprouts, and other vegetables. Pad Thai also has a vegetarian version which consists of soy sauce instead of fish sauce and doesn’t include any meat.

12. Goulash, Hungary

A dish most popular in Central Europe, Goulash is stew meat dating back to 9th century Hungary. The main elements of the dish are the spices, especially paprika. Goulash is prepared from either beef, pork, veal, or lamb. The meat is cut into pieces and neatly seasoned with salt. It is then browned with oil and sliced onion. The dish is left to simmer after adding paprika to it. It is served with a variety of vegetables including carrot, parsley, celery, and potatoes. Potatoes are also added to the dish to make it thicker and smoother (because of the starch). The dish is a symbol for Hungary and also one of the national dishes. The comforting nature of the stew is what makes it one of the best dishes in the world.

13. Lasagna, Italy

Italy’s lasagna takes over Pizza to be added in the “world’s best food dishes” list because of its comeback. It is one of the oldest pasta but has become popular only in the present times. The ingredients itself sound mouthwatering – meats, pasta, vegetables, tomato sauce, and lots and lots of cheese. Lasagne (plural form for Lasagna) is loved by people of all ages and is dish ideal for any occasion or celebration.

14. Kimchi, Korea

Kimchi is a staple Korean side dish prepared from fermented vegetables such as Korean radishes, and cabbage and topped with several seasonings, including garlic, chilli powder, scallions, and ginger. There is a huge variety of Kimchis made with different ingredients are is sold practically for free as starters in most restaurants in Korea. The dish is loved by all, especially health freaks because of its high dietary fibre and vitamin C, and low calory characteristics. Kimchi has a prominent sour flavour due to fermentation. Other flavour notes such as spicy and umami are also observed.

15. Fried chicken, United States

Crunchy on the outside and juicy within, fried chicken, as the name suggests, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces deeply fried, giving it a crisp coating. The chicken is then seasoned with herbs and spices. The spicier, the better. Excess flour is used to make the crust thicker. The dish was first prepared in the 1830s, the rest is history. Fried chicken is practically the most loved dish in the United States. The trend caught on and the dish is now one of the best dishes in the world.

16. Dosa, India

India has a lot to contribute when it comes to cuisine and dosa is the best dish to represent that. To put it in simple terms, dosa is a type of pancake made from fermented rice batter. The dish looks like a crepe and the main ingredients are black gram and rice. Earlier, Dosa was prominent only in South India and Sri Lanka. It is now a well-known dish in India and all over the world. It is usually filled with various stuffings with potato being the main ingredient for the stuffing. Dosa is served along with chutneys and sambar (vegetable stew)

17. Massaman Curry, Thailand

Prepared with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cumin, bay leaves, nutmeg and mace, Massaman curry is a mild, relatively rich curry of Thailand. Blended with the local spices, this tangy and not too spicy curry differs from the other regular curries of the nation and for all the right reasons. Instead of including the curry leaves in the cooking process Massaman curry uses spices and aromatics like cumin, lemongrass and galangal that helps in creating a delectable base for the dish.

18. Pizza, Italy

Now who wouldn’t be aware of this go-to dish that gives us the ultimate savouring experience. This Italian Dish consists of a usually round, wheat base dough that is garnished with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients baked at a high temperature, traditionally in a wood-fired oven. Pizza today has become one of the most popular fast food items in the world. Drooling already, then pick up your phone and place your pizza order now.

19. Hamburger, Germany

This popular dish of Germany consists of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, that is placed right inside the sliced bread or a bun. This is then either pan-fried, grilled or smoked. Hamburgers are often served with lettuce, loads of cheese, tomato, pickles and whatnot. Condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. These mouth-watering delicacy today usually features at fast-food chan and is often the go-to meal of the youngsters.

20. Donuts, USA

This USA delicacy often leaves people with a sweet tooth gasping for more. The doughnut is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack. Donuts are usually deep-fried from a flour dough, and typically ring-shaped. Various toppings such as sugar, chocolate, maple glazing etc are used that accentuates the taste of this snack, and literally serves as an icing on the cake. Krespy Kreme, Mad Over Donuts are few of the most popular donuts chains worldwide.

21. Biryani, India

This mixed rice dish has its origins amidst the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is prepared by mixing a curry, later combining it with semi-cooked rice separately. This dish is especially popular throughout the Indian subcontinent, as well as among the diaspora from the region. The presence of this rich and aromatic rice dish in the menu surely takes the dinner parties a notch higher.

22. Poutine, Canada

All the french-fries lovers in the house, this Canadian dish is what you need to get your hands on. Poutine includes french fries and cheese curds topped with traditional brown chicken gravy. Originated in the late 1950s in the central province of Canada, the hot gravy is usually served at room temperatures and t maintain the texture, the fries are added right before serving the dish.

Whether you are someone with a refined taste for food or you simply want to relish life through your taste buds, these best dishes in the world are worth crossing oceans for.