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This thick, comforting stew combines taro root and plantain with peanut paste and palm oil. The taro gives body while the plantain adds gentle sweetness, creating a filling dish with a rich, smooth finish.

A firm maize porridge cooked until smooth, dense, and easy to shape, made to be eaten by hand with stews and sauces. Its mild flavor and sturdy texture make it one of the region’s most practical everyday side dishes.

6 regional versions

A robust pot of beans cooked with salted beef, herbs, and coconut milk until everything is tender and deeply seasoned. It is filling, rustic, and well suited to serve as a one-pot meal.

A rich tomato and peanut stew with tender chicken and a gentle heat from chili. This style of groundnut stew is widely loved across the region and is especially good with rice, millet dough, or boiled grains.

2 regional versions

A rich Chadian-style stew of okra, tomatoes, and vegetables finished with peanut paste for body and depth. It cooks down into a hearty, savory sauce that is especially satisfying served with rice.

A rich forest-region stew of finely cut eru leaves softened with juicy waterleaf and enriched with smoked fish, stockfish, palm oil, and crayfish. The result is deeply savory, glossy, and traditionally served with a starchy side for a hearty meal.

A classic Khmer steamed fish curry with a soft, delicate custard made from coconut milk and kroeung. The fish stays tender as it steams in banana leaf cups, while makrut lime leaf and herbs give the dish its signature fragrance.

Golden double-fried potatoes topped with fresh cheese curds and hot, peppery gravy. The curds should soften slightly from the heat while the fries stay crisp underneath.

Fresh corn parcels scented with basil and onion, wrapped in corn husks and steamed until tender. They are soft, aromatic, and gently sweet from the corn itself, a classic summer preparation in Chile.

Green plantains simmer gently in a tomato and onion base until tender, creating a simple savory dish with a soft texture and mellow sweetness. It works well as a light main dish or alongside beans and greens.

This light Cape Verdean soup is made by gently simmering chicken, rice, and vegetables into a clear, soothing broth. It is simple, fragrant, and especially comforting when served very hot with parsley stirred through at the end.

A comforting Chilean soup with chicken simmered in a clear broth and served with potato, pumpkin, carrot, and corn on the cob. Each bowl is hearty but clean-tasting, with the vegetables left in generous pieces.

Coxinha com Catupiry are Brazilian teardrop-shaped chicken croquettes filled with creamy cheese, breaded, and fried. The dough is made from chicken stock, flour, and potato.

Riz au gras is a West African one-pot rice dish prepared in many forms. This Beninese-style version cooks rice in a tomato, onion, chili, and red palm oil base with chicken stock.

Thin, crisp biscuits flavored with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, with a deep caramel note from brown sugar. They bake to a firm snap and are especially good with coffee.

Belizean rice and beans cooks red kidney beans and rice with coconut milk, onion, garlic, and thyme. It is a staple accompaniment, commonly served with stew chicken, fried fish, or other main dishes.

4 regional versions

Pão de queijo is a Brazilian cheese bread made with cassava starch, eggs, milk, and cheese. Minas cheese and Parmesan give this version a savory, chewy crumb.

Bermuda fish chowder is a tomato-based fish soup finished at the table or in the pot with sherry pepper sauce and dark rum. This version uses rockfish, vegetables, thyme, and fish stock.

Canjica is a Brazilian sweet hominy pudding made in regional variations. This version simmers hominy with milk, coconut milk, condensed milk, sugar, and cinnamon.

This Bhutanese-style home-cooking adaptation combines red rice with greens, chilies, egg, and datshi cheese. It is not presented as a named traditional dish.

Pulut panggang are grilled banana-leaf parcels of sticky rice, often with a savory filling. This version uses dried shrimp, chili, shallot, garlic, palm sugar, and coconut milk.

Farofa de bacon is toasted cassava flour cooked with bacon, onion, garlic, butter, and herbs. It is served as a crumbly accompaniment to beans, grilled meats, and stews.

Kebapcheta are Bulgarian skinless grilled minced-meat kebabs seasoned characteristically with cumin and black pepper. This version combines pork and beef.

Grah is a Bosnian bean stew prepared in many home-style forms. This version includes smoked sausage, bacon, vegetables, paprika, and bay leaf.

2 regional versions