Traditional food
Traditional foods are foods and dishes that are passed through generations or which have been consumed for many generations. Traditional foods and dishes are traditional in nature, and may have a historic precedent in a national dish, regional cuisine or local cuisine. Traditional foods and beverages may be produced as homemade, by restaurants and small manufacturers, and by large food processing plant facilities.
Some traditional foods have geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union designations per European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties: Protected designation of origin, Protected geographical indication and Traditional specialities guaranteed. These standards serve to promote and protect names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs.
This article also includes information about traditional beverages.
By continent
Africa
- Bambara groundnut – a traditional food crop in Africa
Europe
South America
- Humita – a traditional food in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru
By country
Canada
- Country food refers to the traditional diets of Aboriginal people, especially in remote northern regions where Western food is an expensive import, and traditional foods are still relied upon.
- Thanksgiving dinner
- Tourtière
Acadia
- Sugar pie
China
- Ciba cake
- Dim sum
- Fuling jiabing – a traditional snack food of Beijing and is an integral part of the city's culture. It is a pancake-like snack made from flour, sugar, and fuling, rolled around nuts, honey, and other ingredients.
- Spring pancake – a traditional Chinese food unique to the northern regions. People eat spring pancakes on the day called lichun to celebrate the beginning of spring.
- Zhongzi - sticky rice with savory or sweet ingredients wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled. Made to commemorate the poet and minister Qu Yuan during the Dragon boat festival.
Costa Rica
- Rice and beans
Croatia
- Lecsó
Cyprus
- Tsamarella – a traditional food and one of Cyprus' main lunch meats
Czech Republic
- Lecsó
- Svíčková
Estonia
- Mulgipuder
- Sepik
Faroe Islands
- Faroese puffin
- Garnatálg
- Skerpikjøt
- Whale meat
Finland
- Karelian stew
- Karelian pasty
- Kesäkeitto
- Sautéed reindeer
- Rye hole-bread
- Groat sausage
- Black sausage
- Kalakukko
- Lörtsy
- Rönttönen
- Sultsina
- Mämmi
France
- Appellation d'origine contrôlée – the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products
- * Bresse chicken – a French chicken product with appellation d'origine contrôlée status
- * List of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée liqueurs and spirits
- * List of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wines
Germany
- Black Forest ham – produced in the Black Forest region of Germany, it is a Protected Designation of Origin food in the European Union.
Guatemala
- Fiambre is a traditional Guatemalan dish that is prepared and eaten yearly to celebrate the Day of the Dead and the All Saints Day.
Iceland
- Hákarl – a traditional food and national dish of Iceland
- Hangikjöt
- Þorramatur – a selection of traditional Icelandic food, consisting mainly of meat and fish products cured in a traditional manner, cut into slices or pieces and served with rúgbrauð, butter and brennivín
India
- Paneer
Indonesia
- Brem – a fermented snack and beverage from Java and Bali
- Docang – a traditional food from Cirebon
- Gado-gado – a traditional salad in peanut sauce dressing
- Gudeg – a young unripe jackfruit stew, a traditional food from Yogyakarta
- Ketupat – a traditional rice dumpling commonly served during Lebaran, Indonesian idul fitri
- Kuluban – an ancient Javanese traditional salad
- Lawar – a traditional Balinese vegetable dish
- Opor ayam – chicken in coconut milk stew, a traditional dish commonly consumed with ketupat during Lebaran
- Pallubasa – a traditional food from Makassar, South Sulawesi made from offal of cattle or buffalo
- Papeda – sagoo congee, a traditional staple of Eastern Indonesia
- Rendang – traditional Minangkabau dish from West Sumatra
- Satay – grilled meat on skewers, various traditional regional variants exist in Indonesia
- Soto – a category of traditional soup of Indonesia, numerous regional variations exist
- Tempeh – fermented soy cake, a traditional food from Java
- Tumpeng – a ceremonial rice cone surrounded by various side dishes, an Indonesian national dish
Iran
- Chelow kabab
- Tahdig
- Ghormeh sabzi
- Fesenjān
- Sabzi polo
- Abgoosht
- Gheimeh
- Sholezard
- Āsh
- Mirza Ghassemi
- Nargesi
- Baghala ghatogh
Ireland
- Full breakfast
- Sunday roast
Israel
- Falafel
- Hummus
- Musakhan
Italy
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Prosciutto
- Ravioli
- Salami
By designation of origin
- Denominazione di origine controllata – a quality assurance label for Italian food products, especially Italian wine and cheese
- * List of Italian DOC wines
- * List of Italian DOCG wines
- Indicazione geografica tipica
- Prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale is an official approval for traditional Italian regional food products similar to the Protected Geographical Status of the European Union.
- * Mascarpone
- * Piadina
- Strada dell'Olio – a kind of gastronomical route in Italy that crosses a territory rich of traditional products, PDOs and PGIs, DOCs and DOCGs in Italy.
Piedmont
- Panna cotta – The northern Italian Region of Piedmont includes panna cotta in its 2001 list of traditional food products of the region. Panna cotta is not mentioned in Italian cookbooks before the 1960s, yet it is often cited as a traditional dessert in Piedmont.
Japan
- Mochi – eaten year-round in Japan, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time
Jordan
Korea
- Bibimbab
- Bulgogi
- Ganjang Gyejang
- Kimchi
- Nurungji
- San Nakji
- Sickhye
- Sungnyung
Lithuania
- Cepelinai
Maldives
- Garudiya
- Maldive fish – cured tuna fish traditionally produced in the Maldives. It is a staple food in Maldivian cuisine
Malta
- Lent in Malta § Traditional food eaten throughout the period
- *Kwareżimal – Lent cake
Mexico
- Atole
- Capirotada – usually eaten during the Lenten period. It is one of the dishes served on Good Friday.
- Chiles
- Enchilada
- Iguana meat
- Legumes, beans and refried beans
- Maize
- * Tortilla
- Mole sauce
- Pork
- * Chorizo
- Rice – traditionally pan fried to a golden color before cooking
- Rice and beans
- Sope
- Tamale
Nepal
- Dhindo
Portugal
- Denominação de Origem Controlada is the system of protected designation of origin for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.
Saudi Arabia
- Hininy
- Kabsa
Singapore
- Hainanese chicken rice – considered as a national dish of Singapore
- Teochew porridge
Slovakia
- Bryndzové halušky – a national dish of Slovakia consisting of halušky and bryndza.
- Lecsó
Spain
- Boroña – a cornbread that is a traditional food in the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country and northern Castilla-Leon
- Denominación de Origen – part of a regulatory classification system primarily for Spanish wines but also for other foodstuffs like cheeses, condiments, honey and meats, among others
Swaziland
- Cuisine of Swaziland § Traditional foods
Sweden
- Falukorv
- Janssons frestelse
- Pyttipanna
Switzerland
- Appellation d'origine protégée – A Swiss geographical indication protecting the origin and the quality of traditional food products other than wines
- Capuns – a traditional food from the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland
Tanzania
- Pare people § Traditional food
Thailand
- Mango sticky rice
- Pad Thai
Turkey
- Imam Bayıldı
Uganda
- Malewa – smoked bamboo shoot which is dried for preservation. The food originated from Eastern Uganda in the Bugisu sub-region
United Kingdom
England
- Bangers and mash
- Cottage pie
- Faggot
- Fish and chips
- Full breakfast
- Sunday roast
Wales
- Cawl
- Welsh cakes
- Glamorgan sausages
- Laverbread
- Welsh rarebit
- Bara brith
Scotland
- Haggis
- Lorne sausage
- Neeps and tatties
- Cullen skink
- Arbroath smokies
United States
- Cardamom bread – considered as a traditional food among Swedish Americans
- Thanksgiving dinner
Southern United States
- Biscuit
- Cheese straw
- Cornbread
- Collard greens
- Hoppin' John
- Sweet potato
Vanuatu
- Laplap – a national dish
Yemen
- Kabsa
By region
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
- Khabees – traditional sweet dish in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf
Commonwealth Caribbean
- Rice and peas – a traditional dish in the Anglo-Caribbean
Eastern Mediterranean
European Union
- Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union
- Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions – a quality indicator used within European Union wine regulations that identifies wines with protected geographical indications
- List of geographical designations for spirit drinks in the European Union
Scandinavia
- European crayfish
- * Crayfish party
Southern Africa
- Soured milk – a traditional food of the Bantu peoples of Southern Africa