U P S C A L EA R O U N D T H E W O R L D | B J O R N K O C H

D I N I N G

UPSCALEEATING

D I F F E R S S T R O N G L Y C O U N T R YT O C O U N T R Y . A S D O N A T I O N A LC U I S I N E S .

THE TOP 5H E R E A R E S O M E O F T H EC O U N T R I E S W I T H T H E M O S TU N I Q U E A N D D E L I C I O U SC U I S I N E .

THE TOP 5H E R E A R E S O M E O F T H EC O U N T R I E S W I T H T H E M O S TU N I Q U E A N D D E L I C I O U SC U I S I N E .

INDIA1

UNITED STATES2

FRANCE3

MEXICO4

ITALY5

INDIA1.2 BILLION PEOPLE CANNOT POSSIBLY BE WRONG. INDIA’S FOOD ISUNIQUE IN ITS COMPOSITION AND OVERALL MAKEUP, COMBINING A WIDEVARIETY OF FLAVORS TO APPEASE ALL AUDIENCES. TANDOORI CHICKEN,BUTTER CHICKEN, AND CURRIES ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR DISHESFROM INDIA, WHICH IS ALSO FAMOUS FOR ITS FANTASTIC VEGETARIANDISHES GIVEN THE FACT THAT MANY INDIANS DO NOT EAT MEAT.

USAIT’S HARD TO NAME A TOP TEN FOODS LIST WITHOUT MENTIONING THE USA.NOTABLE, THE USA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY ON THIS LIST THAT ISN’TNECESSARILY WIDELY REGARDED FOR ITS ORIGINAL FOOD, BUT FOR ITSSPINS ON OTHER COUNTRIES’ CUISINES.

THE USA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS MULTICULTURAL MAKEUP, WHICH HAS ALLOWEDIT TO BLEND A WIDE RANGE OF INTERNATIONAL FOODS INTO ONE CULTURALEPICENTER. PERHAPS MORE INTERESTINGLY, THE USA HAS PUT ITS OWNSPIN ON INTERNATIONAL FOODS (THINK PIZZA, TACOS, HAMBURGERS),TAKING HUGELY FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND AMERICANIZING IT.

FRANCEDINING UPSCALE HAS A FEW ALMOST MANDATORY ASPECTS TO IT; WHENWE THINK OF AN UPSCALE DINNER PARTY WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT WINEAND CHEESE. IT JUST SO HAPPENS, THEN, THAT WINE AND CHEESE ARETWO OF THE EDIBLES THAT FRANCE IS MOST FAMOUS FOR. ON TOP OFTHEM, THE CROISSANTS, MACARONS, FINE BREADS AND A WIDELY RANGINGSPREAD OF CHICKEN AND BEEF DISHES MAKE FRENCH CUISINE ONE OF THEBEST IN THE WORLD.

MEXICOOFTEN LAMBASTED FOR BEING THE SAME INGREDIENTS (TORTILLA, MEAT, CHEESE)SPREAD OUT ACROSS A NUMBER OF DISHES, EATING AUTHENTIC MEXICAN ISINCREDIBLY HARD TO BEAT. DESPITE THAT NOTION, THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF VARIETYFOUND IN REAL MEXICAN FOOD, FROM THE SAUCES THAT GO INTO EACH DISH TO THEPREPARATION AND PRESENTATION, EACH OF WHICH INTENSELY MODIFIES THE DISHES’OVERALL FLAVORS.

YOU MIGHT BUMP MEXICAN TO NUMBER ONE IF YOU’RE A FAN OF SPICY FOODS, AS MOSTOF THE WORLD’S CHILIS COME FROM MEXICO, PARTICULARLY THE VERY SPICY ONES.WORKED INTO A NUMBER OF DISHES, SOMETIMES THE PAIN OF STUFFING A FEWJALAPENOS OR HABANEROS INTO YOUR MOUTH IS WORTH IT FOR THE FLAVORCOMPLIMENTS.

ITALYWHEN YOU THINK OF ITALIAN FOOD YOU PROBABLY THINK OF FRESHNESS. ITALIANFOOD IS OFTEN NOT OVERLY COMPLICATED OR DIFFICULT TO PREPARE, BUT ONE TASTEOF AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN DISH WILL SHOW YOU HOW LITTLE THAT MATTERS IN THEGRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, FRESH TOMATOES, GARLIC, OLIVE OIL AND BREADS ARESTAPLES OF ITALIAN CUISINE. THE FOOD IS SO WIDE RANGING–FROM MARINARA TOALFREDO, FROM PIZZA TO GELATO–THAT IT’S DIFFICULT TO COVER IT ALL AND NOTDROOL ON MY KEYBOARD.