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200 Traditional Foods

John Spacey, updated on October 19, 2024

Traditional foods are foods that are associated with a culture that have been around for three generations or longer. These don't always originate with the culture with which they are associated. For example, coleslaw is a familiar American dish with several American variations but originated in the Netherlands. The following are a few examples of traditional foods from different cultures.

All (215)

American (35)

Italian (24)

Japanese (22)

French (23)

Chinese (22)

Indian (16)

Mexican (16)

Thai (6)

British (21)

Greek (7)

Spanish (6)

Korean (4)

Middle Eastern (8)

Jamaican (7)

Ackee & Saltfish	Aloo Gobi
Antipasti	Apple Pie
Baguette	Baked Beans
Bakewell Tart	Baklava
Bangers and Mash	Barbecue Ribs
Bearnaise Sauce	Beef Wellington
Bento	Bibimbap
Biscuits and Gravy	Black Pudding
Black Sesame Soup	Boeuf Bourguignon
Bok Choy Stir-Fry	Bolognese Sauce
Braised Pork	Brie
Brownies	Bruschetta
Buffalo Wings	Bulgogi
Burritos	Butter Chicken
Camembert	Cannoli
Caprese Salad	Carbonara
Carnitas	Carpaccio
Carrot Cake	Century Eggs
Chana Masala	Chawanmushi
Cheddar Cheese	Chicken Curry
Chiles En Nogada	Chili
Chocolate Chip Cookies	Chow Mein
Churros	Clam Chowder
Coleslaw	Congee
Coq Au Vin	Corn on the Cob
Cornbread	Cornish Pasty
Creme Brulee	Crepes
Croissant	Croquetas
Crumpets	Curry Goat
Daifuku	Dashi
Dim Sum	Dolma
Dumplings	Eclair
Enchiladas	Escargots
Eton Mess	Fajitas
Falafel	Feta Cheese
Fettuccine	Fish Curry
Fish Tikka	Fish and Chips
Focaccia	Foie Gras
Fougasse	French Toast
Fried Chicken	Fried Rice
Fried Tofu	Fritto Misto
Fruit Cake	Full English Breakfast
Gazpacho	Gelato
Glazed Ham	Gnocchi
Gorditas	Gravy
Greek Salad	Green Curry
Grits	Gumbo
Gyoza	Gyro
Hamburger	Hollandaise Sauce
Hot Dog	Hummus
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken	Jambalaya
Jerk Chicken	Katsu Curry
Kebabs	Keema
Key Lime Pie	Kimbap
Kimchi	Kippers
Kung Pao Chicken	Lancashire Cheese
Lasagna	Macaroni & Cheese
Macarons	Mango Pudding
Mapo Tofu	Masala Rice
Massaman Curry	Meatloaf
Milkshakes	Mille-Feuille
Minestrone	Miso Soup
Mole	Mooncake
Moussaka	Mujadara
Naan	Natto
Oeufs Cocotte	Okonomiyaki
Onigiri	Pad Thai
Paella	Pain Au Chocolat
Pain De Campagne	Palak Paneer
Pancakes	Paneer Tikka
Panna Cotta	Patties
Peking Duck	Penne Pasta
Pesto	Pico De Gallo
Pizza	Ploughman’s Lunch
Porchetta	Pork Buns (Baozi)
Pot Roast	Potato Salad
Potstickers (Jiaozi)	Pozole
Prosciutto	Pumpkin Pie
Quesadillas	Quiche
Ramen	Ratatouille
Ravioli	Rice & Peas
Risotto	Roast Beef
Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding	Roast Turkey
Roti	S'mores
Salsa	Sambar
Samosa	Sashimi
Scallion Pancakes	Scones
Shabu-Shabu	Shawarma
Shepherd’s Pie	Shumai
Sloppy Joes	Soba
Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)	Souvlaki
Spaghetti	Spring Rolls
Sticky Rice With Mango	Sticky Toffee Pudding
Stilton Cheese	Stuffing/Dressing
Sukiyaki	Sushi
Sweet & Sour Pork	Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Pudding	Tabbouleh
Tacos	Takoyaki
Tamales	Tandoori Chicken
Tapas	Tarte Tatin
Tempura	Tiramisu
Toad In the Hole	Tom Yum Goong
Tonkatsu	Tortilla Española
Tortillas	Tostadas
Tzatziki	Udon
Vegetable Korma	Waffles
Wontons	Yakiniku
Yakitori

The Pizza Effect

The pizza effect is the tendency for cultures to influence each other in a circular way. This is based on Italian pizza coming to America, becoming American pizza with time and making its way back to Italy.

There are countless examples of this happening with food. For example, Japanese sushi in America has been adapted to local tastes with new dishes such as California rolls. Some of these dishes are now popular back in Japan such that they have gone full circle.

The pizza effect is viewed as a fundamental aspect of culture whereby all cultures are influenced by other cultures in a multidimensional feedback loop.

What Counts as Traditional Food?

Traditional foods are familiar to three or more generations such that they need to be about 75 years old or so. This can include foods that are prepared regularly in the home, seasonal foods and restaurant foods. Branded products aren't typically viewed as traditional foods even if they have been around for a long time.

What Doesn't Count as Traditional Food?

The term traditional is used to distinguish from relatively new dishes, obscure dishes, original dishes, branded foods and other corporate foods such as fast food.

Value of Traditional Food

Traditional foods give us a common shared experience across generations and sense of connectedness with the past. This is particularly true of seasonal and holidays foods that we eat on special occasions whereby they help to mark the passing of time.

Traditional foods also represent cultures and are a common way that we can experience other cultures and build understanding across cultures. People tend to be proud of their local foods and cultivating an appreciation for these foods may be appreciated. This comes with some caveats such as not becoming more of an expert about local foods than the locals themselves such that you may come off as smug.

Notes

The traditional foods above were selected according to which foods we felt might be familiar to our audience. Each category above has hundreds of traditional foods and our selections aren't intended to portray the depth of each tradition.

Next read: Traditional Things

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