National Dishes: A Taste of Tradition!

#37 Week 8

Author

Sigrun Sørumgård
February 20, 2025

Discover the iconic foods that define cultures around the world!

  1. Which country is known for its national dish, Paella?

  2. A delicacy in Scotland, and it´s national dish, haggis is served inside what animal part?

  3. Where is Foundue the national dish?

  4. Which Nordic country has Smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich, as a traditional dish?

  5. Phở has become a popular dish all over the world. But which country is it considered it´s national dish?

  6. Hungary has a national dish consists of beef and a mix of vegetables cooked down into a stew which is then flavored with paprika. What is the name of this dish?

  7. Kibbeh, a dish made of bulgur wheat, minced meat, and spices, is considered a national dish of which two Middle Eastern countries? The word kibbeh first appeared in ancient biblical text, meaning "tent" or "tarp". Later on the word took on a new meaning in Aramaic as kababa, which means "a covering".

  8. Ceviche, a dish made with raw fish cured in citrus juice, is the national dish of which country?

  9. There is more than one national dish of Greece, it´s actually six. Four of them are souvlaki, magiritsa, kokoretsi and fasolada. Which two, which also are the most famous ones outside of Grece are missing from the list?

  10. Which Caribbean country’s national dish is Ackee and Saltfish?

The Wonder Wall

  • Some countries such as Mexico, China or India, because of their diverse ethnic populations, cultures, and cuisines, do not have a single national dish, even unofficially. Furthermore, because national dishes are so interwoven into a nation's sense of identity, strong emotions and conflicts can arise when trying to choose a country's national dish.

  • During the age of European empire-building, nations would develop a national cuisine to distinguish themselves from their rivals.

  • Many believe that pizza is Italy’s national dish, but it´s Ragu alla Bolognese, also known simply as Bolognese, which is recognized as the national dish of Italy. But pizza is probably the most popular dish in the world, according to many sources.

Yesterday´s Questions & Answers

  1. Harper Lee is best known for which classic novel about racism and justice in the American South?

    To Kill a Mockingbird. Loosely based on a true story, Harper Lee drew inspiration from memories of childhood growing up in Monroeville, Alabama and based characters on some of her family members.

  2. Which female author wrote Wuthering Heights, a novel about love and revenge on the Yorkshire moors?

    Emily Brontë. Wuthering Heights was originally published under the pseudonym "Ellis Bell" in 1847, concealing her gender and identity. The novel, now considered a classic of English literature, explores themes of passion, revenge, and the haunting moors of Yorkshire.

  3. Who was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature?

    The first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature was Selma Lagerlöf (Sweden) who won the prize in 1909.

  4. Who wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel about a totalitarian society?

    Margaret Atwood

  5. Mary Poppins is a series of eight children's books written by which Australian-British writer?

    It was P. L. Travers (Pamela Lyndon Travers). We don't know for certain, but Travers' great-aunt might have been the inspiration for the character of Mary Poppins.

  6. Who was the first female writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?

    Edith Wharton made history as the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921 for her novel The Age of Innocence. The novel examines the social customs and moral dilemmas of New York's upper class in the 1870s. Wharton was known for her keen social observations and her ability to depict the inner workings of American society in the early 20th century.

  7. Which extremely famous author created the Cormoran Strike series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith?

    J.K. Rowling, best known for the Harry Potter series.

  8. Which of Agatha Christie’s plays set a world record for the longest continuous run at one theatre?

    Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap (1952) set a world record for the longest continuous run at one theatre. It ran for 8,862 performances—more than 21 years—at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, before moving to a different venue.

  9. Which bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes tells the love story of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor?

    Me Before You

  10. Which famous British author wrote "Mrs. Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse"?

    Virginia Woolf was a central figure in modernist literature, known for her pioneering use of stream-of-consciousness narrative. Mrs. Dalloway (1925) follows Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares for a party, while To the Lighthouse (1927) is a meditation on time, family, and memory.