#global-cuisine

#global-cuisine

Looking back on a year and attempting to pick a favorite meal is sort of like choosing a favorite child, and yet, in this case, it must be done. While we ate our way across the country for our Best New Restaurants of 2025 in search of meals that left us dreaming of them long into the next days and weeks, we can't be everywhere. (Where are the teleporters promised us in '70s and '80s cartoons?!) To suss out meals and restaurants we may have miss, we surveyed a crop of the country's best chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs to gauge where industry tastemakers find their inspiration. Their globetrotting answers-from a tiny restaurant in Martha's Vineyard, to a diner recommended by a parking lot attendant, to a simple khao man gai that still thrills-are a mighty fine way to begin planning your 2026 taste atlas.

Even in the smaller coastal towns, the food scene is going global. Seaside now boasts Cambodian and Oaxacan newcomers. Monterey is home to a Vietnamese cafe on Tyler Street, just north of Bonifacio Place. And Carmel - less exotic, perhaps, but no less delicious - is home to a new bakery bistro serving a Danish breakfast sandwich pressed with Comte cheese and cultured butter on a seeded sourdough bun.

Food trends are ever-changing. An ingredient that is considered cheap peasant food one day can evolve into a staple of fine dining years later. Lobster was famously considered food for the poor before its reputation shifted and it became the expensive, luxurious shellfish we know today. Lentil soup has experienced a similar trajectory. A plentiful, affordable, dense source of essential nutrients like protein and fiber, lentils have been part of our diet since at least 8000 B.C.E.

Attendees of the sold-out 2025 Events DC Embassy Chef Challenge journeyed the globe by taste-sampling bites and beverages from 34 embassies when the Philippines and Peru chefs claimed the People's Choice and Judges' Choice Awards, respectively.

Pizzelle are thin and crispy waffle-style cookies from Italy, made in a special pizzelle baker press that creates intricate patterns and are popular during festive seasons.

Today's show highlights flavorful food from across the globe, featuring Asian-style barbecue recipes from a new book that elevate traditional dishes with modern twists.

Traveling the world's sandwiches is, in a way, like traveling the world.

Fried rice is how many people first experience Chinese cuisine. Delicious, customizable, and affordable, it is a dish that everyone can enjoy.

We love hot dogs made with beef and pork as well as hot dogs made with non-traditional proteins. And, not to be corny, we also love hot dogs coated with cornbread and served on a stick.

In recent years, the growth of upscale dining in U.S. suburbs reflects a culinary evolution, showcasing diverse cuisines that rival city offerings.

In the U.S., we might find it strange that people in the U.K. eat black-headed gull eggs, while people in Taiwan eat pigeon eggs.