Gaziantep, Türkiye
The first stop on our list of gastronomy cities is Gaziantep, known for its creative and deep-rooted culinary traditions. In 2015, Gaziantep was listed in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the Gastronomy category and is already a registered gastronomy city.
While Gaziantep presents visitors with a delicious array of kebabs, soups, lahmacun (thin, pizza-like discs) and dolmas (stuffed grape leaves or stuffed peppers), the city is perhaps most famous for its baklava. Some of Gaziantep’s culinary highlights include the following.
- Baklava (there are a variety of baklava types, with pistachio a particular favorite!)
- Ali Nazik (beef served on a bed of buttery pureed eggplant)
- Küşleme kebab (cubes of tender grilled lamb)
- Beyran (spicy lamb and rice stew)
- Lahmacun (flatbread topped with minced meat, vegetables and herbs and spices)
- Yuvalama (lamb, yogurt and chickpea soup)
Phuket, Thailand
Famous for sandy beaches, tropical fruits and picturesque palm trees, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and certainly a gastronomic locale, featuring lots of fresh seafood along with regional Thai dishes. Some culinary highlights of Phuket include the following.
- Pad Thai (classic street dish consisting of rice noodles, shrimp, a scrambled egg, peanuts and bean sprouts. Sometimes chicken or tofu is added)
- O tao (a dish made with small oysters and other seafood fried in a batter of egg and taro.)
- Ah pong (coconut crepes)
- Khanom jin (rice noodles and various toppings)
- O-aew (a shaved ice dessert with o-aew seeds or jelly, bananas and red beans)
Zahle, Lebanon
The next stop is Zahle, Lebanon, the land of hummus and falafel. In 2013, Zahle joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and is a popular destination in part due to its food festivals and rich food culture. In this city where you can sample the most delicious Lebanese cuisine, some of the highlights include the following dishes.
- Hummus (a spread of cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice and garlic)
- Kebab (grilled meat)
- Falafel (fried spiced chickpea patties or balls)
- Tabouleh (a salad of finely chopped parsley, couscous, tomatoes, mint and onion; usually seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt)
- Kafta (spiced beef patties grilled on a skewer)
- Fattoush (a salad of mixed greens, chopped tomato, cucumbers, parsley, olive oil, lemon, garlic, herbs and toasted pita chips)
- Lebeniye (a soup with beef, chickpeas, yoghurt and rice)
- Maamoul cookies (butter cookies stuffed with dates, fig, almonds or pistachios)
Ensenada, Mexico
Mexico is famous for its rich cuisine. Ensenada, especially well known for its taco varieties, was included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015. Some of Ensenada’s culinary highlights include the following dishes.
- Fish tacos (soft corn tortillas filled with batter-fried fish and accompaniments like lettuce and pico de gallo)
- Quesadilla (tortillas stuffed with chicken, beef, pork or cheese; toasted until crispy on the outside)
- Fajita (grilled skirt steak or other meat and vegetable strips, served on tortillas)
- Nachos (fresh tortilla chips served with melted cheese, black beans and salsa)
- Cajeta (caramel made from goat’s milk)
- Burrito (a soft tortilla rolled around a filling of black beans, salsa and other ingredients such as meat or chicken, corn or avocado)
Denia, Spain
Spain is known for its gastronomic traditions and Denia is one of its most famous food cities. Listed as a UNESCO gastronomy city in 2015, Denia’s cuisine is known for its synthesis of Mediterranean and Arabic influences. In addition, there are several food festivals held in Denia throughout the year.
- Fresh seafood
- Paella (a spiced rice dish often featuring seafood)
- Fish varieties
- Tapas (small dishes served at bars, ranging from olives to seafood dishes and more)
- Tortilla
- Churros (fried dough covered in sugar and syrup)
- Gazpacho (a cold soup made from tomatoes, cucumbers and spices)
Parma, Italy
Renowned for dishes and products praised not only in Italy but worldwide, Parma is home to the European Food Safety Authority. In 2015, Parma was included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network list, and its traditional cuisine highlights ham, pasta and cheeses – especially parmesan cheese. Unmissable Parma dishes include the following.
- Prosciutto di Parma (dry-cured ham, made only from the hind legs of pigs)
- Parmesan cheese
- Tortellini (pasta stuffed with a mixture of meat, Parmesan cheese, usually served in broth)
- Tiramisu (a rich dessert made with coffee-soaked ladyfinger cookies and sweetened mascarpone cheese)
- Salame Felino (a regional salami)
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a vibrant metropolis and one of the aspects that makes this city special is its unique gastronomy. Naturally, Tokyo offers a wide variety of the best in Japanese cuisine. Some of the city’s culinary highlights include the following dishes.
- Sushi (small balls or rolls of vinegar-flavored cold rice served with a garnish of vegetables, egg or raw seafood)
- Ramen (a noodle dish that comes in a variety of flavors and preparations)
- Yakitori (chicken pieces grilled on skewers)
- Okonomiyaki (a savory pancake made with vegetables, meat and/or seafood)
- Tempura (deep-fried battered vegetables and/or seafood)
- Natto (fermented soybeans)
- Matcha tea (tea made from a fine powder of ground green tea leaves)
New York, United States
So nice they named it twice – New York, New York is known for restaurants of all types serving a vast range of cuisines. The city’s cultural diversity is evident in its food scene, which offers residents and visitors some of the best dining in the world. That being said, we’ve listed some typical New York dishes below.
- New York-style cheesecake
- New York-style pizza (while there are numerous gourmet pizza eateries in NYC, the classic slice features a thin crust, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese)
- Hot dog (a classic street snack garnished with mustard, ketchup and/or pickle relish)
- Pastrami (cured, smoked beef brisket, thinly sliced, and often served in sandwiches)
- Lox (smoked salmon)
- Bagel (a ring-shaped bread roll; the dough is boiled in water before baking)
We wish you a pleasant journey full of brand-new flavors!
