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I would say a good majority of travelers, travel for food. Whether they want to admit it or not, the most popular destinations usually have the best food. Lots of people would love to sip wine in the South of France while visiting vineyards, eat Pho on a little stool on the sidewalks in Vietnam, and visit the smells of local markets around the world.

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When you’re feeling travel deprived, here are a couple of international recipes that will take your tastebuds on a trip around the world.

• Whip up some sweet watermelon juice from Mexico and start the day with Chilaquiles for breakfast
• Head to Italy, Spain, and the Canary Island for snacks, a refreshing drink, and side dishes
• Visit Greece with tasty Spanakopita
• Then finish off with sweet desserts from Brazil and Thailand

Mexico | Watermelon Juice

Dan and Julia | Monkeys Ventures

Watermelon and summer go hand in hand! And since the long warm days of summer are just around the corner, what better way to cool off than with a refreshing and energizing glass of watermelon juice.

We first tried watermelon agua fresca at a resort in Mexico and thoroughly enjoyed it with every breakfast. Then a friend of ours, who is originally from India, told us how to make watermelon juice at home, as it’s very popular there as well. So, this simple summer recipe is shared around the globe!

All you need is a blender, watermelon, and lime.

1. Cut watermelon into small 1-inch chunks.
2. Put them in the blender together with a squeeze of lime.
3. Blend it well!
4. Pour it in a jug, and let it cool overnight in a fridge! Enjoy the next day!

TIPS:

• To spruce it up – add fresh mint or basil. (You can blend a couple of leaves or use them for garnish as well).
• True agua fresca (translated “freshwater”) has water in. So, feel free to add a cup of water to the mixture while blending to get the desired consistency.

We love drinking this watermelon juice throughout the day. Not only it’s low-calorie (watermelons consist of 92% water), but it also has a bunch of useful stuff in it too, like vitamins A & C, iron, potassium, and calcium. From what we’ve read about watermelons, they are also great for heart, digestion, skin, hair, and overall well-being!

Mexico | Chilaquiles

Chris | The Merry Bacchus

I am bringing you a breakfast dish that I enjoy when I go to visit Mexico.  Chilaquiles is a simple dish that uses leftover ingredients to complete.

The main ingredients are:

• corn tortillas
• chili sauce or verde sauce
• onion
• cheese

Some families or regions will either add meat, like chicken or beef. Sometimes you may see beans as well. The dish depends on your taste preference. 

For instance, corn tortillas are the main ingredient and a way to use those stale tortillas up in your pantry. Adding an egg on top will make the dish more like breakfast. 

To make the red chili sauce, it’s just a matter of soaking dried Ancho chilis in warm water, and then removing stems and seeds and putting it into a blender. You then add onion, garlic, and either fresh tomatoes or a small can of tomato sauce to finish it off. 

Green chili sauce or Salsa Verde consists of Tomatillos, garlic, onions, a little cilantro, and 1 to 2 jalapenos; depending on your heat tolerance. Make sure the tomatillo skins have split if using a water bath method. Both sauces will last for 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Prep:

• Heat a little oil in a pan and either tear or slice corn tortillas, place in the pan
• Remove once golden brown, and then add the sauce, onion, and any meat or beans if desired
• Heat until the sauce is warm and starting to bubble
• Add the tortillas again and mix together
• Next comes the cheese — you may use regular cheese or Queso Fresco cheese. Just pay attention to how much salt you add, since most Mexican cheeses can be a bit on the salty side. 
• The only other thing to add is a fried egg on the top and you’re set for breakfast!

Italy | Gnocchi

Cindi | An Easy Journey

There is absolutely nothing more comforting than little dumplings in traditional tomato sauce, with truffle olive oil or even pesto. As versatile as your imagination, these easy, delicious morsels may become your new favorite! They can be made from potato, ricotta, sweet potato, or even a vegan version with cauliflower. Gnocchi is typically the first course in Italy. Perfect for date night or Tuesday night! I make gnocchi and serve them with Chicken Marsala. Yummy Marsala wine sauce is a great topping to the deliciously light pillowy dumplings! With Chianti Classico.

Ingredients to serve 4 as a 1st course or 2 as a main course:

• 1 16 oz. bag of frozen organic cauliflower
• ⅔ cup AP flour (to make GF use Cassava flour)
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan

Prep:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat.
2. Cook cauliflower for 10 minutes or until a fork pierces easily.
3. Drain really, really well. Then lay on a clean dish towel and squeeze out any remaining water. 
4. In a food processor, pulse and add salt and cheese.
5. On a floured work surface, roll dough into a disk shape and then cut into 4 sections.
6. Roll each section into a long rope and then with a knife, cut into ½ inch pieces – Do for all dough sections.
7. Then a large saute pan, add a splash of EVOO and add the gnocchi, careful not to over-crowd the pan. Do in batches.
8. Saute, turning Gnocchi over until browned and then add a splash of water and cover for 1 minute. This is steaming the dumplings.
9. Saute all dough and then put in the pan with sauce and grating of Pecorino cheese. Or Chicken Marsala – YUM!

Spain | Tinto De Verano

Lauren | Always Find Adventure

Tinto de Verano means “summer red wine.” Red wine is very popular in Spain and usually associated with sangria. This drink is like sangria, only easier and simpler, usually made with red wine and a bubbly substance like Sprite, Fanta Límon, or carbonated water and lemon bitters. You can tell the difference from a Sangria to a Tinto de Verano by the fruit: Tinto is not usually served with fruit in the drink, but rather, on the rim of the glass as garnish. It’s a great summer drink, and it’s a ‘quick fix’ and a great alternative if you’re craving a refreshing red wine drink.

Here’s how to make it:

• 1 bottle of Spanish red wine (or red wine of choice)
• 750 ml lemon-flavored soda, or tonic water, or Fanta
• Orange (for garnish)
• Ice

Mix the wine and the soda water together. Add ice to the pitcher or your glass. Pour the mixture in the glass with some ice. Add an orange slice for garnish. 

Spain | Pimientos de Padron

Alison | Alisoninandalucia

Think of Spanish food and it’s likely that tapas comes to mind.

One of my favourite tapas dishes (and also the easiest to prepare at home) is pimientos de Padron (Padron peppers). These small, green peppers originate from the Padron municipality of Galicia in northern Spain but are available to buy in many supermarkets outside of Spain. The peppers are generally mild in flavour but, occasionally, you’ll bite into one that definitely packs a punch. If you want to play Russian Roulette with your taste buds and make your own at home, you’ll be pleased to know there are only three ingredients so even the most inexperienced cook will be able to have a go. Even better, the entire process from start to finish is only ten minutes.

Ingredients

• 500g Padron peppers – this should be enough for six people as a side dish or as part of a tapas menu
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a high heat
2. Add the peppers to the pan and toss them occasionally. The peppers will start to wilt and their skin will blacken and blister – this is when you know they’re ready
3. Remove from the pan and place on a serving plate
4. Sprinkle generously with sea salt
5. Eat and enjoy!

Canary Islands | Papas Arrugadas

Hannah | PagesPlacesandPlates

There is a lot of good food to come from the Canary Islands, but many people are unaware of it! The Canary Islands are governed by Spain, yet are situated off the coast of East Africa with a history of plentiful immigration from the countries of South America. This has led to a gorgeous fusion of cuisine styles, with their dishes being traditionally unique, rustic, and flavoursome.

It’s hard to pinpoint my favourite meal from the Canary Islands as I love so many of them, but one I frequently order is Papas Arrugadas or Canarian Wrinkled Potatoes.

Using heavily salted water these potatoes are cooked to perfection, giving them a wrinkly, salty skin and a tender middle. They’re also ridiculously simple to cook at home.

1. Simply boil small potatoes as normal, but add salt to the water (around 75g per 1kg of potatoes).
2. Pour off the water once cooked and return to the stove over low heat until any remaining water is evaporated – once you see a layer of salt form on the skins then they’re done!
3. Serve with green and red mojo sauce or garlic aioli and you’ve got the perfect side to accompany steak, fish, and many other dishes.

Greece | Spanakopita

Anne | Anne Travel Foodie 

I love to eat and travel. As a vegetarian, I’m especially interested in vegetarian dishes when traveling. When I was in Greece, I took a cooking workshop and learned how to make Spanakopita.

Spanakopita is a Greek savory pie. It’s often filled with spinach and feta cheese, so it’s perfect for vegetarians. 

Ingredients: 

• 400 grams fresh spinach 
• 200 grams Chard (or extra spinach) 
• 1 leek 
• 1 red pepper 
• 2 handfuls of parsley, dill, peppermint and/or fennel 
• 2 onions 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/2 cup Tarhana (or rice, barley or couscous) 
• 1-2 cups extra-virgin olive oil 
• 200 grams Greek feta cheese 
• 5 sheets phyllo dough 
• Salt/pepper to taste 

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

1. Wash and chop all the vegetables, onions, and herbs.
2. Place the chopped spinach, chard, leek, pepper, onions, and herbs in a large bowl.
3. Crumble the feta and add to the mixture.
4. Crack the eggs open above the bowl.
5. Add a fair amount of olive oil and the tarhana or another grain. Use your hands to mix well. 
6. Grease a pie tin with olive oil.
7. Add 1 phyllo sheet, drizzle with olive oil and top it with another phyllo sheet.
8. Drizzle with olive oil again and add the 3rd sheet.
9. Add the filling and divide it evenly over the tray. Top it with another phyllo sheet, make sure that it’s wrinkled.
10. Drizzle with olive oil and add the last phyllo sheet, wrinkled again. Use the dough that hangs out of the tin to fold it inward to make a crust.
11. Sprinkle the spanakopita with some olive oil and spray a bit of water over it. 
12. Divide the spanakopita into parts with a knife. This only has to go through the top layers of phyllo sheets. 

Bake the spanakopita at 180°C for 60 minutes.

The spinach pie is ready when the crust is golden brown.

Brazil | Brigadeiro

Megan | LifeInPostcards

Brazil’s unofficial national truffle that is easy to make and delicious to eat.

I first tried a Brigadeiro in Amsterdam when visiting for my boyfriend’s birthday. As a treat, I decided to take him to get some as he is Brazilian and so was used to eating Brigadeiro on special occasions. 

Needless to say, they were delicious. 

We ended up going back to the same Brigadeiro shop ‘Sweet Bob’ three more times over the duration of our Amsterdam trip. 

When we got home, I immediately asked his mother to teach me how to make Brigadeiro so that I could make them for myself and was pleased to discover that they are incredibly simple to make, it just takes a bit of time and practice.

All you need to make Brigadeiro is:

• 1 Can of Condensed Milk
• 1 Can of Milk (Pour Milk into the Condensed Milk Can)
• 1 Tablespoon of Butter
• 1 Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder
• Chocolate Sprinkles

Brigadeiro is incredibly simple to make; however, you may have to wait for a while to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour. There are no exact timings for things such as cooking or letting the mixture cool, so they may not be perfect on the first try, but practice makes perfect!

1. Mix the condensed milk, milk, butter, and cocoa powder in a saucepan.
2. Cook the mixture on medium-low heat, stirring consistently to prevent burning. Do this until you can see the bottom of the pan whilst mixing it.
3. Leave to cool in the fridge until the mixture is no longer very sticky.
4. Layout your chocolate sprinkles on a plate.
5. Roll about a teaspoon of the Brigadeiro recipe into a ball using your hands (Tip: butter your hands so that the mixture doesn’t stick to it when rolling).
6. Roll the ball in chocolate sprinkles.

That’s it!

Relax and enjoy your Brigadeiro!

Thailand | Mango Sticky Rice

Alexis | TheSoulTravelerDiaries Find me on Twitter and Instagram

I was first introduced to this rich and flavorful dessert on the streets of Bangkok while taking cooking classes at Silom Thai Cooking School. I fell in love with the flavorful dishes that we made during my classes and brought them all home with me after my backpacking adventures. I love making this dessert and it has become a comfort food as well as a perfect dessert or snack any time of the day. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 TBSP white sugar or palm sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (thick and creamy is best)
• 1-2 pandas leaves cut into 3-4 cm pieces (can substitute with 1 tsp vanilla)
• 1 ripe mango (or fruit of your choice)
• 1/2 TBSP mung bean seed (optional topping)

How to cook Sticky Rice:

1. Rinse 1 cup of rice in water until water is clear (not cloudy)
2. Soak rice in water for at least 3 hours
3. Steam rice until cooked and tender

Cook in rice cooker: Drain the rice and place in a rice cooker. Add ¾ cup water for every 1 cup of water. Cook until soft and tender. 

OR

Cook on the stove: Add rice to 1 ¾ – 2 cups of water in a pot. Boil on high. Continuously stir and allow the rice to become tender. Do not boil away all moisture from the rice.

Preparing Coconut Cream Topping:

1. Heat the coconut milk with pandan leaves (or vanilla) in a pot over medium heat
2. Stir constantly and let the coconut milk begin to simmer
3. Add sugar and continue stirring
4. Remove from heat
5. Pour the coconut milk over the hot sticky rice. Mix together thoroughly
6. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes for the rice to absorb the coconut milk. The rice should be a little mushy and soft.

Serve the warm rice in a bowl or dish. Add freshly cut mango or fruit of your choice and sprinkle with mung bean seed (optional). Enjoy the delicious treat!