“I’m pretty cultured,” you say. But, have you tried all of these cultural foods?

1. Injera

In Ethiopian cuisine, injera is a spongey sourdough flatbread–with a diameter of about 20 inches! Spicy vegetables and meats are served in colorful clumps on injeras.

(Photo by Rod Waddington via flickr.com)

2. Chitterlings

Pig intestines?! In the US, chitterlings are a Southern culinary tradition sometimes categorized as “soul food”. Eat them as a main dish or in soups and stews. Sometimes they’re served with hot sauce for dipping.

(Photo by LWYang via flickr.com)

3. Cheese Fondue

A Swiss communal dish, an authentic bowl of cheese fondue might not be pure cheese. It may be melted with wine–kirsch (cherry brandy)–and kept heated by a small burner. Long stemmed forks are used to dip bits of bread and vegetables in its cheesy goodness.

(Photo by Andrew Magill via flickr.com)

4. Goulash

A Hungarian dish, often in stew form. Onions, beef, red peppers and paprika powder season the pork or beef. And it is typically served with mashed potatoes, dumplings, or polenta.

(Photo by Secretlondon123 via flickr.com)

5. Peking duck

A delicacy from Beijing, ducks are sometimes bred just for this dish. The skin of peking duck–thin, crispy, and deep brown–is very nutritious. Best served with mantou (sweet white bread) and a black sweet sauce.

(Photo by Ernesto Andrade via flickr.com)

6. Dim Sum

“Sao mai, sao mai!” You get to scream your orders in a loud Chinese restaurant of metal food carts being pushed around. When a cart comes around, they’re filled with steamed buns, dumplings, and different dishes made of chicken, beef, prawns, pork, and vegetables. And my favorite… dan tats (egg tarts)! They gotta be flakey–just the way I like it.

(Photo by Tom Page via flickr.com)

7. Tapas

The Spanish version of dim sum (or is dim sum the Chinese version of tapas?), these are Spanish appetizers and finger foods. Often served at bars in mini dishes, they include meatballs, olives, sausages, and battered squid. Bon appétit! (How do you say that in Spanish?)

(Photo by sanfamedia.com via flickr.com)

8. Escargot

“I’m so fancy, you don’t even know!” Well, you probably do know about this appetizer of cooked land snails, but have you ever eaten it? The legit French kind is often prepared with garlic, parsley, butter, and other seasonings.

(Photo by LWYang via flickr.com)

9. Huevos Rancheros

Next on our cultural foods list: A traditional Mexican breakfast of fried eggs placed on a warm tortilla covered with refried beans and shredded cheese, Huevos Rancheros is often also served with salsa, avocado, sour cream, and other goodies.

(Photo by London Chow via flickr.com)

10. Falafel

Can you say Falafalafalafel? Haha, made you say that. This Middle Eastern dish is a ball made from ground chickpeas and fava beans. It’s usually served with pita bread and hummus.

(Photo by Mr.TinDC via flickr.com)

11. Rocky Mountain Oysters

Nope, not real oysters. Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull (or sheep) testicles! Usually, they are prepared by peeling, washing, breading, and frying these tasty testes. Yum, right? :o