What Is The Main,or Favorite Food Dish Of Your Country?

@gtargirl (5376)
United States
November 13, 2011 12:43pm CST
I'm Dutch-Indonesian which gives me two home countries--Holland and Indonesia even though I've never stepped one foot into the latter. However, the food I grew up with is all about Indonesia. Of course, I have no idea which one dish is the main one because there are so many. But my favorite is Satay -- chicken or pork on a stick. It has to have the perfect marinate (mix Kecup, fresh garlic, fresh lemon/lime juice, sugar, olive oil), then place in fridge overnight, then barbecue in time for dinner. Hot off the barbie is best. We serve with sprouts, fresh spinach, cucumbers, rice (or Lon Ton) with a peanut sauce. What's the main dish of your country?
3 people like this
19 responses
• Southend-On-Sea, England
13 Nov 11
I suppose here in the UK it's either roast beef & Yorkshire pudding, fish & chips or the great British egg & bacon breakfast.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
13 Nov 11
Is Yorkshire pudding (love the name btw) the dish with blood??? And I love fish & chips. We just don't have that here, or at least, it's not done right when it's available.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
13 Nov 11
Could you give me the measurements for Yorkshire Pudding? That sounds simple and good. No flavoring is used??
• Southend-On-Sea, England
13 Nov 11
Yorkshire Pudding is flour mixed with eggs, milk and water, then baked in a hot oven. You can put sausages in it too, and it's then called toad-in-the-hole. The pudding with the blood in it is black pudding....uggghhhh I hate it lol. Glad you like fish & chips...that's what I had for my evening meal, except I cooked it myself rather than got it takeaway.
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@nangisha (3496)
• Indonesia
19 Nov 11
Hi gtargirl!. I am from Indonesia too. I love satay to but prefer Cipera more because its taste so delicious and we made it only on special occasion. Cipera basically made from our native chicken (Ayam kampung), chili, Onion, Chinese garlic chives,coconut, corn powder not corn starch) and few others ingredient I don't know to translate it. I think until today our main dish will be rice because no Indonesian can live with out it . We usually just eat simple foot rice, stir fry vegetable, chicken or fish or meat cooked the way we want, fruit and off couse sambal.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
20 Nov 11
How about nasi goreng. We make that because there's always so much leftover rice. My mom makes her own sambal and she always stinks up her house but everyone loves her sambal.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
7 Dec 11
Yes, my mom was born in Soerabaja and Dad was born in Jokjakarta. Both of them were POW's in WWII. Sad story but they're doing fine now.
@nangisha (3496)
• Indonesia
20 Nov 11
Yeah there is always leaf over rice but my family not really fans of nasi goreng. They will enjoy it if you made it special by adding seafood and chicken. They prefer kwetiaw goreng than friend rice. Sambal with a lot of hot chili its will sure make all the room stink but its always paid off because its tasty and spicy. Any way its your mom or dad who origin from Indonesia?.
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@marketing07 (6266)
• South Korea
14 Nov 11
hi..i love satay very much..its very delicious...the main dish in my country now is kimchi..it very delicious
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Yeah, me too. Satay is usually the star dish of our barbecues and family get togethers. I'm not familiar with kimchi. Care to share what it's made of?
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
24 Dec 11
Wow! Even though it doesn't sound good, because fermented anything sounds yucky, the photograph really looks yummy. Thanks for sharing that.
• South Korea
19 Nov 11
kimchi - for discussion
its made of fremented vegetbles like chinses cabbage marinated with salt ..the sauce is very spicy but ita very delicious its popular and good for diet too..heres the picture of kimchi
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@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
26 Nov 11
So you call that Satay, the chicken or pork on a stick. To us we call that Barbecue if pork and chicken barbecue if chicken. If it has been really well marinated it will come out really, really good. Well there is really no main dish in our country because we got lots of of special dish but the most common and favorite at home are adobo, sinigang, kare-kare and a lot more.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
7 Dec 11
Oh so many goodies, so little time. It's fun to share these different dishes. Makes everyone feel a little closer to each other for sure.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
24 Dec 11
What an interesting blend of different ingredients. I would probably use oxtail. It's always so tender and tasty. Thanks for sharing this salonga. And the picture too. Looks yummy.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
20 Dec 11
Kare-Kare - Favorite Dish
Yes and I wanna share one photo of my favorite kare-kare. It is just so tasty that I could not help but share even just the photo of this. Kare-kare is one favorite stew of the Filipinos. The sauce is made tasty by combination of peanut sauce and other spices. It has vegetables like pechay, okra, banana heart, string beans, eggplant,etc., and the meat could either be oxtail,tripe or any part of beef like leg or ribs while some used chicken or pork. It should be eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste), and better if spiced with some sugar and lots of chili. Without the shrimp paste, kare-kare will not be kare-kare at all.
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@celticeagle (159710)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Nov 11
I live in the United States and I think one of our Favorite foods is Hamburgers. I could eat hamburger every day! THis pork on a stick sure sounds good. I love pork! No peanut sauce. I am an Idahoan and we love our potatoes. I fix soup, and fries and hashbrowns. Yum! Bakers aren't bad either. Love potatoes!
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
20 Nov 11
Hamburgers! Home grilled are the best. Homemade fries are my specialty.
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@celticeagle (159710)
• Boise, Idaho
22 Nov 11
Cool! I'll be right over. lol
@loidee (175)
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
I love chicken satay! it's so good especially if it's dip in a sweet sauce. Here in the Philippines, I think the favorite dish aside from Lechon(Roasted Pig) is Adobo (Chicken or Pork). Garlic and onion is sauteed then the meat is added, then seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar. it's so good! some also add hard-boiled egg to it.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Thanks Ioidee, I was wondering if someone would let us know the ingredients of Adobo. Sounds delicious. I love cooking with garlic and onion--makes everything tasty.
@loidee (175)
• Philippines
21 Nov 11
3-4 pieces of Garlic minced 1/2 bulb of Onion diced 1 kl of chicken (cut into small parts) or pork(cut into cubes) or half kilo each if you want to use both. 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 cup vinegar 3-5 laurel leaves (bay leaves) salt and pepper to taste add a little bit of water you can add cornstarch if you want it to be a bit sticky.but not that sticky. just the right consistency. you can also add a bit of paprika. 1. heat the pan, then add 2 tbsp of oil. heat it. then saute the garlic until brown then add the onion until it's almost clear. 2. add the meat (you have the choice to cook the meat lightly or do this then remove the meat then fry a little bit more) then add 2 cups of water then add the rest of the ingredients except the cornstarch. bring to a boil cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. 4. add the cornstarch dissolve in a bit of water to thicken the sauce a little bit. 5. then bring to a boil again then simmer for 5 minutes. I hope you'd enjoy this adobo! Tell me when you've done it!
• United States
14 Nov 11
That sounds yummy! I don't know what you could say is the main dish of the USA. As we are a country of worldwide cultures. I will say Italian and Chinese cousine is very popular and common place. I like too many things myself shrimp chow mein, pizza, lasagnia are things we like alot in our house. But we eat so many meals that are simply home cooked meals of a cooked meat with typical sides of potatoes or another starch and a veggie.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
So true, so true. But doesn't it seem like Americans add their own touch to foreign dishes? Just my thought.
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Not because of the holidays coming I have to say I love Turkey and Dressing. Or Baked Duck. Most men will take on a steak as their favorite food generally. My comfort food is a good tomato soup. I have had your dish you speak of it has a really good flavoring.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
Here in the Philippines, our staple food is rice. With it, we would have adobo (chicken or pork or combination), which is the most popular.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Yeah, our family is never without rice. I think my mom and dad even have it for breakfast. They just add a fried egg and sometimes bacon. I'm hearing quite a lot about adobo. I'll hunt for the recipe.
• United States
13 Nov 11
I live in America, and I'd say the most well-known all American meal out there would be just a gold old cheeseburger and fries! It's my favorite meal too, so you can't really go wrong there. I also have family from Ireland and Spain. My Irish side always cooks corned beef and cabbage, and my favorite Spanish dish is Jambalaya. Though I doubt it actually derives from Spain, lol.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
13 Nov 11
Wait, how 'bout hot dogs and apple pie??? And I love corned beef and cabbage. We have it every St. Patrick's day.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Seriously, Casandrina, you need to start sending me recipes. I have a cooking blog and I would LOVE your input. :) Soda Bread?
• United States
15 Nov 11
I am from one ethnicity while living in a country of different cuisine. LOL I'm in the USA, which is American food but I actually prefer Italian meals. I have had meals that are Greek and Indian, but nothing beats the Italian.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
20 Nov 11
We have an awesome family run authentic Italian restaurant in my little town. It isn't fancy or anything but you can't beat the food. Even the ice-cream they have is Italian through and through. We actually have to make reservations to eat there.
• Italy
14 Nov 11
I'm Italian and how many people know our strong dish is pasta, but also pizza. In my city, in Northern Italy, the best dish is "tortelli di zucca". This is a dish made with a type of homemade past that is very similar to the Apulian "orecchiette". The filling is made by a dough made with pumpkin, amaretto, and "grana padana" cheese. It's very good and consumed especially during Christmas time.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Mmmm, sounds very delicious. A pumpkin dough? Very interesting.
@jtj_hello (627)
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
I'm a FIlipino and my favorite dish is our very own Chicken Adobo. It's chicken cooked in venigar, soy sauce onion, garlic laurel leaves and a little oil. It is so well known in out country that every family should at least have one member who knows how to cook it.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Looks like it's official . . . Chicken Adobo seems to be the hands on favorite Filipino meal. I'm gonna have to try it.
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
In the Philippines, we have many different multi-cultural cuisines and all of them tastes wonderful. But I think that the signature dishes particularly in Cebu are the following: 1. Lechon which is a whole roasted pig. This food is mostly present in parties. 2. Adobo - Pork/ Chicken. I prefer chicken though plus the Ketchup or vinegar and soy sauce to add more flavor. 3. Chicharon - I'm very choosy when it comes to eating pork but chicharon is one of my favorite. It's good with vingar. 4. Pancit for long life. Pancit in parties is a "no-no". It is always present. 5. Halo-halo for dessert. I really Halo-halo! It's a mixture of sweets, milk, coconut, corn flakes, sago and with ice cream in top.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Another great menu from the Philippines. It all sounds yummy. I love anything roasted. But I'm not quite sure I can watch a whole pig get roasted.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
14 Nov 11
meat and potatoes have always been the tradition, I also have tortiere which is a hamburger meat pie which is a french canadian tradition. now we have poutine which is french fries, sauce and melted cheese
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Can't go wrong with meat and potatoes. And I love french fries with melted cheese. We sometimes put some chili on our fries and then melted cheese.
@tamirs (1807)
• Philippines
14 Nov 11
Philippine Pork Adobo and Pancit.. Foreigners who stayed here even for a short vacation and got a bite of our adobo and pancit will surely come back for more.
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@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
I'm not sure what Adobob is but I love Pancit. Sometimes Indonesian food is similar to Philippine food, though I'm sure it tastes just a little different.
@wulania (1524)
• Indonesia
14 Nov 11
i am indonesia, javanese actuallny. we love vegetable. we called pecel. mixed up from various indonesian vegetable with spice but not too spicy.
• United States
13 Nov 11
Well in the United States, I'm pretty sure the food we all favor, would be like hamburgers and hotdogs! Like when the average family goes outside and grills and chills on the patio! Either that or like apple pie or something, but its hard because the US is so big which means there could be a huge variety of much preferred or favorite foods!
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Very true. I bet food differs from one state to the next. All we have to do is watch a football or baseball game and they'll highlight the food of that state; Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, Chicago Pizza, New Orleans Jambalya. Not sure of the last but it came to mind. But, you're right everyone loves a good burger.
@besweet (9861)
• Ireland
13 Nov 11
I am greek and we have lots of food and recipes. The famous ones are the greek salad with feta cheese, tzatziki and pitta bread with gyros. Personally, I love "gemista" which is made with tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants filled with stuffing from rice as the basic ingredient. It is cooked in the oven with potatoes and we usually eat it in the summer. I like "pastitsio" although I don't know how to cook it. It has pasta with minced meat in the baking pan, and bechamel cream on the top. It is cooked in the oven as well and it's a delicious plate that my mum cooks perfectly!
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Wow! That all sounds delicious. I've recently discovered feta cheese and I really love it in my salads. We have a Greek salad here in the USA but I'm sure it's not the real thing. We try.