AustralianMeat pies, barbecue, and pavlova or lamingtons for dessert. Independent cafes and the flat white are a large part of eating out.
HawaiianPoke, kālua pig, loco moco and the plate lunch: two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and a main.
New ZealandHāngī (food steamed in an earth oven, a Māori method), roast lamb, fish and chips, and pavlova.
South and Central Asia 9
AfghanKabuli palaw (rice with lamb, carrots and raisins), mantu dumplings and bolani, a stuffed flatbread.
BengaliFish and rice first: ilish (hilsa) cooked with mustard, fish curries, then sweets such as mishti doi, a sweetened yogurt.
GoanFish curry with rice, pork vindaloo and xacuti. Coconut, vinegar and seafood, shaped by more than four centuries of Portuguese rule.
NepaleseDal bhat, the everyday plate of lentil soup and rice with vegetable curry, and momo, steamed dumplings with a tomato dipping sauce.
North Indian (Punjabi)Butter chicken, tandoori breads and meats, dal makhani, and saag (stewed greens) with makki ki roti corn bread. The tandoor clay oven does much of the work.
PakistaniBiryani, nihari (slow-cooked beef or lamb stew), haleem and seekh kebabs. A cuisine centred on meat dishes, cooked to halal rules.
South IndianDosa, idli and vada with sambar and coconut chutney. Built on rice and lentils, with plenty for vegetarians.
Sri LankanRice and curry with several small dishes, hoppers (bowl-shaped rice flour pancakes), kottu chopped roti and coconut sambol.
UzbekPlov (rice cooked with meat and carrots), samsa pastries, lagman noodles and manti dumplings.
Show all 73 cuisines (61 more)
Middle East and Caucasus 9
ArmenianKhorovats (grilled skewered meat), dolma and lavash flatbread.
GeorgianKhachapuri cheese bread and khinkali soup dumplings. Hold a khinkali by its knot, bite, sip the broth, and leave the knot on the plate.
IraqiMasgouf (grilled carp), quzi (stuffed roast lamb), kubba, dolma and tashrib, a lamb or chicken soup eaten with bread.
IsraeliFalafel, hummus, shakshouka and sabich, a pita with fried eggplant and egg. Salads come with everything.
LebaneseHummus, tabbouleh, fattoush and kibbeh. Order a spread of meze for the table and you may not need mains.
PalestinianMusakhan (roast chicken on taboon bread with onions, sumac and pine nuts), maqluba, an upside-down casserole of rice and eggplant, mansaf, and knafeh from Nablus for dessert.
PersianChelow kabab, ghormeh sabzi herb stew, fesenjān (pomegranate and walnut stew) and tahdig, the crisp rice from the bottom of the pot.
TurkishKebabs, pide (boat-shaped flatbread), lahmacun (thin flatbread with minced meat) and baklava.
YemeniMandi (spiced rice with slow-cooked lamb or chicken) and saltah, a bubbling stew finished with a fenugreek froth.
Africa 9
EgyptianKushari (rice, lentils and macaroni with tomato sauce), ful medames and ta'ameya, a falafel made with fava beans.
EthiopianDoro wat (spicy chicken stew), tibs and kitfo, all served on injera, a sour spongy flatbread you tear and use in place of cutlery.
GhanaianFufu or banku with soup, waakye (rice and beans), jollof rice and kelewele, spiced fried plantain.
KenyanNyama choma (grilled meat) with ugali, a firm maize porridge, and sukuma wiki greens.
MoroccanTagine, couscous, harira soup and pastilla, a sweet and savoury pie. Traditionally eaten from a shared dish.
NigerianJollof rice, suya (spiced grilled skewers), and egusi soup eaten with pounded yam.
SenegaleseThieboudienne (fish and rice, the national dish), chicken yassa with onions and lemon, and maafe peanut stew.
South AfricanBraai (barbecue), bobotie (spiced baked mince with an egg topping), biltong and bunny chow, curry in a hollowed loaf.
TunisianCouscous, brik (a thin fried pastry, often around an egg), lablabi chickpea soup, and harissa chili paste with most of it.
East and Southeast Asia 13
BurmeseMohinga (a fish and rice noodle soup, traditionally breakfast), lahpet thoke tea leaf salad and Shan noodles.
CantoneseDim sum, char siu roast pork, wonton noodle soup and steamed fish. Spices are used in modest amounts, so it suits a table that avoids chili heat.
FilipinoAdobo (meat braised in vinegar, soy and garlic), sinigang sour soup, lumpia spring rolls and lechón roast pig.
HunanAlso called Xiang cuisine, and known for hot and spicy flavours: fresh and pickled chilies, smoked and cured meats, red-braised pork.
IndonesianNasi goreng fried rice, beef rendang, satay with peanut sauce and gado-gado, a vegetable salad in the same sauce.
JapaneseSushi, ramen, tempura, tonkatsu. Many restaurants specialise in just one of these, so decide which before you choose a place.
KoreanBibimbap, bulgogi, kimchi stew. Meals arrive with banchan, the small shared side dishes.
MalaysianNasi lemak (coconut rice with sambal), laksa noodle soup and roti canai. Malay, Chinese and Indian cooking share one menu.
SichuanMapo tofu, Kung Pao chicken, dandan noodles. The signature is mala: chili heat plus the numbing tingle of Sichuan pepper.
SingaporeanHainanese chicken rice, chilli crab, laksa. At home it is hawker centre food: many small stalls, each known for one dish.
TaiwaneseBeef noodle soup, minced pork rice, gua bao pork belly buns, and bubble tea. Night market snacks are a meal in themselves.
ThaiPad thai, tom yum soup, green curry, som tam papaya salad. Most kitchens will adjust the heat if you ask when you order.
VietnamesePho, bánh mì, bún chả (grilled pork with rice noodles) and gỏi cuốn fresh rolls. Piles of fresh herbs come with nearly everything.
Europe 15
BasquePintxos, the bar snacks of San Sebastián and Bilbao, plus salt cod dishes and marmitako, a tuna and potato stew.
BelgianMoules-frites (mussels and fries), carbonade flamande (beef stewed in beer), waterzooi and waffles.
BritishFish and chips, the Sunday roast, shepherd's pie and the full breakfast. A pub with a kitchen is the usual place to find it.
FrenchCoq au vin, bouillabaisse, cassoulet, ratatouille. A bistro is the everyday version: a short menu, a set price and steak frites.
GermanSchnitzel, bratwurst with sauerkraut, and spätzle, the soft egg noodles of the south-west. Look for a beer hall or a German deli.
GreekMoussaka, souvlaki, spanakopita and tzatziki. A table of small meze plates feeds a group better than one main each.
HungarianGoulash, chicken paprikash and lángos, a fried flatbread. Paprika is the defining spice.
IrishIrish stew, colcannon (mashed potato with cabbage or kale), boxty potato pancakes and soda bread.
ItalianPasta, risotto and pizza, and it changes by region: pesto comes from Genoa, carbonara from Rome. Ask what the kitchen makes fresh.
PolishPierogi, bigos (hunter's stew of cabbage and meat), żurek sour rye soup and kielbasa.
PortugueseBacalhau (salt cod) in many forms, caldo verde soup, grilled sardines, piri piri chicken and a pastel de nata custard tart.
SicilianArancini (fried rice balls), caponata, pasta alla Norma with eggplant, and cannoli to finish. Shows Greek, Arab and Spanish influence.
SpanishPaella from Valencia, tortilla de patatas, gazpacho and cured jamón. Most places serve it as tapas, so order a few plates at a time.
SwedishKöttbullar (meatballs) with lingonberry jam, gravlax cured salmon, and the smörgåsbord, a buffet meal of many small dishes.
UkrainianBorscht, varenyky (filled dumplings), holubtsi cabbage rolls and chicken Kyiv.
Americas 15
ArgentineAsado (beef grilled over coals) with chimichurri, empanadas and milanesa.
BrazilianFeijoada (black bean and pork stew), moqueca fish stew, pão de queijo cheese bread and churrasco grilled meats.
CajunGumbo, jambalaya, boudin sausage. Most dishes start from onion, celery and bell pepper, which cooks call the holy trinity.
CanadianPoutine (fries, cheese curds and gravy), tourtière meat pie, butter tarts and anything with maple syrup.
ColombianBandeja paisa (a very large mixed platter), ajiaco chicken and potato soup, sancocho and arepas.
CubanRopa vieja (shredded beef), moros y cristianos (black beans and rice) and the Cuban sandwich.
JamaicanJerk chicken or pork, ackee and saltfish (the national dish), curry goat and Jamaican patties.
MexicanTacos, tamales, pozole and mole. Built on corn, beans and chili peppers, with big differences between regions.
New EnglandClam chowder, lobster rolls, fried clams and Boston baked beans.
PeruvianCeviche, lomo saltado (a beef stir-fry with Chinese roots), ají de gallina and anticuchos grilled skewers.
Puerto RicanMofongo (mashed fried plantain), arroz con gandules, pernil roast pork and tostones.
SalvadoranPupusas, thick stuffed corn tortillas, eaten with curtido, a lightly fermented cabbage slaw. Two or three make a meal.
Soul foodFried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, macaroni and cheese. The cooking of African Americans in the Southern United States.
Tex-MexFajitas, nachos, chili con carne. Heavy use of shredded cheese, beef and cumin sets it apart from cooking in Mexico.
VenezuelanArepas split and stuffed, pabellón criollo (shredded beef, black beans, rice and plantain) and cachapas, sweet corn pancakes.
How this list was compiled: An original selection of 73 national and regional cuisines, grouped by continent, written for this site on 2026-09-18. Each cuisine was checked on 2026-09-18 against en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cuisines, and the dishes named in each note were checked against the text of that cuisine's own English Wikipedia article: /wiki/Italian_cuisine, /wiki/Sicilian_cuisine, /wiki/French_cuisine, /wiki/Spanish_cuisine, /wiki/Basque_cuisine, /wiki/Portuguese_cuisine, /wiki/Greek_cuisine, /wiki/German_cuisine, /wiki/Belgian_cuisine, /wiki/British_cuisine, /wiki/Irish_cuisine, /wiki/Polish_cuisine, /wiki/Hungarian_cuisine, /wiki/Swedish_cuisine, /wiki/Ukrainian_cuisine, /wiki/Japanese_cuisine, /wiki/Korean_cuisine, /wiki/Cantonese_cuisine, /wiki/Sichuan_cuisine, /wiki/Hunan_cuisine, /wiki/Taiwanese_cuisine, /wiki/Thai_cuisine, /wiki/Vietnamese_cuisine, /wiki/Filipino_cuisine, /wiki/Indonesian_cuisine, /wiki/Malaysian_cuisine, /wiki/Singaporean_cuisine, /wiki/Burmese_cuisine, /wiki/Punjabi_cuisine, /wiki/South_Indian_cuisine, /wiki/Bengali_cuisine, /wiki/Goan_cuisine, /wiki/Pakistani_cuisine, /wiki/Nepalese_cuisine, /wiki/Sri_Lankan_cuisine, /wiki/Afghan_cuisine, /wiki/Uzbek_cuisine, /wiki/Lebanese_cuisine, /wiki/Palestinian_cuisine, /wiki/Turkish_cuisine, /wiki/Iranian_cuisine, /wiki/Israeli_cuisine, /wiki/Yemeni_cuisine, /wiki/Iraqi_cuisine, /wiki/Georgian_cuisine, /wiki/Armenian_cuisine, /wiki/Moroccan_cuisine, /wiki/Tunisian_cuisine, /wiki/Egyptian_cuisine, /wiki/Ethiopian_cuisine, /wiki/Nigerian_cuisine, /wiki/Ghanaian_cuisine, /wiki/Senegalese_cuisine, /wiki/Kenyan_cuisine, /wiki/South_African_cuisine, /wiki/Mexican_cuisine, /wiki/Tex-Mex, /wiki/Cajun_cuisine, /wiki/Soul_food, /wiki/Cuisine_of_New_England, /wiki/Canadian_cuisine, /wiki/Cuban_cuisine, /wiki/Jamaican_cuisine, /wiki/Puerto_Rican_cuisine, /wiki/Salvadoran_cuisine, /wiki/Peruvian_cuisine, /wiki/Brazilian_cuisine, /wiki/Argentine_cuisine, /wiki/Colombian_cuisine, /wiki/Venezuelan_cuisine, /wiki/Cuisine_of_Hawaii, /wiki/Australian_cuisine, /wiki/New_Zealand_cuisine. The list is a selection, not a ranking, and it is not complete: Wikipedia lists several hundred cuisines. Georgia and Armenia sit where Europe meets Asia and are grouped here with the Middle East; Hawaii is grouped by geography, in Oceania. The ordering advice in the notes is ordinary restaurant practice. Licence: own work
How it works
This food genre wheel lands on a kind of food, not a dish. It holds 73 national and regional cuisines, from Sichuan and Lebanese to Tex-Mex and Ethiopian, grouped by continent. Choose a continent under Show only, or spin all 73. The result card names the dishes that cuisine is known for.
Read the full guide
Settle the genre before anyone names a restaurant
Groups stall on where to eat because each person argues for a different kind of food. Spin a food category wheel first and the restaurant question shrinks to the two or three places nearby that cook it.
Seven continent groups, and regions where the menu changes
Europe and the Americas hold 15 cuisines each and East and Southeast Asia 13. South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Caucasus, and Africa have 9 each, and Oceania 3. A region gets its own segment when its restaurants serve a different menu. Sichuan cooking is built on chili and numbing Sichuan pepper, while Cantonese kitchens use spice sparingly. Mexican and Tex-Mex are split for the same reason.
Small town? Open My list and press the cross beside every cuisine you cannot get nearby. The shorter wheel is saved in this browser.
Cooking at home, use it as a food type wheel for a theme night: pick one dish from the note and find a recipe.
The notes name dishes, not allergens. Peanuts, sesame, shellfish and wheat are everyday ingredients in many of these kitchens, so tell the restaurant before you order.
Questions and answers
What does food genre mean?
It is an informal way to say cuisine: a style of cooking tied to a country or a region, such as Thai, Cajun or Basque. Every entry was checked against Wikipedia's list of cuisines, and the dishes in each note against that cuisine's own article. Wikipedia lists several hundred cuisines, so these 73 are a selection, not a ranking.
Why is there no plain Chinese or Indian entry?
Because restaurants usually cook one region. Chinese regional cooking appears as Cantonese, Sichuan and Hunan, and Taiwanese has its own entry. India appears as North Indian (Punjabi), South Indian, Bengali and Goan. If your town has one general Chinese restaurant, type Chinese into My list with your other local choices, press Spin only mine and spin that.
How do we use the cuisine wheel for a weekly takeout night?
Pick a continent group, choose Elimination and spin once each week. The winner leaves the wheel, so the household works through the nine cuisines of Africa, or the nine of the Middle East and Caucasus, with no repeats. Put them back refills the wheel.