Around the world, people have different ways of warming themselves up when the weather gets chilly. Here are a few winter dishes from around the world. Fill free to try or make any of these if you are tired of the same old cup o' chili that you eat every winter.
1. USA: Chicken Noodle Soup
This classic dish will warm your insides as well as your heart. The soup has been an all around favorite for Americans since the early 1900’s and has mostly been used as an old remedy for colds. What a great way to warm you up and make you feel better. The soup consists of clear broth, a few pieces of chicken and vegetables and, of course, noodles.
2. China: Hot Pot
Now, this is a dish that was made for winter. The hot pot is chock full of heat with endless possibilities for ingredients depending on what’s available to the chef. The usual components can consist of beef, seafood, rice noodles, pumpkin and bean sprouts among many other options. This particular dish has also been around for over 1,000 years and has had time to spread to many other East Asian countries. Can we bring this to America?
3. Vietnam: Pho
Ah, good old noodle soup. Pho is a popular street dish in Vietnam that is made up of rice noodles, meat, bean sprouts and a few herbs including mint. Surprisingly enough, the soup is normally eaten for breakfast. Now that’s a good, warm start to your day. It originated in the early 20th century and was eventually spread around the world by refugees of the Vietnam War.
4. Belgium: Mussels
Mussels have become a common winter dish in Belgium. In fact, it is considered the country’s national dish. There is some debate on whether or not the dish originated in Belgium, but it is believed that the Belgians would cook this dish up in the winter for a few hundred years before the French when it was difficult to find fish. The little shellfish are cooked in white wine, onions, and are often served with french fries.
5. Korea: Soondubu Jjigae (Tofu soup)
Be careful, this soup is served while it’s still bubbling hot in a stone pot. That will warm just about anyone up, but you would probably have to blow on your food a lot. The dish is prepared with uncurdled tofu, vegetables, optional meat, and seafood. Rice and a raw egg are normally served with it, whereas, the raw egg can be cracked right into the pot. (Don’t worry, the egg will still cook.) Like in Belgium, this dish’s origins are unknown but it is believed to be brought about in the Joseon dynasty.
6. Switzerland: Fondue
Want some cheese? Fondue has become a popular dish in the western world since it originated in Switzerland in the 1600’s. The dish is very simple to make; cheese is melted in a pot above a heat source and sometimes, wine or broth is added to the mix for flavor. Then pieces of bread and other foods are dipped into it with a long fork. The cheesy delight has since been claimed as Switzerland’s national dish.
7. Ukraine: Borshch
If you thought Borshch was a Russian dish you would be wrong. The people of Ukraine cooked this beetroot soup up around the 16th century as a cheap dish for the poor. The beetroots used are ground up and turned into juice; giving the dish it’s famous red color and sweet and sour taste. Besides beetroot juice, it also consists of bone stock, sautéed vegetables, meat and occasionally sour cream.