Iconic dishes you must try around the world

In Japan, sushi remains the best-known culinary ambassador internationally. The term actually covers several preparations: nigiri, balls of vinegared rice topped with raw fish, makis rolled in a sheet of nori seaweed, cone-shaped temaki, or chirashi, a bowl of rice covered with slices of fish. Each variant has its own preparation codes, passed down in houses sometimes centuries old.

In China, Peking duck holds a special place. Its long, meticulous preparation involves drying the skin before a cooking process that makes it crispy while the meat stays tender. The dish is traditionally eaten wrapped in a thin pancake with hoisin sauce, spring onion and cucumber, following a carving ceremony often performed in front of the guests.

In Italy, Neapolitan pizza has been ranked among the world's best dishes by many gastronomic rankings, but nothing replaces a version eaten straight in Naples, its birthplace. The dough, thin in the centre and puffed at the edges, cooks in a matter of seconds in a wood-fired oven at very high temperature, following a method governed by precise rules to earn the traditional label.

In Poland, pierogi stands out as one of the country's most representative dishes. These hand-shaped dumplings are filled with potatoes and curd cheese as much as meat, sauerkraut or even fruit in sweet versions. They're found in home cooking as much as on street stalls in major Polish cities.

In Thailand, tom yum goong perfectly illustrates the balance of flavours typical of the country's cuisine. This spicy, tangy shrimp soup blends lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chilli and lime juice, in a balance that must stay perfectly even between spicy, sour and umami.

In Argentina, empanadas are part of everyday life as much as major occasions. These small pastries filled with meat, vegetables or cheese vary widely from one province to another, each region claiming its own recipe and its own way of pleating the edges.

In the Maghreb, couscous holds a central place in home cooking, often reserved for Friday's meal. The semolina, steamed in several passes to get a light texture, is served with a vegetable and meat stew whose composition varies across regions of Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia.

Finally, in Portugal, pastel de nata rounds off this culinary world tour perfectly. This small tart, filled with a custard made of egg yolks, sugar, milk and flour, is eaten warm, dusted with cinnamon, and remains inseparable from a break in a Lisbon café.

Tasting these dishes in their homeland, prepared using traditional methods, is often far more revealing of a culture than a simple tourist visit. Cuisine, more than any other element, tells the story of a country through its flavours.