50. Buttered popcorn, United States
Taking a love of popcorn to a new level.Stephen Chernin/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Corn – the workhorse of the industrial world – is best when its sweet variety is fried up with lashings of butter till it bursts and then snarfed in greasy fistfuls while watching Netflix late at night.
49. Masala dosa, India
Is the masala dosa the world’s best pancake?Courtesy McKay Savage/Creative Commons/Flickr
A crispy, rice-batter crepe encases a spicy mix of mashed potato, which is then dipped in coconut chutney, pickles, tomato-and-lentil-based sauces and other condiments. It’s a fantastic breakfast food that’ll keep you going till lunch, when you’ll probably come back for another.
48. Potato chips, United Kingdom
Potato chips — you can never have just one!Courtesy Kate Ter Haar/Creative Commons/Flickr
It’s unclear when and where the potato chip was born. US legend has it that they were invented in New York in 1853, but the earliest known recipe for “Potatoes Fried in Slices or Shavings” appears in a bestselling 1817 cookbook by Englishman William Kitchiner.
Ad Feedback
Whatever the case, they’re now one of the world’s most child-friendly and best foods. But think of them this way – if a single chip cost, say, $5, it’d be a far greater (and more popular) delicacy than caviar, a prize worth fighting wars over.
47. Seafood paella, Spain
The embodiment of Spanish cuisine.Boca
The sea is lapping just by your feet, a warm breeze whips the tablecloth around your legs and a steamy pan of paella sits in front of you. Shrimp, lobster, mussels and cuttlefish combine with white rice and various herbs, oil and salt in this Valencian dish to send you immediately into holiday mode. Though if you have it in Spain, you’re probably there already.
46. Som tam, Thailand
A traditional Thai dish you can’t resist.Courtesy Jessica Spengler/Creative Commons/Flickr
To prepare Thailand’s most famous salad, pound garlic and chilies with a mortar and pestle. Toss in tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans and a handful of grated green papaya. Grab a side of sticky rice. Variations include those made with crab (som tam boo) and fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah), but none matches the flavor and simple beauty of the original.
45. Chicken rice, Singapore
Singapore taking “moreish” to the next level.Courtesy Madeleine Deaton/Creative Commons/Flickr
Often called the “national dish” of Singapore, this steamed or boiled chicken is served atop fragrant oily rice, with sliced cucumber as the token vegetable. Variants include roasted chicken or soy sauce chicken. However it’s prepared, it’s one of Singapore’s best foods. The dipping sauces – premium dark soy sauce, chili with garlic and pounded ginger – give it that little extra oomph to ensure whenever you’re not actually in Singapore eating chicken rice, you’re thinking of it.
44. Poutine, Canada
It sounds bad, it doesn’t look great, but it tastes delicious!Courtesy PoutineFest
French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy. Sounds kind of disgusting, looks even worse, but engulfs the mouth in a saucy, cheesy, fried-potato mix that’ll have you fighting over the last dollop. Our Canadian friends insist it’s best enjoyed at 3 a.m. after “several” beers.
43. Tacos, Mexico
Video Ad Feedback
Are tacos the world’s most popular meal?
01:18 – Source: CNN
A fresh, handmade tortilla stuffed with small chunks of grilled beef rubbed in oil and sea salt then covered with guacamole, salsa, onions, cilantro or anything else you want – perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is the reason no visitor leaves Mexico weighing less than when they arrived.
42. Buttered toast with Marmite, UK
Divisive but irresistible (for most of us).Courtesy SteveR-/Creative Commons/Flickr
OK, anything buttered is probably going to taste great, but there’s something about this tangy, salty, sour, love-it-or-hate-it yeast extract that turns a piece of grilled bread into a reason to go on living. For extra yum (or yuck) factor, add a layer of marmalade.
41. Stinky tofu, Southeast Asia
When it smells horrendous but tastes delicious …Courtesy Toby Oxborrow/Creative Commons/Flickr
Nothing really prepares you for the stench of one of the strangest dishes on Earth. Like durian, smelly tofu is one of Southeast Asia’s most iconic foods. The odor of fermenting tofu is so overpowering many aren’t able to shake off the memory for months. So is the legendarily divine taste really worth the effort? Sure it is.
40. Marzipan, Germany
Germany’s best sweet treat.Courtesy Alpha/Creative Commons/Flickr
Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations, which use soy paste or almond essence. The real stuff, which uses nothing but ground almonds with sugar, is so good, you’ll eat a whole bar of it, feel sick, and still find yourself toying with the wrapper on bar number two.
39. Ketchup, United States
A trusted sauce: Ketchup.Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
If Malcolm Gladwell says it’s a perfect food, then it’s a perfect food. Let’s face it, anything that can convince 2-year-olds to eat their carrots rather than spitting them onto the floor is worthy of not just a “delicious” title, but a “miracle of persuasion” title, too.
38. French toast, Hong Kong
A measly 500 calories is all this bad boy will cost you.Courtesy Connie Ma/Creative Commons/Flickr
Unlike its more restrained Sunday brunch counterpart, Hong Kong-style French toast is like a deep-fried hug. Two pieces of toast are slathered with peanut butter or kaya jam, soaked in egg batter, fried in butter and served with still more butter and lots of syrup. A Hong Kong best food, best enjoyed before cholesterol checks.
37. Chicken parm, Australia
Australians have put their own stamp on chicken parmigiana. Courtesy shirley binn/creative commons/flickr
Melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and a peppery, garlicky tomato sauce drizzled over the top of a chicken fillet – Aussie pub-goers claim this ostensibly Italian dish as their own. Since they make it so well, there’s no point in arguing.
36. Hummus, Middle East
The whole world loves this chickpea spread. joseph eid/getty images/CNN
This humble Middle Eastern spread, made with chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and tahini has become a fridge staple all around the world. This tangy treat tastes good as a dip, with breads, with meats, with vegetables, beans or – hear us out – on a Marmite rice cake.
35. Chili crab, Singapore
Singaporeans drench crab in a spicy tomato gravy. Courtesy May Wong/Creative Commons/Flickr
You can’t visit Singapore without trying its spicy, sloppy, meaty specialty. While there are dozens of ways to prepare crab (with black pepper, salted egg yolk, cheese-baked, et cetera) chili crab remains the local bestseller. Spicy chili-tomato gravy tends to splatter, which is why you need to mop everything up with mini mantou buns.
34. Maple syrup, Canada
Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees.Courtesy Raffi Asdourian/Creative Commons/Flickr
Ever tried eating a pancake without maple syrup? It’s like eating a slice of cardboard. Poorly prepared cardboard. In fact, Canada’s gift to parents everywhere – throw some maple syrup on the kid’s broccoli and see what happens – makes just about anything worth trying. Pass the cardboard, please.
33. Fish ‘n’ chips, United Kingdom
Fish and chips — not just for Fridays.MJ Kim/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Anything that’s been around since the 1860s can’t be doing much wrong. The staple of the Victorian British working class is a crunchy-outside, soft-inside dish of simple, un-adorned fundamentals.
32. Ankimo, Japan
So, who’s up for a chunk of monkfish liver with a little grated daikon on the side? Thought not – still, you’re missing out on one of sushi’s last great secrets, the prized ankimo. The monkfish/anglerfish that unknowingly bestows its liver upon upscale sushi fans is threatened by commercial fishing nets damaging its sea-floor habitat, so it’s possible ankimo won’t be around for much longer. If you do stumble across the creamy, yet oddly light delicacy anytime soon, consider a taste – you won’t regret trying one of the best foods in Japan.
31. Parma ham, Italy
Parma ham — a staple of Italian cooking.GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
You see it folded around melon, wrapped around grissini, placed over pizza, heaped over salad. There’s good reason for that: these salty, paper-thin slices of air-dried ham lift the taste of everything they accompany to a higher level.
30. Goi cuon (summer roll), Vietnam
Summer rolls: Light, refreshing and wholesome. Courtesy Ducson Nguyen
This snack made from pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper is served at room temperature. It’s “meat light,” with the flavors of refreshing herbs erupting in your mouth. Dipped in a slightly sweet Vietnamese sauce laced with ground peanuts, it’s wholesome, easy and the very definition of “moreish.”