100 food bucket list ideas, by country
Next to each dish is a city or region where it’s a local classic. Tick them off as you go.
Italy
- Pizza margherita, Naples
- Spaghetti alla carbonara, Rome
- Cacio e pepe, Rome
- Supplì, Rome
- Focaccia, Genoa and Liguria
- Trofie al pesto, Genoa
- Risotto alla milanese, Milan
- Tagliatelle al ragù, Bologna
- Bistecca alla fiorentina, Florence
- Arancini, Sicily
- Cannoli, Sicily
- Gelato, anywhere in Italy
France
- Croissant, Paris
- Baguette, Paris
- Soupe à l’oignon, Paris
- Crêpes and galettes, Brittany
- Bouillabaisse, Marseille
- Cassoulet, southwest France
Spain
- Paella valenciana, Valencia
- Churros con chocolate, Madrid
- Pintxos, San Sebastián
- Tortilla de patatas, anywhere in Spain
- Gazpacho, Andalusia
Portugal
- Pastel de nata, Lisbon
- Francesinha, Porto
- Grilled sardines, Lisbon
United Kingdom
- Fish and chips, the British seaside
- Cream tea with scones, Devon and Cornwall
- Haggis, Scotland
Denmark and Sweden
- Cinnamon bun (kanelsnegl), Copenhagen
- Smørrebrød, Copenhagen
- Cardamom bun, Stockholm
Austria, Germany, Hungary and Poland
- Wiener schnitzel, Vienna
- Sachertorte, Vienna
- Currywurst, Berlin
- Pretzel, Bavaria
- Goulash, Budapest
- Pierogi, Kraków
Belgium and the Netherlands
- Waffles, Brussels and Liège
- Frites, Belgium
- Stroopwafel, the Netherlands
- Raw herring, Amsterdam
Greece, Turkey and Georgia
- Souvlaki, Athens
- Baklava, Gaziantep
- Simit, Istanbul
- Khachapuri, Georgia
Japan
- Sushi, Tokyo
- Tonkotsu ramen, Fukuoka
- Miso ramen, Sapporo
- Okonomiyaki, Osaka and Hiroshima
- Takoyaki, Osaka
- Matcha, Kyoto and Uji
- Kobe beef, Kobe
South Korea
- Bibimbap, Jeonju
- Korean barbecue, Seoul
- Korean fried chicken, Seoul
- Tteokbokki, Seoul
China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
- Peking duck, Beijing
- Xiaolongbao, Shanghai
- Dim sum, Hong Kong and Guangzhou
- Hot pot, Chongqing
- Egg tart, Macau
- Beef noodle soup, Taipei
Southeast Asia
- Pho, Hanoi
- Bun cha, Hanoi
- Banh mi, Vietnam
- Pad thai, Bangkok
- Khao soi, Chiang Mai
- Hainanese chicken rice, Singapore
- Laksa, Singapore and Malaysia
- Rendang, West Sumatra
India
- Masala dosa, South India
- Hyderabadi biryani, Hyderabad
- Butter chicken, Delhi
- Vada pav, Mumbai
Mexico
- Tacos al pastor, Mexico City
- Mole negro, Oaxaca
- Tlayuda, Oaxaca
- Birria, Jalisco
United States
- New York slice, New York
- Bagel with lox, New York
- Deep-dish pizza, Chicago
- Brisket, Texas
- Cheesesteak, Philadelphia
- Lobster roll, Maine
- Beignets, New Orleans
Canada
- Poutine, Quebec
- Montreal-style bagel, Montreal
South America
- Ceviche, Lima
- Asado, Argentina and Uruguay
- Pão de queijo, Minas Gerais
- Arepas, Venezuela and Colombia
Africa and the Middle East
- Tagine, Morocco
- Koshari, Cairo
- Injera with wat, Ethiopia
- Bunny chow, Durban
- Jollof rice, West Africa
- Manakish, Lebanon
Australia and New Zealand
- Meat pie, Australia
- Hāngī, New Zealand
Keep your list in Matcha
Matcha is an iPhone app for foodies: score the dishes you eat, see your best pizza, ramen or matcha latte ranked, and keep every place on a map with a Want to try list.
Want to try is where a food bucket list lives in Matcha. Each entry is a place with the dish you want there, so the row reads “Pizza · the place’s name”. The places show as pink pins on your map. Want to try sits at the top of the Lists tab, with its places grouped by city. When a friend sends you their places from Matcha, they land in the same list.
When you finally eat the dish, tap Add on its row. The place and dish are already filled in, so you add a photo if you want and give it a score from 1 to 10. The place leaves Want to try, and the dish takes its spot in your rankings, next to every other pizza or ramen you’ve scored. More on saving places: restaurant wishlist app.
Matcha is a free download for iPhone (iOS 26 or later). Matcha Pro has a 7-day free trial, then costs $9.99/year, or $0.99/week without a trial. Prices vary by country, and nothing is free after the trial.
Where to eat them
Our guides rank places for some of these dishes by how many recognised lists name each place. To track what you eat along the way, see how to keep track of restaurants.