National dish


A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
National dishes are part of a nation's identity and self-image. For example, pizza is considered one of the national dishes of Italy and its variants are among the most popular foods in the world. During the age of European empire-building, nations would develop a national cuisine to distinguish themselves from their rivals.
Some countries such as Mexico, China or India, because of their diverse ethnic populations, cultures, and cuisines, do not have a single national dish, even unofficially. Furthermore, because national dishes are so interwoven into a nation's sense of identity, strong emotions and conflicts can arise when trying to choose a country's national dish.

By country

This is not a definitive list of national dishes, but rather a list of some foods that have been suggested to be national dishes.

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