Best food in the world

[celedhring]

Let's settle the question once and for all.

After my trip to Italy, I think I'll have to concede the issue. The food there is absolutely ridiculously good.

[Zoupa]

Gotta agree, Italy >>> Spain. Seems all you guys eat is jamon, jamon, jamon.

[Barrister]

I don't even necessarily like Italians... but this seems like the only useful poll would be to determine the world's second-best cuisine.

Oh - USA doesn't deserve to be a Jaron option - it's a valid contender.

[crazy canuck]

Other, Southern Croatian - a fusion a Italian, French and Balkan cooking - it is absolutely fabulous.

If I had to pick a region that is well known to the rest of the world, it would be Italian.

[celedhring]

I don't even necessarily like Italians... but this seems like the only useful poll would be to determine the world's second-best cuisine.

Oh - USA doesn't deserve to be a Jaron option - it's a valid contender.

It's a half-joke (but only half  ). People can vote away if they believe is a contender.

I had some good stuff while living in the US - I love southern cuisine - but a lot of it is very heavy. Also the quality of the fresh produce in my experience was average at best compared to what you can buy in Europe, even in farmers' markets. Otoh meat/dairy was great, if you bought from good providers.

When I was there the whole organic thing was just taking off, so maybe you can find better produce now.

[Tamas]

This is hardly a contest.

[Barrister]

I don't even necessarily like Italians... but this seems like the only useful poll would be to determine the world's second-best cuisine.

Oh - USA doesn't deserve to be a Jaron option - it's a valid contender.

It's a half-joke (but only half  ). People can vote away if they believe is a contender.

I had some good stuff while living in the US - I love southern cuisine - but a lot of it is very heavy. Also the quality of the fresh produce in my experience was average at best compared to what you can buy in Europe, even in farmers' markets. Otoh meat/dairy was great, if you bought from good providers.

When I was there the whole organic thing was just taking off, so maybe you can find better produce now.

It's such a huge country, like China or India.  Obviously there's a lot of shit food from the USA, but some amazing stuff as well.

[crazy canuck]

I don't even necessarily like Italians... but this seems like the only useful poll would be to determine the world's second-best cuisine.

Oh - USA doesn't deserve to be a Jaron option - it's a valid contender.

It's a half-joke (but only half  ). People can vote away if they believe is a contender.

I had some good stuff while living in the US - I love southern cuisine - but a lot of it is very heavy. Also the quality of the fresh produce in my experience was average at best compared to what you can buy in Europe, even in farmers' markets. Otoh meat/dairy was great, if you bought from good providers.

When I was there the whole organic thing was just taking off, so maybe you can find better produce now.

It's such a huge country, like China or India.  Obviously there's a lot of shit food from the USA, but some amazing stuff as well.

Yeah, they have some great Italian restaurants 

[celedhring]

Other, Southern Croatian - a fusion a Italian, French and Balkan cooking - it is absolutely fabulous.

If I had to pick a region that is well known to the rest of the world, it would be Italian.

You made me look up Croatian restaurants in Barcelona, and there's a guy that seems to do Spanish-French-Balkan fusion. I'll add it to my list!

[Oexmelin]

Difficult choice, between having had food in the country itself, having had it in places where you can sample the amazing variety (i.e., Chinese restaurants in LA), and only having sampled it outside of its country of origin...

Itay or Ndia.

[Barrister]

You made me look up Croatian restaurants in Barcelona, and there's a guy that seems to do Spanish-French-Balkan fusion. I'll add it to my list!

When I was in university, the U of Manitoba was in a deeply suburban part of town, so there wasn't really a lot of bars / restaurants nearby.  More than a comfortable walk, but still kind of walkable, was a Bosnian restaurant.  It's my only experience with balkan food to date.  I don't remember if it was called a bosnian burger on the menu, or my fraternity buddies just called it that, but it was interesting and good.  It was served on something mid-ways between a burger bun and a pita.

[Oexmelin]

It's such a huge country, like China or India.  Obviously there's a lot of shit food from the USA, but some amazing stuff as well.

It's a huge country, and you can have great food, but nowhere need the variety of Chinese or Indian food.

[Barrister]

Difficult choice, between having had food in the country itself, having had it in places where you can sample the amazing variety (i.e., Chinese restaurants in LA), and only having sampled it outside of its country of origin...

Itay or Ndia.

You know this is a fair point.  Italian food would have been a top contender in any event, but what easily puts it over the top for me is having Italian food in Italy.

But then again of the countries listed, the only other one I've been to was Mexico (and I only had shitty resort food, 90% of which wasn't even remotely Mexican-inspired).  Oh and I guess US, which again has a bunch of shitty food but some really good food too.

[Sheilbh]

Of countries I've been to Thailand or Mexico - thinking about it I'd probably go for Mexico.

I feel like the answer is India or China but I've not been to either country so I feel limited in being able to say that. But it's a little unfair because they're both basically sub-continents.

In Europe the answer is Italy.

Also France makes me wonder a little how you judge - because while the good stuff is very, very good indeed the standard of just an bang average restaurant that you've not researched, in my experience, is not good at all. While in Italy, Spain, Greece the bog standard is a lot higher. So France might have a higher ceiling than some, but I feel like it's got a lower floor (and probably lower average). And if it's the ceiling we're judging - again I've not been - but I think it might be Japan from what I've heard.

[Josquius]

Champions League -

Italy
China (assuming we mean Chinese cuisine rather than food from the prc)
India

Solid Premier League -

Japan
Thailand


The UK is in the championship, as is Greece and Spain.

I haven't had enough Mexican to really say but they're probably there too. The US probably also since we already discounted quality of the modern nations supply chains.