International Cuisine: You Have to Try 6 of These Anthony Bourdain Favorites
There are few people in the world who have helped inspire people to get out of their comfort zone and visit new places — and try new and exotic foods — than the late chef and travel writer Anthony Bourdain. A former executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in New York, Bourdain visited dozens of countries, highlighting culture and cuisine, for his three shows: A Cook’s Tour (Food Network), No Reservations (Travel Channel), and Parts Unknown (CNN).
Although he enjoyed simple comfort foods like a good hard-boiled egg and the macaroni and cheese from Popeyes, Bourdain had a great appreciation for delicacies from around the world. He wasn’t shy about sharing his opinion on each dish he tried and was often brutally honest if he disliked it. However, he enjoyed many. The following are six of the dishes he loved and couldn’t stop talking about during his 18 years of traveling the globe.
1. Blood Sausage
While eating sausage filled with animal blood might not be appealing to everyone, it was one of Bourdain’s most cherished foods. He recommended it in several episodes of his TV shows, showcasing his appreciation for its unique flavors and cultural significance.
Blood sausage comes in various forms across many countries and regions, with the most common variations using blood from pigs, cows, lambs, chickens, or sheep. The blood is typically dried or cooked and then mixed with fillers like meat, fat, bread, oatmeal, or barley until it reaches a thick enough consistency to be encased.
Bourdain sampled blood sausage many times on his shows, but his favorite dish was in Germany. “It’s when the Himmel und Erde, or Heaven and Earth, hits the table that I start to get deep into my happy zone. That’s blood sausage, fried onions, and mashed potatoes with applesauce, which if you don’t like, by the way, pretty much removes you from my ‘will save from drowning’ list.”
2. Ceviche
Ceviche is a raw fish dish served in many countries, but it originated in and is the national dish of Peru. Bourdain spoke glowingly about the dish during his trip to Lima, the country’s capital, for an episode for Parts Unknown. The dish can feature a variety of different types of fish (most commonly sea bass) and is typically cured with lime juice and topped with Peruvian corn, cooked sweet potato, plantain chips, and corn nuts. This creates a light and delectable dish with a bright mix of sour and spicy flavors and different textures.
On Parts Unknown, Bourdain sampled a ceviche composed of flounder and octopus chunks topped with citrus juice and slices of red onion. He also learned the most important aspect of the dish is the thickness of the cut of fish. The fish, which should be as fresh as possible, should be cut into quarter-inch chunks as opposed to diced to better retain the acidic juices and maintain the natural flavor of the fish.
3. Blanquette de Veau
One of the dishes Bourdain enjoyed the most in his many trips to France was blanquette de veau at La Tour Montlhéry — Chez Denise in Paris. The traditional French stew is prepared by simmering tender pieces of veal in a creamy, white sauce. The veal is first lightly seared, then cooked slowly with vegetables, such as onions, carrots, and mushrooms. The sauce is made by combining a roux (butter and flour mixture) with veal stock and white wine, creating a velvety texture. The dish is typically seasoned with herbs like thyme and bay leaves. Pearl onions and mushrooms cooked in butter are later added, along with flour and a mixture of heavy cream and egg yolk.
4. Pizza al Taglio
While you can get some quality pizza in American cities like New York and Chicago, it’s hard to beat authentic Italian pizza. Pizza al taglio at Pizzarium Bonci in Rome was one of Bourdain’s favorite pizza dishes. In contrast to the typical individual circular pizzas sold in most Italian pizzerias, pizza al taglio is a rectangular pizza sold not by the slice but by weight. Common toppings include cherries, raspberries, foie gras, roasted potatoes, goat cheese, and fresh mozzarella.
5. Kibbeh
Bourdain was a proponent of Middle Eastern food, particularly the hummus and kibbeh at Le Chef in Lebanon. Kibbeh, the national dish of Lebanon and Syria, is created by mixing ground beef, bulgur wheat, toasted pine nuts, and a variety of spices, then forming the mixture into balls. They can be served raw, grilled, or deep-fried.
6. Sisig
Bourdain sampled many dishes during his two visits to the Philippines for No Reservations and Parts Unknown, but his favorite was sisig, which he called “possibly the best thing you could eat with a cold beer.” The dish features a variety of different cuts of meat, typically chicken livers and minced pork and sometimes chopped pig ears and cheeks, and is topped with a combination of onions and chili peppers, among other vegetables.
Lucia Cunanan, known as the “Sisig Queen,” invented the dish in Pampanga, considered the Philippines’ culinary capital. It’s a popular Filipino street food and is increasingly found on the menus of Filipino restaurants in the US.
