10 Cuisines That Deserve to Be the Next Big Thing in Food

Be it Korean fusion, New American, or hipster Szechuan, the culinary world is constantly searching for new cuisines to co-opt. But in a landscape with Anthony Bordain and Lucky Peach, it's beginning to feel like we've reached a horizon, where even the globe's furthest-flung foods are hitting the mainstream. Even so, while foodies may now be able to name-drop their favorite Vietnamese restaurant, there's still a vast landscape of flavors that have gone unplumbed by the majority of people—even those with more adventurous tastes. Some of these lesser-known foods are stuck in the realm of fine dining, while others are street meats that deserve a wider audience. Regardless, here are 10 cuisines from all over the world that deserve a spot among your current favorites.

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Origin: Thailand
Key ingredients: Sticky rice, chili peppers
Flavors: Spicy, sweet

When most people think of Thai food they envision heavy curries or Americanized fried noodles. The region of Isan (often spelled Isaan) in Northern Thailand, however, offers completely different flavors and ingredients. With sticky rice as a staple and a heavy influence from Laotian cuisine, the uninitiated might not recognize it as Thai food at all. Though Pok Pok’s Andy Ricker has riffed on Isan in his restaurants (and been awarded a James Beard Award for his efforts) Isan doesn’t need to have a gourmet lean to be enjoyed. Traditional dishes like larb—a spice-enriched meat dish—and mango sticky rice should find fans outside the world of the urban foodie elite.

Origin: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
Key ingredients: Lots of vegetables, lentils, sea food
Flavor: Heavily spiced, but not always spicy

While Northern Indian has been a Western favorite for years, food from the Southern states has gotten short shrift. While there is the occasional dosa joint in most cities, it's a cuisine that deserves to be as ubiquitous as the burrito (or at least the Banh Mi). With an almost entirely vegetarian base, rich flavoring, and a generally lighter quality than Northern Indian food, it's a healthy and delicious culinary tradition to explore. Key dishes include dosa (a crepe-like wrap) and spicy seafood from Kerala.

Origin: Peru
Key ingredients: Meat, rice, various spices
Flavors: Sweet, sour

Chifa is a Peruvian-Chinese hybrid that started when Chinese immigrants came to Lima in the early 20th century. The immigrants, who mostly hailed from the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, had to substitute Chinese spices and vegetables for those found in their new home. The result is a rich cuisine with unlikely combinations of Peruvian and Chinese ingredients. Typical dishes include favorites like fried rice, chow mein, wontons, sweet and sour chicken, and more—all with a Latin American spin.

Origin: West Africa
Key Ingredients: Various meats, chili peppers, local grains
Flavor: Spicy, zesty

West African cuisine is actually a collection of food from 16 different countries. Together, they share many traditions and flavors but also vary wildly from place to place. Some dishes bear a resemblance to the Creole cooking of Louisiana, with heavy use of spicy peppers. Signature dishes include maafe, a Senegalese stew, and jollof, a rice dish flavored with tomatoes and onions.

Origin: Burma
Key ingredients: Tea, mango, coconut
Flavors: Sweet, spicy, light

Burmese food has been growing in popularity, especially in cities like New York and San Francisco. The latter boasts excellent restaurants like Burma Superstar and Yamo, while New York’s Cafe Mingala is a foodie favorite. Still, the flavors of Burma deserve to experienced by more than just a few. Burmese cuisine is defined by its many salads, lahpet — a pickled tea leaf that you can both eat and drink, and curried and pickled fish dishes.

Origin: Denmark, Norway
Key ingredients: Fish, fresh herbs
Flavor: Subtle, herbal, salty

It may seem odd to include Scandanavian food on this list, considering how popular the cusine has become in recent years among the culinary elite. René Redzepi, owner of Danish restaurant Noma, is arguably the most lauded chef in the world right now. Still, not everyone can travel to Copenhagen for a dinner and the food has yet to filter down to more approachable mediums.

Origin: Countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
Key ingredients: Olive oil, hummus, goat's milk
Flavor: Savory, herbal

While "Mediterranean cuisine" is really just a variety of foods from many different peoples, the Mediterranean's climate often calls for similar ingredients and flavors across cultures. The breadth of healthy, delicious foods that come from the area is huge, allowing chefs to pick and choose their favorite recipes. Glasserie, for instance, a new restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn has made its combination of styles into an art (the signature rabbit dish is amazing). While many Mediterranean dishes are already popular around the world, the region's versatile templates can be elevated and altered to meet any chef's wildest whims.

Origin: Lithuania
Key ingredients: Barley, potatoes, beets
Flavors: Hearty

Like Polish food, which has found a niche with Americans, Lithuanian food is often a heavy and hearty cuisine. Lithuanians put their own spin on Eastern European dumplings like kreplach and pierogi. Pickled vegetables, especially beets and cabbage, are also common. Lithuanian isn't just comfort food and fermented roots, though. Spices like dill and caraway enliven flavors, while meat dishes are expertly prepared.

Origin: Okinawa, Japan
Key ingredients: Raw fish
Flavors: Light, subtle

Okinawa may be part of Japan, but 400 miles of open ocean lies between the island and the rest of the country. Because of the distance, Okinawan cuisine, also known as Ryukyuan cuisine, has had time to develop its own flavor and character apart from traditional mainland Japanese food. Tropical fruits are used abundantly, spices like turmeric show up more often, and kombu, an edible kelp, is used in many dishes.

Origin: Caribbean
Key Ingredients: Plantains, rice, meat
Flavors: Zesty, heavily-spiced

West Indian, or Caribbean, is a mishmash of flavors from all over the world swirled into a hearty and delicious cuisine. Meats are often covered in sweet gravies and plantains play a large part, acting as everything from fried chips to salad ingredients. Food is well-spiced, but not usually that spicy. Because there are so many islands and cultures, different variations of dishes abound. Jamaica, for instance, is famous for its jerked chicken, while Haitian food mixes a French influence with traditional Taino, African, and Spanish flavors.