Appetizer

Aatish e aloo is a traditional potato-based dish originating from India. The dish consists of a fried potato cup that's stuffed with a combination of nuts and spices, and it's then grilled in a tandoor oven. Although there are slight variations in the recipes, aatish e aloo is usually made with ingredients such as potatoes, cashews, raisins, paneer, cumin, red chili powder, oil, garam masala, and coriander. Once prepared, aatish e aloo is served hot, ideally with mint chutney and lemon wedges on the side. The dish is typically served as an appetizer.

Aatish e aloo

Abacate com tuna is a healthy, nutritious, and visually appealing appetizer from Guinea Bissau. It is made with ripe avocados, tuna, grated coconut, evaporated milk, and chopped tomatoes. In order to prepare it, avocados should be cut in half with the pits removed. Tuna is then combined with other ingredients, and the combination is seasoned with salt and pepper. Avocado shells are stuffed with the filling, and the dish is ready to be served, preferably with lemon wedges on the side.

Abacate com tuna

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Ab doogh Kkhiar is a traditional Iranian savory and cold yogurt-based soup. It's a refreshing dish often enjoyed in the summer months and is known for its mix of textures and flavors. The basic ingredients for ab doogh khiar include yogurt, cucumbers, herbs (such as dill, mint, and sometimes tarragon or rose petals), water, and occasionally a small amount of carbonated water. Some variations also include raisins, chopped walnuts, and pieces of bread. It's usually seasoned with salt and sometimes a little pepper. The end result is a tangy, creamy, and refreshing dish, usually consumed as soup and sometimes even a drink, as it pairs well with many traditional Iranian meals. 
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Ab doogh khiar

Abenkwan is a hearty Ghanaian dish consisting of palm nut pulp, water, fish or meat, tomatoes, onions, and flavorings such as pepper, salt, garlic, and chili peppers. The combination of these ingredients is cooked until it develops a thick, stewy texture. The soup is sometimes served as a starter before the main meal, although it is also commonly served as an accompaniment to fufu or rice dishes.

Abenkwan

Aborrajado is a Colombian dish consisting of cheese-stuffed sweet plantain slices that are battered and deep-fried. Although the name aborrajado means battered, the dish can also be baked or grilled. Aborrajado is traditionally served as an appetizer or a snack, but some people like to add slices of bocadillo guava paste, so this dish can also be served as a dessert.

Aborrajados

Italy

Acciughe al verde is a traditional dish originating from Piedmont. The dish consists of anchovies in green sauce, or bagnet verde. In order to prepare it, salt-preserved anchovies are first washed and filleted, then topped with a sauce consisting of garlic, parsley, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and sometimes a pinch of hot pepper flakes. In the past, this dish was a part of merenda si noira, a meal eaten by farmers late in the afternoon. Nowadays, acciughe al verde are served as an appetizer with bread and butter in most restaurants, or as an accompaniment to a glass of wine in old taverns.

Acciughe al verde

Acciughe in salsa rossa is a traditional appetizer originating from Piemonte. It's made with salt-cured anchovies, garlic, chili pepper, capers, parsley, tomato pur&eacute;e, and sugar. The anchovies are rinsed, filleted, and placed in a container. The remaining ingredients are combined to make a sauce which is then used to cover the anchovies. The combination is left to stand at room temperature for a few hours before the dish is ready to be served.

Acciughe in salsa rossa

Acciughe sotto pesto is a traditional dish hailing from Siena. It's made with salted anchovies, parsley, garlic, chili peppers, and extra-virgin olive oil. The anchovies are rinsed in vinegar, then laid next to one another in a deep dish. They're topped with a mixture of garlic, parsley, and chili, with an additional generous drizzle of olive oil. When completely covered in olive oil, the dish is left to rest for about 12 hours. Later on, the anchovies can be served on their own as a simple snack or on toasted bread. In Siena, it can be found everywhere, not only in restaurants, but also in bars and grocery shops.

Acciughe sotto pesto

Acciughini are delicious Italian sage-and-anchovy fritters. They're made with a combination of large sage leaves, flour, rinsed and filleted salt-cured anchovies, olive oil, white wine, and beaten egg whites. The sage leaves are coated with flour and the anchovies are cut in half and sandwiched between two sage leaves. The flour, egg whites, wine, and olive oil are mixed to make a batter in which the sage-and-anchovy combination is dipped. The fritters are fried until crunchy in texture and golden brown in color. This appetizer is served hot, and it's especially popular in Piombino, a coastal town in Tuscany.

Acciughini

Accra is a traditional fritter that is usually made with black-eyed peas, scallions, onions, garlic, bell peppers, chili peppers, eggs, flour, baking powder, and malanga &ndash; a nutty-flavored root that is closely linked to cassava and potatoes. In order to prepare accra, all ingredients are mixed together, then fried in hot oil until golden brown. Accra can be served on its own as a snack or an appetizer, but it is most commonly served at festive events with plantains, salads, and fried pork, beef, or chicken.

Accra

India

Achari jhinga is a traditional dish originating from the northern parts of the country. Although there are many variations, it's usually made with a combination of prawns, red chili powder, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, onions, peppercorns, vinegar or lemon juice, oil, hot peppers, salt, sugar, and coriander. The peppercorns, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, and lemon juice are ground into a paste. The onions are saut&eacute;ed in oil with tomatoes and the spice paste. The mixture is cooked until the oil clears, and the prawns are then added to the pan. They're seasoned with salt and cooked until done, and then garnished with chopped coriander. Achari jhinga is often served as an appetizer with roti, paratha, phulka, or naan on the side.

Achari jhinga

Achari paneer tikka is a traditional appetizer originating from India, and it's especially popular in Punjabi cuisine. The dish consists of paneer that's marinated in achari (pickling spices) masala, and it's then grilled, usually in a tandoor oven. Although there are variations, the dish is usually made with paneer cubes, garam masala, dahi, ginger, and garlic. The marinade consists of cumin, fennel, ajwain (lovage), fenugreek, red chili powder, mustard seeds, hot chili peppers, oil, and lemon juice. The paneer is placed on skewers and grilled, and achari paneer tikka is then served hot, ideally with a green chutney on the side.

Achari paneer tikka

Acılı Ezme is a vibrant, spicy vegetable salad and dip that is ubiquitous in Turkish kebab houses and grilled meat restaurants (ocakbaşı). The name roughly translates to 'spicy mashed' dish, referring to the traditional method of preparation where vegetables are finely chopped or mashed together to create a cohesive, salsa-like texture. It acts as an appetizing starter, designed to wake up the palate before the arrival of rich, fatty meats.

The core ingredients of Acılı Ezme are ripe tomatoes, green peppers (often spicy), onions, garlic, and parsley. However, the secret to its depth lies in the dressing and seasonings. A mixture of pepper paste (biber salçası), pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi), olive oil, varying amounts of hot red pepper flakes (pul biber or isot), sumac, and dried mint is massaged into the vegetables. Some variations might include walnuts for crunch or a splash of lemon juice for extra brightness.

Preparation requires patience and skill with a knife; using a food processor is often frowned upon as it can turn the vegetables into a watery mush. Hand-chopping ensures that each vegetable retains its identity while contributing to the collective flavor profile. The result is a dish that hits every flavor note: sweet from the tomatoes and onions, sour from the pomegranate molasses, savory from the salça, and unmistakably spicy.

Served cold, Acılı Ezme is typically eaten with warm, puffy lavash bread or pita. It is not just a condiment but a standalone meze that showcases the freshness of Turkish produce and the mastery of spice balancing.

Spicy Ezme

Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica consisting of an unusual fruit of West African origin and any sort of dried and salted fish, usually cod, mahi mahi, or mackerel. The dish is very popular either as a nourishing Jamaican breakfast or as an appetizer served for lunch or dinner. Ackee is a tricky ingredient due to its toxicity, so it is not safe to consume it until the vivid yellow meat and characteristical black seeds (three of them) are visible on the interior of the fruit. It was introduced to the island in the 18th century and looks like a smooth, reddish peach. Ackee is best when fully ripe, oily and sweet, and when cooked, it is visually similar to scrambled eggs. Saltfish is fried with boiled ackee, onions, hot chiles, tomatoes, and lots of black pepper, providing a contrast of big, bold flavors, colours, and textures, sweetness and saltiness. In some cases, the dish is also served with rice and boiled plantains, and it is often garnished with bacon or fresh tomatoes. It seems like anything is possible in Jamaica, even fruit paired with fish for breakfast.

Ackee and Saltfish

Commonly eaten as a side dish or an appetizer, agedashidofu is a popular dish consisting of deep-fried tofu that is typically served with tentsuyu dipping sauce, made with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is a well known, old dish, and the recipe for it was included in a 1782 Japanese tofu cookbook called Tofu Hyakuchin, alongside other tofu dishes such as simmered and chilled tofu. Although it is easy to prepare, one can find agedashidofu in almost every Japanese restaurant. The dish is commonly topped with chopped negi spring onions, grated daikon, or dried bonito fish flakes.

Agedashi tofu

Greece

Aginares salata is a traditional salad originating from Crete. Although there are variations, the salad is usually made with a combination of young and tender artichokes, lemon, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper. The artichokes are trimmed and boiled in a mixture of water and lemon juice. The artichokes are quartered and cut in half, rubbed with lemon, and placed on a platter. A dressing consisting of lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and garlic is then poured over the artichokes, and the salad is sprinkled with chopped dill, seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed, and served immediately. Aginares salata can be found only in the early spring, on the first days of Lent, when it's typically served with taramosalata and rengosalata as an appetizer.

Aginares salata

Mexico

Aguachile is a simple dish originating from the Mexican state of Sinaloa. It is a type of Mexican ceviche that (in its most classic version) consists of fresh raw shrimp, cucumber, red onion, lime juice, and water-pulverized chilis, giving the dish its name. Unlike most ceviches, aguachile is served immediately after coating the shrimp in lime juice, so it is very important that the shrimp is as fresh as it can be. Aguachile is commonly accompanied by avocado and tostadas, while the beverage of choice is usually beer or tequila. There are also versions of aguachile prepared with octopus and scallops, but those versions are not traditional.

Aguachile

Alb&oacute;ndigas en salsa is a traditional dish that's typically eaten as a tapa. This appetizer consists of meatballs in rich tomato sauce. The small meatballs are often made with a combination of beef, pork, veal (or a combination of the three), breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs, garlic, flour, and seasonings, while the sauce is made with garlic, onions, tomatoes, red wine, olive oil, paprika, salt, and stock. Before cooking them in the sauce, the meatballs are usually lightly browned. When the sauce becomes thick, the dish is served, often with crusty bread and a glass of red wine on the side. It is believed that these meatballs originated as a Berber or Arab dish which was brought over to Spain during the Muslim rule. The name is derived from the Arabic word al-bunduq, meaning hazelnut, referring to the small size of the meatballs.

Albóndigas en salsa

Alcachofas con jam&oacute;n is a traditional dish that's usually served as a tapa. The dish is usually made with a combination of artichokes, olive oil, tomato juice, sugar, salt, white wine, jam&oacute;n serrano, bay leaves, and parsley. The artichokes are trimmed and placed in cold water with parsley. The tomato juice and sugar are simmered in olive oil, then mixed with the artichokes, white wine, jam&oacute;n, and bay leaves. The dish is cooked until the artichokes become tender. Before serving, this tapa is seasoned with salt, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Alcachofas con jamón

Spain

Alcauciles fritos is a traditional dish originating from the C&aacute;diz region. It consists of fried baby artichokes. The ingredients include small artichokes, sea salt, lemon juice, and oil that&rsquo;s used for frying. The artichokes are sprinkled with sea salt and lemon juice, then fried in oil over high heat. Once the leaves become crisp and brown and the stalks and hearts become tender, the artichokes are removed from the pan, drained, and served, usually with lemon wedges on the side. It&rsquo;s recommended to pair this simple dish with a glass of dry white wine of Sanl&uacute;car. These small artichokes are available in Andalusian markets in early summer, and they're a special variety grown for deep-frying because the high heat caramelizes the juices and keeps the flavor intact.

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