Appetizer

France

This aromatic, decadent spread is made with black or green olives. The original recipe includes four essential Mediterranean ingredients &ndash; chopped olives, anchovies, capers, and olive oil &ndash; combined with additional ingredients and spices to form a thick, fragrant spread. Even though it is often described as a Proven&ccedil;al recipe, it was originally invented in 1880 by a chef Meynier at a Marseilles restaurant called La Maison Dor&eacute;e, while the first recipe dates back to 1897, when it was published in Jean-Baptiste Reboul's La Cuisini&egrave;re Proven&ccedil;ale. In the past, tapenade was made using a mortar and pestle, but today it can be easily prepared in a food processor. Even though it uses simple ingredients and is a quick dish to prepare at home, ready-made tapenades can be found in supermarkets all over the world. French restaurants usually serve it as an appetizer with a warm, crunchy baguette on the side. Sometimes, it is also used as a dipping sauce for crackers, assorted vegetables, or breadsticks.

Tapenade

Taramasalata is a Greek and Turkish specialty dish consisting of mashed potatoes or bread (or sometimes breadcrumbs) combined with lemon juice, olive oil, and fish roe, usually from cod, carp, or mullet. The dip is usually served as an appetizer or a meze dish. In Greece, taramasalata is traditionally consumed on Clean Monday, which is the first day of Lent. Taramasalata can also be bought pre-made in numerous Turkish and Greek stores, but it is not well-received due to large amounts of food coloring, resulting in an unusual pink color of the dish. When served, taramasalata is often garnished with olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Taramasalata

Italy

Tar&ograve;z is a fulfilling, traditional dish from Valtellina that truly highlights several wonderful local products, from the potatoes and beans that are easily grown near the surrounding mountains to the renowned Valtellina Casera cheese. This hearty pur&eacute;e is prepared with potatoes and runner beans, first boiled, then fried in butter with onions and garlic. The mixture is flavored with Casera cheese which has been previously cut into small cubes, and it is then mashed with a fork until all ingredients are blended together. This basic, original recipe developed over time, so nowadays it is often enriched with pancetta, while Casera can be substituted with some other cheese, such as another famous local treat, Bitto. Tar&ograve;z is usually served as an appetizer, but it is both delicious and nutritious enough to be consumed on its own as a main dish.

Taròz

Tarte &agrave; l'oignon is a fragrant, savory onion tart from the Alsace region in France. Essentially, it is an open-face pie that is filled with a rich and flavorful custard of eggs, bacon, and onions. Although it is a cousin to the famous quiche Lorraine, it is not as deep as traditional quiches. The most popular story about the origin of the onion tart says that it was a baked good with which the bakers would test the heat of the ovens, depending on the time it took to bake it. If the tart was baked in a certain amount of time, that meant that the oven was hot enough for bread to be baked in it. Today, the tart is enjoyed throughout France, with the sweetness of the onions contrasting with the salty, smoky bacon. The whole dish is typically spiked with thyme, while anchovies are sometimes used in order to accentuate the flavors even more.

Tarte à l'oignon

Hailing from the natural regions of Thi&eacute;rache and l'Avesnois, tarte au maroilles is a French tart that features cubes or slices of the renowned Maroilles cheese, a soft cow's milk cheese that is distinguished by a nutty and tangy flavor and a rather pungent smell. The tart is traditionally prepared with a base of shortcrust pastry or p&acirc;te bris&eacute;e, while the filling usually consists of Maroilles cheese and a combination of cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che, butter, eggs, salt, and pepper. Once assembled, the dish is typically baked until the cheese-based filling has turned gooey, golden brown, and bubbly. This savory tart is believed to have Flemish roots, and it is best enjoyed while still warm. Wedges of the cheese tart are usually accompanied by french fries, fresh salad, and a glass of beer or wine (red or white) on the side.

Tarte au maroilles

Danish tarteletter are crispy, pre-baked puff pastry shells used as containers for various fillings. They initially appeared in the late 19th century as a sophisticated dish which slowly became popular among all social classes. Even though these shells are typically associated with sweet fillings, Danes prefer to complement them with different savory ingredients such as meat, seafood, and vegetables. Through history, tarteletter were incredibly popular and served at parties and banquets. Even though their popularity has recently diminished, they are still a beloved Danish dish enjoyed as a quick snack or a filling appetizer.

Tarteletter

Tartra is a traditional dish originating from Piedmont. It consists of a baked savory custard that's infused with onions and herbs. Although there are many variations, it's usually made with a combination of heavy cream, milk, butter, onions, eggs, grated cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sage, and rosemary. The cream, milk, sage, and rosemary are mixed and left to chill in the fridge. The onions are cooked in butter, and mixed with beaten eggs, the cream mixture, cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The mixture is placed in buttered custard cups and baked in the oven until the tops become golden and the custard is set. The custard is inverted onto a plate and served warm as an appetizer. Tartra was often served with bagna cauda due to its pungency that contrasts the tartra's richness.

Tartra

Venezuela

Teque&ntilde;os are a traditional Venezuelan snack consisting of fried wonton wrappers or empanada dough filled with cheese. It is believed that this snack originated from the city of Los Teques. Teque&ntilde;os are usually served with various sauces and dips such as guacamole or salsa de palta. Although the snack got its start in Venezuela, it soon spread throughout Latin America. In Peru, teque&ntilde;os are popular as an appetizer or an afternoon snack, and Peruvians sometimes add ham, lomo saltado, or aji de gallina to the cheese filling.

Tequeños

This French dish consisting of coarsely chopped meat and fat is similar to a meat loaf. The name terrine also refers to the earthenware vessel used to cook it, which also serves as a mold. The combination of meat (often goose or duck liver, pork, deer, or boar) is usually marinated in a mixture of herbs and wine before it is left to cool, when a flavorful jelly develops in the dish. Although it was originally invented as a hearty and substantial food for French peasants, today it has evolved into an elegant appetizer that commonly appears on the menus of many upscale restaurants.

Terrine

This French delicacy is one of the most common ways to prepare foie gras. In this case, seasoned and raw foie gras de canard or duck foie gras is pressed into a terrine container or any similar container, and it is then left to marinate drizzled with some Sauternes wine or Armagnac on top. After marinating for some time, the terrine is placed inside a water bath and baked before it is weighted down to give the dish its distinctive fatty layer on the surface. It is a common practice to chill the cooked terrine de foie gras for a couple of days or more before consumption. This specialty is usually sliced thinly and accompanied by slices of toasted bread or baguette, fig jam, and a glass of fine French wine on the side.

Terrine de foie gras de canard

This specialty is a variation of the French terrine, a type of meat loaf that is prepared with rabbit (called lapin in French) meat. Terrine de lapin is typically made with a combination of coarsely chopped or ground rabbit meat (farm-raised or wild), fat, and a variety of spices such as thyme, rosemary, pepper, bay leaves, juniper berries, allspice, ginger, and savory. Ground pork, pork belly, poultry, or even veal shoulder are commonly added to the combination, and the meat mixture is usually flavored with shallots, parsley, and a splash of alcohol such as sherry or brandy. Other common ingredients used for the preparation of a rabbit terrine include eggs, pistachios, olives, meat stock, mushrooms, and lemon or orange zest. Traditionally, the dish is cooked in a special earthenware vessel called a terrine dish, which is usually lined with thin slices of bacon, ham, pancetta, caul fat, or fresh fatback. Once assembled, the terrine is typically baked in a water bath, then chilled and refrigerated for a couple of days before consumption. During the time spent in the refrigerator, the terrine is typically weighed down with a heavy object so that the flavors meld nicely and the dish gets its characteristic shape. Slices of rabbit terrine are usually enjoyed at room temperature as an entr&eacute;e, often accompanied by crusty bread or toasted bread and gherkins.

Terrine de lapin

Terrine de porc is a French dish that combines ground pork cuts (often shoulder and fillet) with ingredients such as smoked fatty bacon, bacon lardons, or bacon fat, garlic, shallots, duck fat, and eggs. The meat mixture is typically flavored with aromatic spices and herbs such as thyme, parsley, allspice, juniper berries, cloves, and black pepper, and it is often enhanced with a splash of Armagnac or Cognac. Other common ingredients used in this dish include butter, chicken or pork livers, breadcrumbs, and cream, while some versions also add pistachios or truffles for a more elevated experience. The ingredients are combined into a smooth, homogenous mixture which is placed in a terrine dish, covered with a lid or aluminum foil, and cooked either in a bain-marie (water bath) or a pan filled with water. Once done, the terrine is pressed with a weight or any other heavy object to develop its signature shape, and it is then chilled before serving. Slices of pork terrine are usually accompanied by crusty bread, pickles, fresh salads, and chutneys on the side, and they&rsquo;re typically enjoyed as an appetizer.

Terrine de porc

Terrine de sanglier is a traditional terrine made from wild boar (sanglier). The terrine is a type of coarse meatloaf where the wild boar meat is mixed with spices, herbs, and additional ingredients like pork, bacon, or liver for added richness. The mixture is then baked in a terrine mold. This rustic dish is often served cold, sliced, and paired with bread, pickles, or chutney, making it a popular choice for French country-style meals and appetizers.

Terrine de sanglier

Testi di Turco is a traditional dish originating from San Cataldo in Sicily. These dumplings are filled with salsiccia and ricotta, and the list of ingredients includes flour, eggs, lard, ricotta, salsiccia, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and seasonings. In order to prepare the dumplings, the flour is mixed with egg yolks and whites to form a smooth dough which is then rolled and cut into disks. The ricotta, salsiccia, cinnamon, and seasonings are mixed and placed on the disk, then covered with the other disk. The dumplings are brushed with beaten egg whites, baked, then glazed with a mixture of egg whites, water, and dark chocolate.

Testi di Turco

Hailing from Thailand, thot man khao phot is a deep-fried corn fritter that is made with a mixture based on sweet corn kernels, ground pork or shrimp, rice flour, and eggs. The corn fritters are typically enhanced with Thai red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, and light soy sauce, and they often contain sliced yard-long beans. There are also vegetarian versions of this dish that omit the addition of meat and use tofu instead. Crispy on the outside and with a chewy bite, these corn fritters are usually served as appetizers or snacks, paired with fresh tomato and cucumber slices and a dipping sauce on the side, such as sweet chili sauce or sweet-and-sour sauce with cucumber slices and crushed roasted peanuts.

Thot man khao phot

A classic Thai dish called thot man kung typically consists of shrimp or prawn mixture, shaped into small, round flat cakes or balls, which are then rolled in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Other variations of this dish call for different types of seafood, fish, or meat instead of shrimp. With a crunchy texture and a tender bite, these delicious shrimp cakes are usually served as appetizers, paired with a spicy, sweet-and-sour dipping sauce and fresh cucumber and tomato slices on the side.

Thot man kung

Tiradito is a traditional dish consisting of thinly sliced, well-chilled raw fish, chopped vegetables, and coriander, all drizzled with lime juice right before consumption, so the fish stays raw, unlike ceviche, where the fish is already cooked in citrus juices. The dish is most often served as an appetizer, and some cooks like to add their own touch &ndash; topping it with sliced onions, pickled jalape&ntilde;os, boiled corn, and even crushed potato chips. It is believed that it takes a lot of skill and effort to make a perfect tiradito, but the most essential components while preparing it are a sharp knife and the freshest possible fish, which is the highlight of every tiradito.

Tiradito

Greece

Tirenia is a traditional cheese pie hailing from the island of Kimolos. The dough is typically cut into rectangles or squares which are then topped with a portion of cheese before the edges are folded over the filling, leaving the center open. Once assembled, the cheese pies are baked until they develop a nice color and crispy crust on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside. The cheese filling usually consists of beaten eggs, freshly ground black pepper, and crumbled local cheese such as the Kimolian manouri. This savory Greek pie often calls for using a type of yeast dough, although some versions are made with a combination of flour, warm water, olive oil, eggs, and salt.

Tirenia

Mexico

Tiritas pescado is a traditional dish originating from the Guerrero region, and it is especially popular in the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area. The dish is usually prepared with fish such as snapper, sailfish, or marlin that is cut into strips, then combined with lime juice, onions, pepper, salt, and chili peppers. After the fish has been marinated, it is typically garnished with coriander and served with tortilla chips on the side. Most seaside restaurants offer tiritas pescado as an appetizer, while local boat captains often prepare it for tourists on fishing trips.

Tiritas pescado

This creamy Greek dipping sauce is usually prepared with a combination of feta cheese, milk or yogurt, hot peppers, garlic, and olive oil. Although it is a traditional dish, it is regionally influenced and may contain anything from roasted red peppers to other types of cheese. Tirokafteri is a standard Greek appetizer and a typical meze dish that is usually accompanied by warm pita bread.