Appetizer

Tirokroketes is a traditional dish consisting of fried cheese balls that have a golden crust on the exterior, while the interior has a melting, oozing texture. This popular meze can be found in almost every Greek tavern. Tirokroketes are actually modern versions of classic spiced meat balls that originated in Ancient Greece and gained popularity throughout Middle East and Balkan countries. The fried balls are usually made with a combination of eggs, breadcrumbs, and three types of cheese &ndash; feta, graviera, and gouda. When frying them, it's important not to overcrowd the pan and to place just a few cheese balls at a time into the hot oil. Tirokroketes are served as an appetizer, ideally drizzled with lemon juice while still hot.

Tirokroketen

Tiropita is a popular Greek snack consisting of sheets of phyllo dough that are filled with a combination of cheese (usually feta) and eggs. The dish is typically wrapped in triangular pieces and brushed with melted butter before baking. This tasty pastry is found in almost every Greek bakery, although it is commonly served as an appetizer, when it is accompanied by numerous dips on the side. There are several theories about its origin, but most link the dish with either Byzantine, Roman, or Turkish cuisine. Tiropita is mostly consumed in the mid-morning in Greece, since breakfast is usually reserved only for bread with butter and a cup of coffee. With its huge popularity, there are also some other variations of tiropita, such as kasseropita, which is filled with kasseri cheese, or spanakopita, a spinach-filled variety.

Tiropita

Italy

These tasty fritters are definitely one of the most popular delicacies from the Val Pusteria valley, located between Alto Adige and Tyrol. Traditionally served with zuppa d&rsquo;orzo, they also work great as an appetizer, served either hot or cold. They are easy to make: the palm-sized round pieces of dough made with potatoes, white wheat flour, rye flour, onions, water, and salt are flattened, covered with filling, topped with another piece of dough, then finally fried in oil. The classic filling is a mixture of spinach and ricotta, but today many varieties exist, including fillings such as potatoes, sauerkraut, chives, or ricotta flavored with various aromatic herbs.

Tirtlán

United States

Toasted ravioli is a St. Louis specialty consisting of crunchy, breaded pasta that is topped with grated parmesan and served with a marinara-style sauce on the side. The dish is served hot as an appetizer. Despite the name, toasted ravioli are deep-fried, not toasted, making it yet another example of a misnomer. Food experts believe that the first iteration of the dish was made in the 1950s, at a restaurant called Angelo Oldani's. The ravioli can be filled with a variety of ingredients, and some of the most popular ingredients include eggs, cheese, spinach, and beef.

Geröstete Ravioli

Toc' in braide is a traditional dish originating from the Friuli area. The dish is usually made with a combination of cornflour, water, salt, milk, butter, and grated cheese such as Grana Padano, Montasio, or Ricotta. The cornflour is cooked in boiling salted water while constantly stirring to avoid lumps. The cheese is melted with the milk in a bain-marie. The butter is mixed with cornflour and the mixture is toasted over high heat. The dish is assembled by placing the polenta on the plate, topping it with the cheese and milk mixture, while the butter and cornflour mixture is added in the end. Toc' in braide is served immediately, usually as an appetizer.

Toc' in Zopf

Japan

Tofu misozuke is a traditional dish originating from the Fukuoka area. Some people also call it vegan cheese, as its production requires aging in miso from 2 months to 2 years. During that period, the tofu develops a texture of soft and creamy cheese with a rich, savory, umami flavor. The miso should be unpasteurized and untreated with alcohol. This creamy and pungent fermented tofu is often smeared on a piece of bread or crackers and enjoyed as it is.

Tofu-Misozuke

Tofuyo is a traditional delicacy originating from Okinawa. In order to prepare it, Okinawa-style tofu known as shima-dofu is left to ferment in a combination of red yeast, rice malt, and awamori (alcoholic beverage). The addition of red yeast gives tofuyo its reddish color. After a long period of fermentation, tofuyo is served sliced in tiny cubes which should be nibbled a bit at a time. The flavor is very rich and creamy, the aromas are pungent, while the texture is very soft, similar to cream cheese. This specialty dates back to the Ryukyu kingdom era, and it was enjoyed only by the emperor&rsquo;s family and a few selected nobles.

Tofuyo

Tokneneng is a traditional dish that's sold as a street food snack. It consists of hard-boiled eggs that are dipped in an orange-colored batter, then deep-fried. The dish is traditionally made with duck eggs, but chicken eggs can also be used. The batter is made with a combination of flour, water, salt, pepper, and annatto powder (or red and yellow food coloring). Once deep-fried, these eggs are traditionally served with a spiced vinegar-based dip on the side. There's also a variation on the dish called kwek kwek, made with quail eggs.

Tokneneng

Tokwa't baboy is a traditional dish made with tofu and pork as the main ingredients. Besides deep-fried tofu and pork belly and ears, it also contains a combination of pork broth, vinegar, soy sauce, chili peppers, and chopped onions. The dish is usually served as a side dish to rice or rice porridge, or as an appetizer. Before serving, tokwa't baboy is often garnished with finely chopped shallots and chili peppers. There are many recipes for this dish, so leftovers from lechon kawali are often used instead of fresh pork belly and ears. For the best experience, serve the dish with a bottle of cold beer on the side.

Tokwa't, Baby

This delicious appetizer is essentially the Hungarian take on devilled eggs. It is made with hard-boiled eggs that are cut in halves and filled with a variety of ingredients &ndash; usually a combination of chopped ham or liver, mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream, paprika, minced onions, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. In order to prepare the dish, halved eggs are simply filled with the desired combination of ingredients, garnished with paprika and parsley, then served. T&ouml;lt&ouml;tt toj&aacute;s is especially popular at festive occasions and special events.

Töltött tojás

Belgium

Tomate crevette is a Belgian specialty dish consisting of an uncooked tomato stuffed with a combination of shrimps, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, and tomato juice. It is believed that this appetizer is best when overflowing with shrimp, with the tomato tops acting as little decorative lids. When served, tomate crevette can be accompanied by fries or freshly chopped vegetables.

Tomaten-Crevette

Tomates &agrave; la Monegasque is a traditional dish hailing from Monaco. The dish consists of stuffed tomatoes and it's made with a combination of big tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, mustard, mayonnaise, chives, lettuce leaves, and seasonings. The tomato tops are cut out and the pulp and seeds are removed. The inside of the tomatoes is then rubbed with salt so that they lose the water. The pulp is mixed with the eggs, tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, and chopped chives, and the combination is stuffed into the tomatoes. The tomatoes are served with their tops on after being chilled in the refrigerator for a few minutes. The dish is traditionally served on lettuce leaves.

Tomaten à la Monegassisch

Argentinian stuffed tomatoes can be prepared with cherry tomatoes, or the larger, regular-sized varieties. The tomato shell is used as a container which is filled with a variety of ingredients &ndash; most commonly rice, tuna, or hard-boiled eggs. The dish is usually made during the summer months when the tomatoes are perfectly ripe and fresh. Tomates rellenos can be served as a light meal, dinner, lunch, a cold appetizer, or a side dish at barbecues, picnics, and parties. They are also a staple of every holiday meal in Argentina, especially since the most important holidays in Argentina are celebrated during the summer.

Tomaten mit Tomatenmark

Greece

These flavorful fritters employ diced tomatoes as their main ingredient, while other additions commonly include onions, fresh herbs, spices, feta cheese and grated zucchinis. The dish is usually associated with Santorini, an island known for the highly prized local tomato variety Tomataki Santorinis. The fritters are typically enjoyed as a light main course, a snack, or a meze dish, and are best paired with creamy fava or tzatziki dips.

Tomatenkeftedes

Tomini elettrici is a traditional appetizer hailing from the Italian region of Piedmont. It consists of pieces of fresh tomino cheese (a soft cow&rsquo;s milk cheese) that are drizzled with a vinaigrette (olive oil and vinegar) and sprinkled with spices such as chili pepper, paprika, black pepper, salt, and garlic. This regional specialty gets its name from the spicy, electric flavor that characterizes it, especially after it has been left to marinate in a closed container for several days. In summer, tomato sauce is often added to the combination, while some versions also call for the addition of other spices such as caraway seeds, cinnamon powder, or cloves. Once a staple of peasant households, tomini elettrici is nowadays commonly found in traditional restaurants and pizzerias in the area.

Elektrische Tomini

Spain

Torreznos are traditional Spanish tapas consisting of pork belly that's marinated, dried, cut into strips, then fried in olive oil. The result is a deliciously crunchy appetizer that's served in numerous tapa bars across the country. Torreznos are the most typical in Soria, in the region of Castilla-Le&oacute;n. Although the preparation of torreznos might seem simple, it has its tricks &ndash; the bacon needs to be at room temperature, while the slices should be 1,5 to 2 centimeters wide. The bacon slices are placed in the pan with the crust down, then fried at low temperature for about half an hour, and after they've cooled down, they are fried once again, but this time at very high temperatures until the crust becomes as crispy and crunchy as possible. The name of this appetizer is derived from the word torrar, meaning to roast something close to the fire until it browns.

Torresnos (Stadt)

Tosone is essentially a young and melty Parmigiano Reggiano - a byproduct obtained during the production of this famous Italian cheese. When newly made cheese is shaped into wheels, the rubbery surplus cheese strips obtained from trimming the wheels are collected - and tosone is ready to be consumed. Pale straw-yellow in color, with a smooth and tender texture, tosone is delicious enough on its own, but its full potential is unveiled when it is melted, tossed in a hot pan over saut&eacute;ed porcini, or wrapped in crispy pancetta and baked, drizzled with a few drops of another local delicacy known as aceto balsamico di Modena.

Tosone

Tostadas de salsa is a traditional dish originating from Guatemala. The dish consists of toasted tortillas topped with red salsa. The salsa is typically made with a combination of tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot peppers, oil, salt, and coriander. The ingredients are boiled, blended, then cooked a bit more with the seasoning mix until the salsa thickens. It is then spooned over the tostadas and served warm. The dish is traditionally served as a snack or appetizer, especially during festive events and holidays.

Tostadas mit Salsa

Switzerland

Totch&eacute; is a traditional dish originating from the Canton of Jura. This cake-like concoction is made with leavened dough that's covered with a combination of sour cream and eggs before it's baked in the oven. Totch&eacute; is usually served as an appetizer. Although it's eaten throughout the year, totch&eacute; is especially popular during local celebrations such as St. Martin's Day.

Totché

France

This hearty, meat-studded entr&eacute;e is often confused with p&acirc;t&eacute; Lorrain, another classic French meat pie. But unlike p&acirc;t&eacute; Lorrain, cream and egg custard is added to the filling of Tourte Lorraine. Apart from this, according to Larousse Gastronomique, one of the prime reference books on French cuisine, both are baked in pastry and include a chunky p&acirc;t&eacute; of pork and veal marinated in an aromatic bath of wine, shallots, cloves, and flavorful Herbes de Provence &ndash; a classic blend of dried thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, chervil, tarragon, lovage, savory, sage, bay leaf, and fennel. Best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, Tourte Lorraine is traditionally served as an appetizer with a side of green salad, and is typically paired with a chilled glass of wine. In Lorraine, it is also particularly popular among the working class as an early morning meal.