Apéritif

Poland

Moczka is a traditional dish originating from Upper Silesia. This dish has so many versions that it's sometimes treated as a dessert and other times as an appetizer. The sweet soup is made with gingerbread that's soaked in dark beer, water, or stock alongside nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts and dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, apricots, figs, dates, or pears. Dark chocolate, butter, and flour are also sometimes added to the sweet soup. Moczka is traditionally prepared during the festive Christmas season and it can be served warm or cold.

Moczka

Moelas are a traditional Portuguese dish made from chicken gizzards, slow-cooked in a savory sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, white wine, and spices. The gizzards are first saut&eacute;ed with onions and garlic, then simmered in the tomato and wine sauce until tender. This process allows the gizzards to absorb the rich flavors, resulting in a dish that is both tender and slightly chewy. Hot chili peppers, typically piri-piri, and chouri&ccedil;o, a Portuguese pork sausage spiced with paprika, can also be included, depending on the recipe. Moelas are typically served either as an appetizer or a stew, in which case they are sprinkled with parsley before serving. Regarding sides, moelas are usually paired with toasted papo seco (Portuguese bread rolls), rice, or potatoes.

Moelas

Mojama is a Spanish delicacy consisting of cured, wind-dried tuna fillets. It is traditionally dried for at least three weeks until the fillets shrink and darken to a reddish-brown color. The meat is usually served as an appetizer or a snack, but it can also be added to salads or paired with anchovies, bread, and olives, although purists insist that only oil should be added to the fillets, as anything else takes away the distinctive flavors of mojama.

Mojama

Nepal

Momo dumplings were traditionally only filled with minced meat, but nowadays, the fillings have diversified to include vegetables, dairy, or a combination of both. They are native to Tibet and have been brought to the Kathmandu Valley by traveling Newar merchants, and thus Nepal, where they consider them as their own. Thanks to Tibetan diaspora, momos are also today hugely popular in India. Momo dumplings are typically steamed, but they can also be fried. They are usually shaped either into purses or into half-moons (other shapes also exist). The best-known varieties include buff momos made with water buffalo meat, sha momos made with beef or yak meat, and khasi momos with lamb or mutton filling, while both jhol momos and C-momos come served in a spicy, hot sauce. Other noted types of momo dumplings include open momos, tarkari momos that have a vegetable filling, potato-filled momos, and cheese-filled momos. These dumplings are very versatile and can be eaten either as a snack or an appetizer. However, they are typically served as a main course with a dipping sauce on the side.

Momo

Serbia

Moravska salata is a Serbian salad originating from Ni&scaron; and Leskovac. The salad is made with a combination of leeks, tomatoes, roasted peppers, hot peppers, garlic, salt, and oil. The vegetables are chopped, seasoned with salt, and drizzled with oil. The combination is then mixed well and refrigerated before serving. Moravska salata is especially popular during the hot summer months. It can be served as an appetizer, a side dish accompanying grilled meat, and sometimes even as a main dish served with a piece of hard cheese and bread (for dipping) on the side.

Salade Moravska

Portugal

Morcela com anan&aacute;s is a traditional dish originating from the Azores. It's made with a combination of morcela black pudding, olive oil, bread, salt, pepper, garlic, and pineapple slices. The bread is cut into pieces and toasted, then drizzled with olive oil. The morcela is cut into large pieces, grilled, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic before it's arranged on top of the pineapple slices. The dish is traditionally served as an appetizer, with toasted bread on the side.

Morcela à l'ananas

Moroccan cigars or sigarim is a traditional dish originating from Morocco, but it's especially popular in Israel. The dish consists of phyllo pastry that's filled with ground lamb (or beef), onions, garlic, and a variety of spices such as cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and nutmeg. Once filled, the phyllo pastry is rolled into an elongated shape reminiscent of a cigar. The rolls are then fried in oil until golden brown. Once prepared, Moroccan cigars are served as an appetizer, usually with a sumac-yogurt dip on the side. The dish is a staple at North African eateries called mizrahi, where it's often accompanied by mint tea.

Cigares marocains

Spain

Morteruelo is a Spanish p&acirc;t&eacute; originating from Cuenca. Although there are numerous varieties of this p&acirc;t&eacute;, in its basic form it typically consists of pork liver, various spices, and meats such as quail, partridge, and hare. The cooked pork liver is ground in a mortar, then combined in a pan with spices, other meats, bread crumbs, and either broth or milk. In local tapa bars, morteruelo is typically served in a clay pot with homemade bread on the side. It is recommended to pair the p&acirc;t&eacute; with a glass of robust red wine. Interestingly, in a small village called Villar del Humo, located in Cuenca, there is an annual competition for the best morteruelo, and it is usually held in the second week of August.

Morteruelo

Moukhbaza is a traditional dish originating from the east of Sudan. This unusual dish blends together two wildly different flavors &ndash; sweet and spicy. The dish is made with a combination of mashed ripe bananas, lemon juice, and hot peppers. The hot peppers are cut into tiny pieces and toasted in the oven. The bananas are mashed, mixed with a teaspoon of lemon juice, and topped with dried hot peppers. Alternatively, larger banana peppers can be cut in half lengthwise, baked, cooled, and stuffed with mashed bananas.

Moukhbaza

Moules farcies is a French dish in which mussels are stuffed and baked or grilled. The dish is prepared with mussels, butter, parsley, garlic, shallots, black pepper, nutmeg, and breadcrumbs. The butter is combined with garlic, shallots, nutmeg, and pepper. The mussels are steamed until opened, and the empty halves of the shells are discarded. The butter combination is spooned into each shell, and the mussels are then sprinkled with breadcrumbs before being baked or grilled until bubbling. For the best experience, moules farcies should be sprinkled with parsley before serving it with a crusty baguette on the side, which is used to mop up the melted butter mixture.

Moules farcies

This French classic combines duck liver, eggs, butter and milk into a creamy mixture that is infused with Port wine. The combination is vigorously mixed until it turns into a delicate, airy foam that is later cooked over a bain-marie bath. To preserve it, the mousse is topped with a thick layer of fat. Always served well chilled, mousse de foie de canard au Porto is mainly enjoyed as an appetizer accompanied by crispy, rustic bread, and it pairs best with light-bodied red wines or medium-bodied dry white wines.

Mousse de foie de canard au Porto

Mousse de foie gras is a French delicacy made with slices of saut&eacute;ed duck or goose foie gras that are processed into a smooth, light, and spreadable paste with ingredients such as softened butter, b&eacute;chamel sauce, or cr&egrave;me fraiche (a thick, slightly sour cream). This dish typically uses the cheaper (grade B or C) foie gras, and it is usually seasoned with salt and black pepper and flavored with the tart Pomme de Vie apple brandy, orange-flavored Grand Marnier, or port wine. A simple, yet elegant appetizer, foie gras mousse is incredibly versatile. It can be enjoyed as a canap&eacute; spread, on top of slices of soft brioche, toast, vol-au-vent puff pastries, or tart shells, but it can also be used as a garnish for salads or soups or as a filling for choux pastries.

Mousse de foie gras

Whether served on simple toast crackers, baguette slices, pumpernickel bread, or cucumber slices, the smoked salmon mousse is one of the most popular canap&eacute; topping choices. Made by adding either cream, ricotta, or sour cream into it, the mousse is seasoned only with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For a more visually appealing presentation, the mousse is often piped on the base.

Canapés à la mousse de saumon

Italy

Mouse di Bresaola is a quickly prepared, yet very delicious appetizer made with air-dried, salted beef charcuterie from Valtellina. Only a few ingredients are needed for this creamy treat, and the procedure is also very simple: coarsely chopped bresaola is blended with creamy cheese such as ricotta or mascarpone, flavored with olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, and grated lemon zest; finally, it is served spread over toasted bread.

Mousse de bresaola

Mozzarella milanese is a traditional dish that, despite its name, originates from Naples. The milanese part in the name of the dish refers to breadcrumbs. In order to prepare the dish, mozzarella is cut into slices, dusted with flour, dipped in beaten eggs, then rolled in breadcrumbs. It&rsquo;s fried in hot oil, then drained and served immediately. If desired, the breadcrumbs can be enriched with a bit of parsley and pepper. When served in Naples, the dish is sometimes accompanied by a bit of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, but marinara dipping sauce is absolutely forbidden.

Mozzarella milanaise

Mozzarella sticks are one of America's favorite cheesy snacks consisting of battered, breaded, and deep-fried pieces of mozzarella cheese. Although they are traditionally served as an appetizer with marinara sauce, these cheesy sticks can also be paired with plum sauce, honey mustard sauce, raspberry sauce, Ranch dressing, or barbecue sauce. Mozzarella sticks were not common before the late 1970s and the early 1980s, and some food experts believe that they were first served in sports bars and bowling alleys.

Bâtonnets de mozzarella

Mozzarelline fritte is a traditional appetizer. It's made by frying small bocconcini mozzarella di bufala. The cheese balls are coated with flour, dipped in egg wash, rolled in breadcrumbs, then fried in hot oil until golden. On the outside, there should be a crunchy golden crust, and on the interior the hot, melting, and milky cheese. For the perfect crust, it's necessary to drain the bocconcini well before frying. Mozzarelline fritte are always served hot, and it's recommended to accompany them with a tomato sauce for dipping.

Frites à la mozzarella

Australia

This Tasmanian specialty uses Tasmanian cherries and free-range pork, and it consists of small pastry tarts with a sweet and savory cherry-pork filling. Pieces of pork shoulder are first cooked in a small amount of water with finely sliced onions and then pulled into little meat shreds before they are combined with chopped pickled cherries and rocket leaves and seasoned with salt and pepper. The resulting mixture is typically spooned into tartlets, but it can also be tucked into a toasted French baguette for a change. This dish can be enjoyed as a starter, a side dish, or a light lunch, and it also makes for a great addition to the Christmas table.

Porc effiloché Mt Gnomon et cerises de Douvres

Syria

Muhammara is a nutritious dip originating from the Syrian city of Aleppo. It is made with a combination of roasted red peppers, olive oil, and ground walnuts. The peppers give the dish a particular sweetness and smoky flavor, while ground walnuts make it texturally exciting. Lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and salt are often added to the dish. Traditionally, it was prepared in a mortar, but modern techniques usually mechanically blend the ingredients, so its texture might vary from grainy to smooth. It is usually served individually in small bowls or in larger plates, when it is consumed communally. Freshly baked pita bread is the essential accompaniment to every muhammara dip - typically cut in triangles, pita is used as a utensil to scoop up this delightful spread. Muhammara is often a part of a mezze, served alongside baba ganoush, labneh, or hummus, but it is also often used as a dip for raw vegetables or a sauce accompanying grilled meat and fish dishes.

Mouhammara

Mujeon is a traditional dish originating from South Korea. This type of jeon (pan-fried battered food) is made with radish as the main ingredient. The radish is thinly sliced, cooked in vegetable stock, and each piece is cut in half. The slices are sprinkled with salt, dipped in batter consisting of flour, salt, and stock, and then fried in hot oil in a skillet until both sides are golden brown. Once fully cooked, mujeon is served while still hot, ideally with rice or soy-vinegar dipping sauce on the side.