Gachas is an ancient, traditional Spanish dish consisting of a few basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, olive oil, and garlic. In the past, it was a staple dish among shepherds and farmers, but today it is popular throughout the country. Its texture can vary from soup-like to pie-thick with a golden-brown crust, depending on the method of preparation. The dish is served warm, and some cooks like to add saffron, paprika, or fried onions in order to improve the flavors.

Gachas

Georgia

Ghomi is een traditioneel gerecht uit Georgië dat bestaat uit grof en fijn maïsmeel gecombineerd met water. Als de stukjes kaas zoals sulguni in de hete pap worden gelegd om te smelten voor consumptie, wordt het gerecht elarji genoemd. Ghomi wordt vaak geserveerd met verschillende sauzen aan de zijkant, zoals tkemali of bazhe.

Ghomi

Griķi, waarvan men denkt dat het van de term voor een Grieks persoon komt, is de Letse naam voor het pseudograan dat bekendstaat als boekweit. Griķi is een van de basisingrediënten van de traditionele Letse keuken en is ook de naam van dit eenvoudige gerecht dat bestaat uit boekweitgrutten die in water met boter en zout zijn gekookt voordat ze op zichzelf of als bijgerecht bij verschillende Letse specialiteiten worden gegeten. Gekookte boekweit wordt meestal gegeten met boter of zure room en salades, en het gaat meestal samen met romige vleessauzen of vleesspecialiteiten zoals karbonāde (varkensschnitzel) en karbonāde ar kaulu (varkenskoteletten).

Griķi

Grutjespap is a Dutch porridge made with buckwheat, milk, and salt. The combination of those ingredients is boiled until it thickens, and grutjespap is ready to be served, preferably warm and with a bit of stroop on the side to make it sweeter.

Grutjespap

Harapash is one of Albania's national dishes, made with a combination of cornflour, butter (traditionally goat butter), olive oil, milk, and cottage cheese. The mixture is blended by hand and boiled until it reaches the preferred texture. The most popular way of serving the dish is to have it as a side dish accompanying lamb offal, but it can also be plated in a thin layer and eaten on its own, sprinkled with cottage cheese.

Harapash

A staple during the month of Ramadan in numerous Middle Eastern countries is a plate of jareesh, a satisfying meal which combines coarse wheat and meat. This centuries-old dish probably originated in Saudi Arabia, but has since spread throughout the entire Middle East and India. Numerous countries in the area have created their unique varieties, employing authentic ingredients and giving the dish local names. In Middle Eastern countries, harees is usually prepared with coarse ground wheat which is mixed with water, butter, and meat, then left to soak overnight. Any excess liquid is drained, and all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed to create a homogenous and slightly elastic mixture that looks like a thick porridge. Chicken and lamb are the most common meat varieties employed in harees, but some regional variations also include mutton. The spices used in the preparation are also regionally influenced: cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin are commonly employed in Arabian countries, garlic and olive oil are usually found in Lebanon, while chili and turmeric are used in Indian variations.

Hareesh

Considered the national dish of Armenia, harissa is a thick porridge made by slowly simmering korkot (dried or roasted cracked wheat) together with fatty pieces of lamb or chicken meat. Said to have been invented in the Ararat plains, the origins of the dish can be traced back to ancient times, as well as to Gregory the Illuminator, the patron saint of Armenia, who would offer it as a charity meal. Even to this day, harissa is considered a charity meal, and is traditionally prepared each year for Easter, as well as to commemorate the Musa Ler resistance during the Armenian genocide of 1915. When it comes to the method of preparing, there are two diverging opinions; one claims it is forbidden to stir harissa until it is cooked all the way, while the other insists it should be stirred as soon as the wheat is half-cooked. The finished meal is served in bowls, topped with butter, and paired with a side of pickled vegetables and lavash flatbread.

Harissa

Heukimjajuk is a traditional porridge originating from South Korea. The porridge is usually made with a combination of ground black sesame seeds, sweet rice flour, and salt. The black sesame seeds are toasted and blended with water into a smooth mixture, and then mixed with sweet rice flour. The porridge is simmered over medium heat until it becomes slightly thin and shiny. Once done, it's seasoned with salt to taste. Heukimjajuk is often garnished with pumpkin seeds or pine nuts before it's served warm.

Heukimjajuk

Dikgobe is een gerecht uit Botswana, Zuid-Afrika en Lesotho, bestaande uit een combinatie van erwten, bonen en samp, wat bewerkte maïs is, waardoor het gerecht een pap-achtige consistentie krijgt. De ingrediënten worden gekookt in een kleine hoeveelheid vet of olie, terwijl zout wordt gebruikt als smaakmaker. Hoewel het op zichzelf kan worden gegeten, wordt dikgobe meestal geserveerd als lunch als bijgerecht bij vleesgerechten, en het wordt aanbevolen om het te combineren met een glas verse melk.

Izinkobe

Jatjuk is a traditional porridge originating from South Korea. The porridge is usually made with a combination of ground pine nuts, ground white rice, salt, and water. Finely ground pine nuts and ground rice are cooked in water and slowly simmered until the consistency of the porridge becomes slightly thick. This mild porridge is typically seasoned only with salt and garnished with whole or crushed pine nuts. Due to the fact that it's easily digestible, jatjuk is often served to the elderly and recovering patients.

Jatjuk

The fundamental dish of Russian cuisine is known as kasha, a porridge that has represented an essential Russian meal for centuries. Russian kasha refers to various dishes which are created with cereals, most commonly rice, wheat, or millet, and pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa. The dish is usually boiled in water and milk, and ranges from sweet to savory in flavor. It can be modified by numerous additions such as fresh or dried fruit, preserves, cheese, butter, vegetables, nuts, or honey. In the past, the porridge was traditionally prepared in cast iron pots and slowly baked in the oven during the night. This authentic Russian dish holds a strong symbolic meaning&ndash;it is the first solid meal served to children, and is typically served during funerals, thus symbolizing the circle of life. Varieties of the dish, prepared with different cereals, are often found in other Slavic countries such as Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus.

Kasha

A very old and traditional Polish dish called kasza gryczana ze skwarkami is a buckwheat porridge topped with cracklings. It consists of buckwheat groats cooked in salted boiling water, which are combined with fried bits of bacon, and sometimes fried sausage bits, onions, and garlic cloves. To preserve its warmth, people used pillows or small duvets to cover the dish, which is usually garnished with chopped parsley and accompanied by a glass of kefir or buttermilk. It pairs well with a variety of dishes, including sauces, casserole dishes, and meat dishes such as goulash. In Poland, kasza dishes, which consist of grains or seeds cooked in water or milk, are an essential part of Polish cuisine, dating back to medieval times.

Kasza gryczana ze skwarkami

Kat-kat banana is a traditional specialty that features green bananas and fish cooked in coconut milk. It is usually prepared with plantains, which are first boiled with fresh coconut milk, then mashed and combined with cooked, shredded fish fillets, usually carangue or amberjack. The banana-fish mixture is usually flavored with ginger and garlic. This dish is part of Seychelles&rsquo; Creole cuisine and is typically accompanied by chili peppers and rice.

Kat-kat banana

In Japan is kayu of okayu rijstpap het equivalent van kippensoep in tijden van ziekte, een veelgebruikt middel tegen verkoudheid en koorts. Het is een eenvoudig gerecht dat bestaat uit gemakkelijk verteerbare zachte rijst en water. De rijst wordt vaak gekookt in dashi-bouillon of miso om de smaken van de pap te versterken. Vanwege de zachte en milde smaken wordt kayu soms gegeten bij het ontbijt en sommige hotelrestaurants serveren het zelfs als onderdeel van ontbijtbuffetten. Omdat er een veel grotere verhouding water tot rijst in het gerecht zit, wordt het vaak gebruikt als afslankdieetvoedsel.

Kinteata is een traditioneel Grieks gerecht dat vaak wordt beschreven als pap of soep. Het wordt bereid met jonge brandnetels die worden gekookt, gepureerd en vervolgens gemengd met tarwe- of maïsmeel totdat het gerecht een dikke en romige textuur krijgt. Kinteata wordt vaak gekruid met knoflook of munt en wordt traditioneel geserveerd met olijfolie. Er wordt aangenomen dat de Grieken uit Pontiac de eersten waren die brandnetels en kinteata introduceerden in de traditionele Griekse keuken.

Kinteata

Koliva is a traditional dish consisting of a combination of any of the following ingredients: boiled wheat kernels, honey, sugar, sesame seeds, walnuts, raisins, anise, almonds, and pomegranate seeds. In the Orthodox Christian religion, it is used as a ritual dish that is prepared for funerals, memorials, Lent, Slava, or Christmas, since it symbolizes death and resurrection. This unique porridge is traditionally served with powdered sugar on top, while it is customary to stick a candle in the center and light it at the beginning of the service, then extinguish it at the end.

Koliva

Madrooba ribyan is een traditioneel gerecht met garnalen uit de Golf, dat vooral populair is in landen als Saoedi-Arabië. De term "madrooba" verwijst naar een dikke, papachtige stoofpot die wordt gemaakt door granen zoals tarwe of rijst te koken met vlees, kip of zeevruchten tot het mengsel zacht en romig wordt. In dit geval geeft "ribyan" aan dat garnalen het hoofdingrediënt zijn. Om madrooba ribyan te bereiden, worden garnalen gekookt met een mengsel van uien en knoflook, met kruiden zoals bahārāt. De granen worden aan de pot toegevoegd en gekookt met de garnalen tot ze zacht en papperig worden, wat resulteert in een hartig, smaakvol gerecht. Dit gerecht wordt vaak geserveerd als een troostmaaltijd tijdens de koelere maanden of als een speciaal gerecht tijdens de Ramadan en andere feestelijke gelegenheden, en belichaamt de rijke culinaire tradities van de Golfregio.


Madrooba ribyan

Madrouba is a spicy and comforting Omani and Qatari porridge made with chicken, overcooked rice, and a plethora of flavorings such as turmeric, cumin, cardamom, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, and black pepper. Variations do exist, though, as there is no fixed recipe. One of the more common is madrouba made with wheat and not rice. It is recommended to serve madrouba while it is still piping hot, preferably garnished with fresh lime zest.

Madrouba

Mămăligă is a traditional porridge and the country's national dish that is often confused with polenta. It is an extremely simple dish of boiled cornmeal that was cooked mostly by peasants in the past, often acting as a substitute for bread. They would prepare it in a round-bottomed kettle known as ceaun, and after it cooled down and hardened, the porridge would get sliced with a piece of string. Mămăligă is often topped with butter, sour cream, or cascaval cheese. Another way of serving the dish includes crushing the porridge in a bowl of hot milk. In the last few decades, this simple and rural meal evolved into something bigger, so today it can also be found in modern, upscale restaurants. The dish is also very popular in Moldova.

Mămăligă

Italy

Matuffi is an old peasant dish originating from Tuscany. It's especially popular around Lucca. This robust and hearty dish is essentially layered polenta with mushrooms and sausages. It's made with olive oil, carrots, celery, onions, lean sausages, red wine, mushrooms, tomatoes, cornmeal, and grated cheese. Bay leaves are traditionally used to flavor the sauce made with vegetables, wine, crushed sausages, tomatoes, and mushrooms. When the polenta has been cooked, it's placed in serving bowls with alternating layers of the polenta and the sauce, with the addition of grated cheese in between. It's recommended to eat the dish with a spoon and follow it up with a glass of full-bodied red wine.

Pap