Hidden Gems: Lesser-Known Dishes Worth Discovering

The same handful of recipes get cooked again and again, while thousands of brilliant dishes sit quietly in the world's kitchens waiting to be found. Here are eight of our favourite under-the-radar recipes — each one genuinely worth a place in your week.

Sweet things you have not made

Start in the Netherlands with zeeuwse bolussen, sticky cinnamon-and-syrup coils from the province of Zeeland that are somewhere between a bun and a sweet pretzel. Then head to Morocco for cornes de gazelle — delicate, crescent-shaped pastries filled with orange-blossom almond paste. From Malaysia, apam balik is a thick, fluffy folded pancake stuffed with crushed peanuts and sweetcorn, sold from griddles on every street corner.

Savoury discoveries

Tunisia gives us kafteji, a riot of fried then chopped vegetables and eggs that is street food at its most satisfying. Egypt's feteer meshaltet is an extraordinary layered, paper-thin pastry — flaky, buttery and worth the effort at least once. From Slovakia, bryndzové halušky — soft potato dumplings with sheep's cheese and bacon — is the ultimate comfort food you have never tried.

Staples from further afield

Round things off with two everyday classics. Ugali, the East African cornmeal staple, is the simple, satisfying base that a thousand meals are built on. And haft mewa, the Afghan "seven fruits" compote of soaked dried fruits and nuts, is as refreshing as it is traditional.

The point

You do not need to travel to eat well from around the world — you just need to be a little curious. Pick one of these this week, and when you are hooked, dig into our recipe collections and world cuisines for more dishes off the beaten track.