Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel) 📍 Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹 Learn the... authentic recipe: Dating back to 1847, Gerstner is one of Vienna’s most famous Imperial and Royal Warrant holders, renowned for crafting one of the city's finest traditional Apfelstrudeln. This iconic Austrian dessert features paper-thin, hand-stretched pastry wrapped around a spiced filling of sweet-tart apples, raisins, rum, toasted breadcrumbs, cinnamon, and sugar. Served warm and dusted with powdered sugar—often accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream or warm vanilla sauce—it remains a timeless cornerstone of Viennese coffeehouse culture. Video: @natalieviennashow more

Katmer 📍Turkey 🇹🇷 Katmer is a traditional Turkish pastry... that dates back centuries, especially beloved in Gaziantep, where it’s considered a breakfast delicacy and a celebratory treat. Made with ultra-thin sheets of dough, katmer is typically folded with a filling of crushed pistachios, clotted cream (kaymak), and a touch of sugar, then cooked until golden and crispy. The result is a rich, flaky pastry with a perfect balance of nutty, creamy, and buttery flavors. While pistachios are the classic choice, regional and modern twists have given rise to equally delicious variations—like katmer filled with hazelnuts, particularly popular in Turkey’s Black Sea region, where hazelnuts are abundant. The hazelnut version brings a deeper, toastier flavor to the dish and pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the cream and sugar. Whether made with pistachios or hazelnuts, katmer is more than a dessert—it’s a symbol of hospitality, celebration, and Turkey’s rich pastry tradition. Video: @neysekeyashow more

Krumpiruša 📍Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 Discover the best... savory pastries in Bosnia and Herzegovina: This variety of traditional Bosnian pastry (pita) employs potatoes as the star ingredient. The pastry is prepared with thin sheets of phyllo dough, known as jufke, and a filling that combines diced potatoes, seasonings, and (optionally) grated onions. The rolled dough is shaped into a coil, and the whole pastry is occasionally coated with sour cream or sprinkled with water, oil, or milk. Krumpiruša is traditionally shaped into a large, round pie-like pastry, and it is best served freshly prepared with yogurt, sour cream, or sour milk on the side. Video: @pitashoptravnikshow more

Bal Kaymak at Maruf Kahvalti Kaymak is Turkey’s "liquid... gold," a decadent, clotted cream crafted by simmering unpasteurized milk for hours until a thick, velvety golden crust forms on the surface. This iconic top layer acts as a concentrated reservoir of pure milk fats and natural sweetness, offering a texture so rich and supple that it yields to a knife like softened cultured butter. ​When sliced and rolled, it reveals a cloud-like interior that sits perfectly between the airiness of whipped cream and the density of Italian mascarpone. It is the undisputed crown jewel of a Turkish breakfast, traditionally drowned in aromatic wildflower honey and spread over warm, crusty bread to create a sensory explosion of salt, fat, and sugar.show more

Basque cheesecake 📍San Sebastián, Spain 🇪🇸 Learn the authentic... recipe: Known simply as tarta de queso or gazta tarta in its native Basque, this simple yet incredibly creamy cheesecake variation is a decades-old local specialty of the La Viña Bar in San Sebastián. The recipe is a simple combination of classic cheesecake ingredients such as sugar, heavy cream, eggs, and cream cheese, but unlike its more popular counterparts, this Basque version does not have any crust. Video. @klara_cheesecakeshow more

Kazandibi 📍Turkiye 🇹🇷 Learn more: Kazandibi is a beloved... traditional Turkish dessert whose name translates literally to "bottom of the cauldron." Dating back to the Ottoman Empire, this unique milk pudding was originally created when the sweet treat tavukgöğsü (a chicken breast pudding) was intentionally left to burn slightly at the bottom of the cooking pot. Today, it stands on its own as a celebrated classic found in pudding shops across Istanbul and throughout Turkey. Served chilled, kazandibi is instantly recognizable by its dark, almost blackened exterior, which contrasts beautifully with its soft, milky-white interior. This creates a delightful balance of sweet, creamy, and gently smoky, bitter-caramel flavors. Video: @nerili_tatlarshow more

Zeljanica 📍 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 ⭐ 4.3 💯... #18 best savory pastry in the world Discover the best savory pastries in Bosnia and Herzegovina: This savory Bosnian pie (pita) consists of thinly rolled phyllo dough that is filled with a combination of blanched spinach, fresh cow cheese, cream, and eggs. The dough is rolled into a thin sheet called jufka, which is then sprinkled with the filling and shaped into a coil. video: @pitashoptravnikshow more

Porchetta at Porchetta D'Alterio 📍Italy 🇮🇹 Taste Porchetta: Porchetta... is a traditional, moist, boneless pork roast prepared all over Italy. This rustic dish is made by carefully deboning a piglet or a fully grown pig, flavoring it generously with salt, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds or some other aromatic herbs and filling it with the stuffing, which changes depending on the region - it can be the liver, fat or pieces of skin and meat, also flavored with salt and spices. The meat is then rolled up, spitted and slowly roasted over a wood fire. When finished, it is sliced very thinly and served warm or cold with some bread.show more

Balkar Khychyn 📍 Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia 🇷🇺 Taste Russia: Khychyn... is a traditional flatbread originating from the Balkar people of the North Caucasus region. Made from a simple wheat dough, it is stuffed with a filling of boiled potatoes and local fresh cheese, then rolled out paper-thin. After a quick cook on a hot dry skillet, each flatbread is generously brushed with melted butter as it comes off the heat, stacking them high into a tender, rich layer cake of savory flatbreads. Video by @kafe_balkaria5642show more

Frozen Custard by Nielsen's Frozen Custard, Las Vegas 📍... USA 🇺🇸 🏆 The Highest-Rated Custard Dessert Explore more: When most people think of world-class custard desserts, classic European icons like French crème brûlée, Spanish flan, or English custard usually come to mind. However, taking the crown as the highest-rated custard dessert on TasteAtlas is a beloved American innovation: Frozen Custard. What makes frozen custard superior to standard ice cream—and so highly celebrated by food lovers—is its unique recipe and physics. Traditional frozen custard must include a specific percentage of egg yolk in its fresh cream base. It is then processed through specialized, slow-turning machinery that runs continuously. This slow churning introduces almost no air into the mixture, creating an incredibly dense, velvety texture that is far richer and smoother than regular ice cream. In its most famous modern form, shown here, it is served as a "concrete." The custard is blended so thoroughly with heavy mix-ins—like an entire actual slice of homemade apple pie with caramel sauce, or salted pecans with salted caramel syrup—that it becomes a completely solid, ultra-thick masterpiece. Its ability to hold massive flavors while keeping its signature silkiness is exactly why it beats out the competition to sit at the very top of the global custard rankings.show more

Lapis legit 📍Indonesia 🇮🇩 ⭐ 4.0 Learn more: Lapis... legit is a traditional layered cake originating from Indonesia, where it's been made under the influence of Dutch cuisine. The cake consists of 18 to 30 separately baked layers of egg yolks, sugar, flour, butter, and spices such as mace, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. It's essentially the Indonesian version of the European spit cake – however, it's not baked on a rotating spit, but in square-shaped baking pans. It's important not to confuse this cake with kuih lapis (or kue lapis), because lapis legit is baked and not steamed as kue lapis. Video: @rozmasuhardi @amyandcake Amy Baking Studio.idshow more

Best Bread in the World for 2025: Pan de... bono, Colombia 🇨🇴 Check the entire list: TasteAtlas crowned pan de bono as the best bread in the world among 505 cataloged breads, based on 15,870 ratings. Pan de bono is a traditional Colombian bread consisting of cassava starch, cornmeal or corn flour, queso fresco, eggs, and sugar. The bread is shaped into bagels or balls that are slightly larger than golf balls. Pan de bono is similar to other South American cheese breads like pan de queso, difference being added conr flour or cornmeal, and a hint of sweeteness due to the addition of sugar. It is usually served warm with a cup of hot chocolate on the side. Some claim that the name pan de bono was created after an Italian baker in Cali who used to yell pane del buono (good bread), while others say that it is named after a place called Hacienda El Bono, where it was first made. Video: ELEAGUE_has_moved.cafetinshow more

Pane Carasau 📍Sardinia, Italy 🇮🇹 Taste Sardinia: This paper-thin,... crispy flatbread is one of Sardinia’s most iconic staples, originally created for shepherds who needed a durable bread that could last for months during long journeys across the island. The tradition behind it is deeply rooted in Sardinian village life, where women would gather around communal wood-fired ovens at 3 AM in a sacred baking ritual known as sa kotiura. The magic happens during the double-baking process: the dough puffs up like a balloon in the extreme heat, and it is quickly split into two separate sheets before being toasted a second time to achieve its signature, glass-like crunch, earning it the nickname carta da musica (music paper) across Italy. While it is commonly served today as a simple table starter alongside olive oil, pecorino cheese, or cured meats, pane carasau serves as the foundation for several traditional Sardinian dishes. Brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, and lightly toasted again, it becomes pane Guttiau, a savory and addictive snack. For a more comforting meal, the crispy sheets can be briefly dipped in boiling lamb broth, layered with tomato sauce and grated pecorino, and topped with a poached egg to create pane Frattau. Alternatively, when lightly dampened with water, the sheets become flexible enough to fold around fresh cheese or roasted meats, functioning as a rustic wrap. Credits: @viarosaitalyshow more

Şırdan 📍Adana, Turkiye 🇹🇷 Explore More: A well-known specialty... from southern Turkiye, made by filling the lower part of a lamb’s stomach with rice, spices, and small pieces of offal. The rolls are tied, slowly cooked in a rich broth, and served steaming hot with a mild chili oil on top. It’s one of Adana’s signature late-night dishes and a key part of its sakatat tradition. Credits: endermutfaktashow more

Costela recheada 📍Brazil 🇧🇷 Costela recheada is a traditional... Brazilian dish made by stuffing a large beef rib (costela) with a savory filling—often including sausage, bacon, cheese, onions, and herbs. The rib is then wrapped and slow-roasted or smoked until it becomes tender and flavorful. When sliced, the rich, juicy meat reveals the melted, aromatic stuffing inside. It’s a popular centerpiece at barbecues and family gatherings in Brazil. Video: @churrascolenhadoresshow more

A Traditional Iraqi Delicacy: Honey and Mixed Nuts 🇮🇶... Taste Iraq: In Iraqi cuisine, the combination of honey and mixed nuts is a cherished culinary tradition symbolizing health and prosperity. This nutrient-rich blend often features raw cashews, almonds, and pistachios, and is commonly enjoyed as a standalone snack, a breakfast topping for yogurt or breads, or gifted in jars. Video: Kajo Baghdad shopshow more

Best Dessert in the World for 2026: Antakya Künefesi,... Türkiye 🇹🇷 Full list: Based on 97,422 valid ratings for 2,274 desserts in our database, Antakya künefesi achieved an average score of 4.51, ranking as the Best Dessert in the World for 2026. Antakya künefesi is made with finely shredded dough filled with soft, stretchy cheese and cooked in butter until the exterior turns crisp and golden. Once removed from the heat, it is finished with a warm syrup that contrasts the crunchy surface with the melted cheese inside. Prepared in copper trays and served piping hot, this dessert is closely tied to the culinary traditions of Antakya, where it has been enjoyed for generations. Credits: @asfurkunefemersinshow more

Mey-e Shahd (Persian Honeyed Wine) 📍 Iran 🇮🇷 Taste... Iran: Long before modern winemaking, the ancient tradition of fermenting grape juice in sealed earthenware jars was widely practiced across Persia. Known historically as Mey-e Shahd, this traditional spiced honey wine combines crushed grapes with honeycomb, liquid honey, and cinnamon sticks. The honey provides extra natural sugars to boost fermentation, while spices historically served as both natural preservatives and flavor enhancers. The clay jar is hermetically sealed with wet mud to block oxygen during the aging process. Once broken open, it reveals a rich, sweet, and highly aromatic beverage served straight from clay pottery. Video: Arad.natureshow more

Pepper drying 📍Gaziantep, Turkiye Taste Gaziantep: Every summer, the... streets, rooftops, courtyards, and balconies of Gaziantep, Türkiye, turn into a sea of vibrant red as thousands of peppers are spread out to dry under the blazing sun. This centuries-old tradition is one of the city's most iconic seasonal sights and an essential part of its rich culinary heritage. The peppers, locally known as Antep biberi, are harvested at peak ripeness during the hottest months of the year. They are carefully washed and laid out on rooftops, terraces, and large sheets covering streets and open spaces, where the intense summer sun naturally dries them over several days. This traditional process concentrates their sweetness, deepens their color, and enhances their characteristic smoky, fruity flavor with a gentle heat. Once fully dried, the peppers are transformed into flakes or ground into the famous red pepper used throughout Gaziantep cuisine. They are indispensable in local specialties, from kebabs and lahmacun to soups, stews, and countless meze, giving dishes their distinctive color and complex flavor. Video: Fatih Yılmazshow more