El Salvador’s national dish is so wildly popular, it has its own day of celebration. Pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread that’s traditionally made with cornmeal or rice flour and stuffed with all kinds of delicious ingredients, from cheese to refried beans and chicharrón (fried pork belly). Crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside, it's utterly moreish and readily available from street stalls, carts and restaurants all over El Salvador. You’ll usually find them served with curtido (a pickled cabbage slaw) and salsa to cut through the richness.

The unofficial national dish of Malaysia, nasi lemak can be found everywhere in the country, from upscale restaurants to street food sellers. It consists of rice cooked in coconut milk until fluffy and creamy, often with aromatics such as pandan leaves, bay leaves, lemongrass, ginger and garlic. On the side, you’ll find all kinds of savoury, salty and spicy accompaniments, from crispy fried anchovies and fiery sambal to roasted peanuts and deep-fried fish or chicken wings.

These thin and crispy pancakes are one of the world’s tastiest breakfast dishes, popular all over Sri Lanka and beyond. Hoppers are named for the pan that gives them their form, and consist of a paper-thin, crêpe-like bowl made from rice batter and coconut milk. While there are several styles, including sweet varieties, they’re most commonly made with an egg delicately cradled inside the batter, served with tasty toppings such as spicy chutney, zesty sambals or creamy dahl.

One of the defining characteristics of adobo – a marinated meat dish that’s utterly adored across Filipino society – is its versatility. While the base ingredients of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and spices remain constant, there are countless variations throughout the country, with each region (and individual family) putting its own twist on the dish. Adobo is traditionally made with chicken, pork or beef, but some variations also include coconut milk, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs or seafood.

Singapore’s wildly popular national dish is a riff on traditional Hainanese chicken rice from southern China, but has developed its own unique flavour profile and presentation. An ubiquitous sight in hawker centres across Singapore, this simple but sublime comfort food consists of chicken poached at a low temperature to ensure it remains tender and juicy. It’s served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth and aromatics, and is typically accompanied with a trio of condiments: chilli sauce, ginger paste and dark soy sauce.

A meaty rice dish, plov comes in more than 60 varieties and is one of Uzbek cuisine's most beloved staples. These days, it's usually made by layering up a base of eggs, flour, butter and yogurt with steamed long grain rice, then adding toppings like meat, dried fruit, fresh herbs, fish, vegetables and spices. However, in its most basic form, plov is simply rice with onions, carrots and a meat like mutton or lamb – and its history can be traced back more than 1,000 years.

Mole, pronounced ‘moh-lay’, is a rich and complex sauce that’s an integral part of Mexican cuisine. It has a deep cultural significance and is often served during special occasions and celebrations. Mole is characterised by its thick consistency and the intricate blend of ingredients used to make it, including various chillies, spices, nuts, seeds, fruits and (sometimes) chocolate. There are many different regional varieties, including dark and spicy mole Poblano and mole Negro, which is particularly rich and smoky. The sauce is fabulous with all kinds of meat and poultry, as well as in enchiladas, burritos and tacos.