Grains

Also known as Spanish rice, arroz a la mexicana is one of the most popular ways to prepare rice in Mexico and the American Southwest. The tomatoes give it a rich, ruddy hue and a deep, rounded flavor. Read more »

Arroz con pato is the tasty Peruvian version of the chicken and rice dish arroz con pollo that is found in many Latin cuisines. In Peru, duck is preferred and cilantro and dark beer are essential to the earthy taste of the dish. Read more »

Arroz con pollo, or "rice with chicken," originated in the Andalusia region of Spain. It shares similarities with several West African dishes such as jollof rice, and may in fact have origins there. The Spanish version as was introduced to the New World colonies, and arroz con pollo is very popular in the Caribbean, especially in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Read more »

Coo-coo, or cou-cou, is one half of "coo-coo and flying fish," the Bajan national dish. This cornmeal porridge is similar to Italy's polenta or Africa's fufu and ugali. Okra goes by the name "ochro" on Barbados. Read more »

If there is one meal that everyone in Nicaragua and Costa Rica eats, it's gallo pinto. This hearty, healthy and filling dish is your basic rice and beans. The beans in this case are red, and the color of the beans on the rice gives gallo pinto, or "painted rooster," its name. Costa Ricans especially are fond of serving gallo pinto with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Read more »

Geelrys is one of many South African dishes with roots in the Dutch East Indies. This gaily yellow side dish is the traditional accompaniment to bobotie. Read more »

Hoppin' John is an old Southern dish, especially popular in South Carolina. No one really knows how it came by its name, but its culinary roots seem to stretch back to Africa. It is traditionally eaten as part of a New Year's Day meal, as black-eyed peas supposedly bring good luck. For maximum luck eat Hoppin' John immediately after midnight along with a side of greens. Read more »

Jollof rice probably originated from rice dishes eaten by the Wolof people of Senegal and Gambia, but its popularity has spread to most of West Africa, especially Nigeria and Ghana. Based on rice, tomatoes and usually meat or fish, it is believed by some to be the origin of Cajun jambalaya. The Gambian version is called benachin. Also spelled jolof or djolof rice. Read more »

Kalam polo is a hearty, filling pilaf scented with cinnamon and saffron. Sometimes spelled kalam polow, or kalam pollo. Kalam is Farsi for cabbage. Read more »

Although kasha is a word used to describe a wide variety of grain porridges in Russia, it has come to be most closely linked to this particular buckwheat (gretchka) dish. Kasha is a nutritious and excellent substitute for rice, especially when paired with beef or lamb. Read more »

Kushari is a simple yet healthful dish of pasta, rice and lentils widely sold in small Egyptian restaurants and roadside stands. With its full complement of protein, a spicy topping of tomato sauce and crispy fried onions, kushari is often considered the Egyptian national dish. It was originally a poor man's dish, but nowadays kushari is enjoyed by all strata of society. Variously spelled koshari, kosheri, koushari or koshary. Read more »

Maki sushi is what most people think of when they hear the word "sushi"—filled rice rolls wrapped in nori seaweed. Many types of maki sushi are vegetarian. When making sushi with raw fish or seafood, it is important to use the freshest, highest grade you can find, often helpfully labeled "sushi-grade." Although you will often see it spelled "maki sushi" or "makisushi," the correct spelling is actually "makizushi." Read more »

Maqluba (مقلوبة) is Arabic for "upside-down," which is how this popular Palestinian dish of rice, eggplant and meat is served. Read more »

Moros y cristianos is Spanish for "Moors and Christians," and it refers to the dark black beans against the whiteness of the rice. The combination of rice and beans is a popular one throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Congrí, or congrí oriental, is a variation using red beans that is popular in eastern Cuba. It shows the influence of nearby Haiti, where it is known as riz et pois, or diri ak pwa in French Creole dialect. Read more »

Muesli, or müsli, is a breakfast cereal developed at the turn of 20th century by the Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner, a Swiss nutritionist. He introduced a dish of raw grains, nut, milk, cream and honey for the patients at his sanitorium The original recipe, called Birchermüsli, is widely popular in Europe and has since spread around the world. Variations on the basic theme are endless. Read more »

At once both rustic and elegant, this exquisite rice dish originated in the Valencia region of Spain and is typically made outdoors in large, shallow pan called a paella, or paellera. Making paella is a man's activity in Spain. A fire of orange and pine wood is built, and the paella is cooked over the fragrant flames. Paella valenciana is the most famous version. Optional additions to paella Valenciana are rabbit and snails. Other versions include paella de mariscos (seafood) and paella mixta (mixed). Read more »

Pulaos form a wide variety of spiced rice dishes in India. It is a method of cooking rice that was adopted from the Persians with their rice polows. The style of first sautéing and then boiling rice is also known as the pilaf, or pilav, method. Pulao is also popular in East Africa given past Indian immigration to the area. Read more »

Rice and peas, as kidney beans are called in Jamaica, follows the Caribbean and Central American tradition of bean and rice dishes. Jamaicans give their version a rich, tropical flavor with the addition of coconut milk. Read more »

Contrary to the belief of many, the word "sushi" actually refers to the seasoned rice itself, not the rolls and such made with it. It serves as the base for chirashi, inari, maki, nigiri, oshi and temaki zushi. Read more »

Tah chin — also spelled tah-chin or tacheen — is a dramatic Persian rice dish. Partly cooked rice is flavored with saffron, yogurt and egg yolks and then layered in a dish with chicken or lamb. The whole dish is baked and then turned out onto a platter, forming a mound of deliciousness with a golden, crispy crust. Read more »

Tamales de elote are a favorite breakfast food in Mexico and throughout Central America. In El Salvador and Guatemala they are often served as the starchy portion of a meal. The fresh elote, or corn, used in Central America has a higher starch content than that in the United States, but the addition of masa harina in this recipe produces a very good approximation of the original. Read more »

Known as ugali in Kenya and Tanzania, this starchy, porridge-like side dish goes by different names in sub-Saharan Africa. In Malawi and Zambia it is called nsima or nshima. The South African name for it is pap or mealie pap. Zimbabweans call it sadza. Read more »

Wild rice is not a true rice, rather a type of grass seed that grows wild in the upper midwestern section of the United States and central Canada. Native Americans would harvest the grains from lakes and streams where the aquatic grass grew. Wild rice pilaf is the perfect accompaniment to duck, goose, and game meats. It is also an ideal addition to a Thanksgiving meal. Read more »