One of the best ways to learn about a country and its culture is through its cuisine. Here are eight foods you should try while abroad. If they’ve left you salivating, we’ve included where you can find them closer to home.

1. Asado (Argentina)

Beef, pork, chicken and chorizo cooked on a wood-fired grill called a parilla – sounds like a meat lover’s paradise. But this isn’t any old barbecue. It’s a social and community event that’s taken seriously by all involved.

A person is assigned asador or parillero and is responsible for barbecuing – an honour for only a select few – and they’re tasked with stoking the fire and then cooking each piece of meat to perfection. Beef ribs, chorizo and morcillo (a type of blood sausage) are cooked on the grill providing diners with a juicy, smoky-flavoured piece of meat. As they say in Argentina, delicioso.

Try it in Adelaide at:  Sosta Argentinian Kitchen, Rundle Street

2. Banh Mi (Vietnam)

This sandwich is Vietnamese and French food all rolled into one. A crusty short baguette is smeared with pate and filled with a variety of savoury ingredients like roast pork, pickled vegetables, chicken, coriander and chilli. One bite of this roll and you’ll be met with an explosion of salty, sweet and spicy.

Try it in Adelaide at: Nammi Vietnamese, Marleston

3. Char kway teow (Malaysia)

From the streets of Malaysia comes a rice noodle dish with big bold flavours, contrasting textures and a hint of smokiness. Prawns, lup chong (Chinese sausage), fish cakes and sometimes pork crackling are fried in a wok with rice noodles and an array of sauces.

The hint of char and smokiness in a good quality char kway teow are created by the flame and wok, while the kecap manis sauce offers sweetness. While you’re in Malaysia, look for street vendors or hawker stalls that serve this popular noodle dish.

Try it in Adelaide at: NanYang Café, Renaissance Arcade

4. Fish and chips (England)

Fish and chips are an English classic usually served with a side of mushie peas, wedge of lemon and splash of malt vinegar.

The batter is thick and crispy to steam the encased fish, while the chips are golden and chunky.

Cod, pollock or haddock are commonly used in English fish and chips. They’re dipped in a batter made from flour and beer and fried until crispy.

Try it in Adelaide at: Sotos, Semaphore

5. Ceviche (Peru)

This Peruvian dish, which was arguably eaten in some form during the ancient Incan period, is created with raw white seawater fish like seabass that is cured with lime juice, chilli and onion.

The refreshing acidic dish is sometimes served with sweet potato, plantains and corn. Ceviche is so popular in Peru that it even has a national holiday in its honour.

Try it in Adelaide at: Cumbia Bar and Kitchen

6. Poutine (Canada)

Don’t let the name scare you. If you like chips, gravy and cheese, then you have to try this Canadian delicacy.

Aesthetically poutine isn’t pleasing to the eye and it’s probably something you’d dive into after a big night, but it’s worth trying if you ever visit the Great White North.

Chips are fried before being topped with cheese curds (little balls of curdled milk) and a brown gravy. Not for the faint hearted, this is comfort food at its best.

Try it in Adelaide at: Benny’s Burgers (multiple locations)

7. Fish amok (Cambodia)

Fish soaked in a Southeast Asian curry made from coconut milk, spices, ginger and lemongrass, is wrapped in a neat little banana leaf parcel to create a fragrant, tasty dish. The little parcel is then steamed and served with rice.

Fish amok can be found in restaurants, markets and street stalls across Cambodia. Don’t like fish? They also serve chicken and beef versions.

Try it in Adelaide at: Angkor Thai and Cambodian, Woodville

8. Pad Thai (Thailand)

Pad Thai was invented in the 1930s as the country’s national dish and became popular during World War II when there was a rice shortage in Thailand. The world can’t get enough of pad Thai and it’s now eaten globally.  Originally made with rice noodles, prawns, egg, tofu and a tamarind cause, it’s been modified over time to include other vegetables and meats like chicken and pork.

Try it in Adelaide at: Sabai Café, Glenelg