Did you know that including traditional food in your menu can be beneficial? It helps you connect with the emotions of diners in the area and will make you a reference for visitors who want to try dishes representative of the region.
How important is traditional food? According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), both culture and food traditions play “a fundamental social role”. In fact, food is an essential component of humanity’s heritage.
Food systems and territories are linked to cultural identity and a sense of belonging. Find out how you could make the most of traditional dishes and get ready to write down some amazing ideas for your recipes.
Tips for introducing traditional food in your restaurant
- Keep in mind that every region has culinary preferences. People even tend to prefer the dishes they ate in their childhood or during a holiday or with their friends and family.
Example: in the American continent, preparations with corn are typical, while in many countries of the Mediterranean area they opt for the consumption of vegetables, fish, seafood, and healthy fats.
- Research on the gastronomy of the country where your restaurant is located, with emphasis on the locality. This way you will be able to know which are the most used ingredients and the most common way of preparation.
- We also suggest you to capture the special style of your restaurant in these meals to make a unique and irresistible version.
Here are some traditional dishes from different countries that you can prepare with P.A.N.:
Colombia
- Pandebono: made with milk, melted butter, sugar, corn starch, eggs, P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal, and grated salted cheese or finely chopped curd. These ingredients should be mixed until a homogeneous dough is obtained. Then, form small round portions, place it on a tray and put it in the preheated oven.
- Other characteristic dishes of this country are the arepa and the Colombian tamale.
El Salvador
- Pupusas: this dish is prepared with P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal, water, salt, oil, cooked red beans in cream, and cheese. Mix the first three ingredients, then divide the dough into portions, shape it into balls and sink the dough in the center (like a deep bowl). Add the beans and cheese, seal with your hand so that they are flat. Finally, cook in a frying pan.
- Likewise, Salvadoran tamales and fried cakes are typical preparations of this Central American country.
Spain
- Croquettes are a very consumed food. This time we invite you to give it a singular touch by preparing some fish-based croquettes with P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal, fish broth, salt, white pepper, chopped red onion, finely chopped dill, finely chopped white fish fillet, baking soda, wheat flour, eggs and oil.
The recipe is simple: mix the first four ingredients until a smooth dough is formed. Incorporate the onion, dill and fish. Then, combine to obtain a uniform consistency. Divide the dough into portions and shape into croquettes that will be dipped in egg and wheat flour before frying.
- Serrano ham, fish and seafood are also part of the Spanish diet. You could include these divine options in your menu as arepas filling.
United States
- Cornbread: you will need P.A.N. pre-cooked yellow corn meal, all-purpose flour, honey, baking powder, baking soda, eggs and butter. The first thing you need to do is preheat the oven; mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients (including butter) in another. Then, mix everything together to make a smooth dough.
Next, add melted butter to a preheated iron skillet; leave on low heat until the butter turns slightly brown, add more butter and combine. Finally, put the preparation in the skillet and place in the oven.
- Another famous American preparation is corn dog. You can also create versions of very popular dishes such as pies, pancakes or hamburgers with P.A.N. pre-cooked corn meal.
Italy
- When it comes to Italian food, pizza is one of the first choices that comes to mind. Here, we will show you how to prepare a particular variant inspired by the emblematic dish: pepperoni arepizza!
Mix water, salt and P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal in a bowl; in another container, mix baking powder and butter. Combine everything together until you have a homogeneous dough, give it a round shape and flatten it with the help of non-stick paper. Then, place in a frying pan, spread tomato sauce on top, add grated mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, grill for a few minutes and put it in the oven.
- There are various types of pizza, such as Neapolitan and margherita, you can select the one you like the most to make your version of arepizza.
Mexico
- Tortillas: the preparation is very easy. You have to mix water with P.A.N. pre-cooked white corn meal, let the dough rest for a few minutes (covered with a cloth), and divide into portions. The next step is to form small rounds and flatten them, place them in a hot pan and cook.
- Similarly, tacos, tamales, gorditas, enchiladas and quesadillas are tasty traditional Mexican dishes.
Venezuela
- Cachapa: P.A.N. sweet corn mix, white cheese, milk, water and butter. Mix everything except the cheese, let it rest for a few minutes, grease the pan, pour the portions forming a circle, cook on each side and serve with white cheese.
- The arepa, empanada, hallaca and bollo are other emblematic Venezuelan dishes.
Are you ready to incorporate traditional dishes with your own touch into your restaurant? For more inspiration, you can read our related articles in this website. You could also subscribe to the P.A.N. Corn / P.A.N. Maize YouTube channel for more recipe ideas.