Traditional foods are meals and dishes that have been shared from one generation to the next or have been eaten for many years. These foods are part of a culture’s traditions and may have a long history connected to a country’s favorite dish, a region’s style of cooking, or a local way of preparing food. Traditional foods and drinks can be made at home, in restaurants, by small companies, or in large factories that produce food.

Some traditional foods have special names in the European Union that show where they come from or how they are made. These names include Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG). These rules help protect the names of high-quality foods and ensure their quality is kept the same.

This article also includes information about traditional drinks.

Difference between traditional and typical

Although "traditional" and "typical" cuisine are often used as synonyms, they are considered different in the study of food and culture. Traditional cuisine refers to cooking methods and recipes that are passed down through stories and family traditions. These customs are shared on a small scale within families and on a larger scale within communities as part of their culture and identity. Typical (or "popular") cuisine, however, refers to dishes that many people in a place enjoy and that are widely copied and made in large amounts. A traditional dish may also be typical, and vice versa, but not all typical dishes are traditional, and not all traditional dishes are typical.

Most traditional dishes come from the skills of housewives who creatively combined ingredients and techniques they had available to make new recipes. If people like a recipe, it may be copied many times, becoming a classic recipe. Over time, these recipes form the foundation of a region’s culinary tradition, which is closely tied to the land, local ingredients, and customs. Some classic recipes may be forgotten, but if they are widely eaten, they become part of the typical cuisine of a place.

The Mexican food researcher Maru Toledo added a third idea: "typical commercial" cuisine. This concept did not exist until recently, when food became widely sold for profit. Commercialized cuisine often copies features of traditional food (even using the word "traditional" itself) but focuses only on making money. It ignores the history, context, and variety of traditional dishes, instead selling simplified versions. Because of this, many people believe the food they buy is part of their own culture, leading to changes in food habits and a loss of the diversity found in traditional cooking.

By continent

• Bambara groundnut – a traditional food grown in Africa
• Traditional foods are important for European culture, identity, and traditions.
• Humita – a traditional food in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru

By country

• Country food refers to the traditional diets of Aboriginal people (known in Canada as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), especially in remote northern regions where Western food is expensive to buy, and traditional foods are still used regularly.
• Thanksgiving dinner

• Poutine: A classic poutine is made with french fries, cheese curds, and gravy.
• Tourtière
• Sucre à la crème
• Pâté chinois
• Pouding chômeur
• St. Catherine's taffy
• Spruce beer
• Maple syrup
• Cretons

• Poutine râpée
• Fricot

• Ciba cake
• Dim sum
• Fuling jiabing: A traditional snack food of Beijing and an important part of the city's culture. It is a pancake-like snack made from flour, sugar, and a type of mushroom called Poria. It is rolled around nuts, honey, and other ingredients.
• Spring pancake: A traditional Chinese food found in northern regions. People eat spring pancakes on a day called lichun to celebrate the start of spring.
• Zhongzi: Sticky rice with savory or sweet ingredients wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled. It is made to honor the poet and minister Qu Yuan during the Dragon Boat Festival.

• Rice and beans

• Lecsó

• Tsamarella: A traditional food and one of Cyprus' main lunch meats.

• Lecsó
• Svíčková

• Mulgipuder
• Sepik

• Faroese puffin
• Garnatálg
• Skerpikjøt
• Whale meat

• Karelian stew
• Karelian pasty
• Kesäkeitto
• Sautéed reindeer
• Ruisreikäleipä
• Ryynimakkara
• Mustamakkara
• Kalakukko
• Lörtsy
• Rönttönen
• Sultsina
• Mämmi
• Joulutorttu

• Appellation d'origine contrôlée: A French label for certain foods based on their origin. It includes wines, cheeses, and other agricultural products. Bresse chicken: A French chicken product with this label.
• List of Appellation d'origine contrôlée liqueurs and spirits
• List of Appellation d'origine contrôlée wines

• Black Forest ham: Made in the Black Forest region of Germany. It has a European Union label called Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

• Fiambre: A traditional Guatemalan dish eaten yearly to celebrate the Day of the Dead and All Saints Day.

• Hákarl: A traditional food and national dish of Iceland.
• Hangikjöt
• Þorramatur: A selection of traditional Icelandic foods, mainly cured meats and fish. They are served with rye bread, butter, and a type of alcohol called brennivín.

• Kheer
• Roti and Sabzi

• Idli
• Dosa
• Sambar and Chutneys
• Rasam
• Puttu
• Idiyappam
• Paniyaram

• Brem: A fermented snack and drink from Java and Bali.
• Docang: A traditional food from Cirebon.
• Gado-gado: A traditional salad with peanut sauce.
• Gudeg: A stew made from young jackfruit, a traditional food from Yogyakarta.
• Ketupat: A rice dumpling commonly eaten during Lebaran (Indonesian idul fitri).
• Kuluban: An ancient Javanese salad.
• Lawar: A traditional Balinese vegetable dish.
• Opor ayam: Chicken in coconut milk stew, often eaten with ketupat during Lebaran.
• Pallubasa: A traditional food from Makassar, made from cattle or buffalo offal.
• Papeda: Sago congee, a traditional staple in Eastern Indonesia.
• Rendang: A traditional Minangkabau dish from West Sumatra.
• Satay: Grilled meat on skewers, with many regional variations in Indonesia.
• Soto: A type of traditional soup with many regional variations in Indonesia.
• Tempeh: A fermented soy cake, a traditional food from Java.
• Tumpeng: A ceremonial rice cone with side dishes, an Indonesian national dish.

• Chelow kabab
• Tahdig
• Ghormeh sabzi
• Fesenjān
• Sabzi polo
• Abgoosht
• Gheimeh
• Sholezard
• Āsh
• Mirza Ghassemi
• Nargesi
• Baghala ghatogh

• Full breakfast
• Sunday roast

• Abbacchio
• Affogato
• Arancini
• Asiago
• Biscotti
• Braciola
• Bruschetta
• Caciotta
• Cacciucco
• Caponata
• Cappuccino
• Cotechino
• Crostata
• Crostini
• Espresso
• Focaccia
• Frittata
• Frittella
• Fritto misto
• Gelato
• Lasagna
• Mascarpone
• Minestrone
• Mozzarella
• Panettone
• Panna cotta
• Panino
• Panzerotto
• Parmigiano Reggiano
• Pasta
• Pecorino
• Peperonata
• Pizza
• Polenta
• Porchetta
• Prosciutto
• Ravioli
• Risotto
• Salami
• Salumi
• Sausage
• Soppressata
• Tortellini

• Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP): A label for Italian foods based on their origin.
• List of Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP) foods

• Cardamom bread: A traditional food among Swedish Americans.
• Thanksgiving dinner

• Biscuit
• Cheese straw
• Cornbread
• Collard greens
• Hoppin' John
• Sweet potato

• Laplap: A national dish.

• Kabsa

By region

• Khabees: A sweet dish that is traditionally eaten in the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf

• Rice and peas: A traditional dish in the Anglo-Caribbean region

Traditional foods of the Levant include falafel, fuul, halawa, hummus, kanafeh, labaneh, medammis, and tahini, among others. The most popular traditional foods in this region are made from legumes, such as falafel, fuul, hummus, and medammis.

• Popular traditional foods in the Eastern Mediterranean region
• Falafel
• Halawa made with tahini and pistachio nuts
• Hummus
• Kanafeh in Palestine
• Labaneh

• Geographical indications and traditional specialties in the European Union
• Quality Wines from Specific Regions: A term used in European Union wine rules to identify wines with protected geographical status
• List of geographical designations for spirit drinks in the European Union

• European crayfish: Crayfish party

• Soured milk: A traditional food of the Bantu peoples in Southern Africa