10 International Foods for Your Next BBQ

The thick aroma of barbecue officially means that summer has arrived.  But if you’re tired of the usual barbecued ribs, chicken and hotdogs, you’ll want to stand out of the pack and create a menu deliciously filled with international dishes.  From Japan to Mexico, here is your guide to kicking the summer off right with 10 scrumptious cuisines from around the world.

Trinidad and Tobago: Curry Goat with Buss-up-shut (Paratha Roti)

With the mouthwatering aromas of roti seeping through the air, tourist and locals alike know that no visit to Trinidad and Tobago is complete without sampling its dynamic flavors of curried goat and potatoes wrapped in a soft, flat dough.  But there’s no need to book a flight to the country to devour the staple treat when you can create it at home. 

To make the pastry style bread, which takes a bit of handiwork, requires flour, baking powder, salt vegetable oil and water added together to form a pasty dough. The bread is then broken apart and topped with soft margarine as well as flattened, and simmered on a non-sticking skillet or frying pan to create a savory stuffed-dish. However, if you do not want to get your hands dirty, Paratha Roti can also be eaten with a fork and knife. This Trinidadian specialty is a beloved cuisine that is served hot at almost every dinner occasion, and offers a taste so rich your guests will be drooling for more.

Greece: Bifetekia Yemista

You might want to forget about the traditional grilled burgers you’re accustomed to after getting your hands on Greece’s Bifetekia Yemista recipe, which are burgers stuffed with feta and herbs.

Although it takes 45 minutes to dish up this hearty burger, its authentic flavors are guaranteed to be a big hit with your guests, especially since you’ll be creating it from scratch. 

To make it involves grinding ground beef, onions, eggs, pepper, salt and breadcrumbs together. The mixture is then shaped into patties before feta, parsley, garlic as well as spring onions, olive oil and yogurt are combined and then chilled. Once all the ingredients seep into the burgers’ pores, cheese is added before they are sent to the grill for about 10 minutes. When they are done, you can eat it with a bun, lettuce and tomatoes.  And if downed with a Mythos (Greek Beer) your taste buds will have successfully landed in Greece.

India: Kati Roll

Traditionally served on the streets of India, the Kati Roll is a finger food you’ll want to replace the typical turkey and ham wrap at your next gathering.  Why you may ask?

Because the dish is such a cultural phenomenon there’s even debate about how it first came to life.  Some believe it became a food-on-the-go for business travelers, while other believed that the British Babus refused to touch the dish. However, its life on a stick was short-lived when the thought of Kati meaning kebab served in a roll became more popular.

The Kati Roll is typically stuffed in a paratha styled bread that is kneaded and designed into a pastry, which is rolled and fried. Usually diced chicken or another type of meat is immersed in Indian spices and mixed with onions, chili and other sauces on a tawa (skillet). Once they are simmered to perfection they are then placed at the center of the paratha and styled into a delicious wrap. You’ll especially want to eat this with a glass of mango lassi, which is a refreshing fruit drink made out of mango, coconut, yogurt and milk, and extinguishes the spicy flavors of the Kati Roll quite well.

Indonesia: Satay

If you’re a lover of shish kebab, you’ll definitely want to take a bite out of satay. Originating in Indonesia, the culinary treat is a street food that is also devoured on a stick and features different types of meats including mutton, chicken, beef, venison, pork, fish, shrimp, squid as well as rabbit (for the daring gourmet). 

The raw meat is placed on a stick and then marinated with a variety of Indonesian spices, which gives it its buttery glow.  Sauces like spicy peanut, peanut gravy and soy sauce are used for dipping the skewered meat to give it a zesty taste.

Japan: Hiyashi Chuku

it's time to think twice about preparing that same old pasta salad when you can serve it Japanese style. Hiyashi Chuku is a summertime dish that consists of cold noodles dressed with many ingredients that transform it into quite the colorful entrée. 

Although the thought of noodles served at room temperature or colder doesn’t necessarily sound too appetizing, it is a big hit in Japan specifically when boiled chicken, cucumbers, bean sprouts, pickled red ginger and a thinly diced omelet are infused in the dish. And of course you’ll want to top it off with a soy sauce flavored dressing to give it that kick.

Jamaica: Jerk Chicken Wings

After sinking your teeth into a fiery batch of jerk chicken wings, your party guests will be hoping you’ll have some coconut water handy. That’s because when it comes to the favored Jamaican-style feast the hotter the better, so it’s best to take a deep breath before digging in. 

The word jerk was coined from the Spanish term charqui meaning dry meat.  However, when seasoned with Jamaican jerk sauce its dryness is overpowered by a combustion of spicy flavors.  Jerk sauce was derived from African slaves who substituted some of its flavors for Scotch Bonnet pepper after the British invasion resulted in the departure of the sauce’s original recipe.  

In order to capture its authenticity, the meat is best prepared in a wood-burning oven or grilled over charcoal in a jerk pan. Jerk chicken wings can be eaten by themselves, or served as a side with rice and peas as well as vegetables.

Mexico: Al Pastor

Looking for a bit of Mexican flavor?  If so, you’ll want to pull out all the stops to appease you guest, but not just any dish would suffice.  Al pastor is an all-time favorite that gained fame when Lebanese immigrants migrated to Mexico. When your taste buds become tantalized by the marinated pork drenched in pineapple, chilies and spices, you’ll see why this gastronomic temptation is all the hype.

Once the juice from the pineapple trickles down into the meat, it is then thinly sliced and placed into cup-sized tortillas. Cilantro, lime juice and onions are also added to enhance the flavors.  But if you want to inhale Al pastor like a true Mexican, hot salsa is mixed to spice it up a notch.

Italy: Parma Ham (Prosciutto Crudo)

Thinly curled ham is all the craze in Italy, and once you bite into its taste you’ll see why its a go-to choice for gourmets.  After all, it is accompanied with every Italian specialty imaginable — from pizza to salad — and will be a great starter to your international fest. 

Its salted flavor are quite lightweight, so even eating a handful of these slices of Italian-style ham will leave plenty of room for a food-tasting frenzy. Forget about the regular cheese and crackers and take a step into Italy for this unique thinnly shaped pork.

Turkey: Baklava

The trick to keeping your guests fulfilled is by leaving a sweet taste in their mouths.  One dish that promises to do just that is Baklava.  Even during the Ottoman Empire, the Turks appreciated a delicious piece of bread and with  such a long history under its belt, its savory taste is worth every bite.

Layers of pyhllo dough, with each smothered in butter and nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts or pistachios), arespread in a large baking pan. The pastry is then cut into triangles before it is placed in the oven. After it is finished baking, a syrup made out of honey and rosewater is poured on top of it. Once the syrup has seeped into the bread and it has cooled off, Baklava is ready to be served. Bon appetit!

Spain: Churros

Once again we’re satisfying the sweet tooth with a tasty dessert.  Although the churro is normally dipped in hot chocolate and consumed for breakfast in Europe, it can still be eaten different times during the day — after all, donuts aren’t only consumed in the morning so neither should its Spanish cousin.

From the moment their deep fried sugary aromas float through the air, you’ll guest will want to get them while they’re hot.  Churros are known to draw massive crowds on street corners and around vendors, and by adding this snack to your menu, your BBQ will be the talk of the town.