A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country.[2] A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be prepared in a distinctive way, such as Fruits de mer, served along the west coast of France.[2]
It contains a particular 'exotic' ingredient that is produced locally, such as the South American paprika grown in the European Pyrenees.[2]
It is served as a festive culinary tradition that forms part of a cultural heritage—for example, barbecues at summer camp or fondue at dinner parties—or as part of a religious practice such as Korban Pesach or Iftar celebrations.[2]
Main article: Index of sociology of food articles
National dishes are part of a nation's identity and self-image.[3] During the age of European empire-building, nations would develop a national cuisine to distinguish themselves from their rivals.[4]
According to Zilka Janer, a lecturer on Latin American culture at Hofstra University, it is impossible to choose a single national dish, even unofficially, for countries such as Mexico, because of their diverse ethnic populations and cultures.[3] The cuisine of such countries simply cannot be represented by any single, national dish. Furthermore, because national dishes are so interwoven in a nation's sense of identity, strong emotions and conflicts can arise when trying to choose a country's national dish.