From Korean chicken to Egyptian street food, these international recipes inspired by the World Cup will elevate your match-day snacking. No need to settle for oranges at half-time; here are seven mouth-watering mains and snacks to spice up the tournament.
Korea: Fried Chicken
Double-frying gives this spicy chicken its famous crunch. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 whole 1.5kg chicken, cut into 6cm chunks on the bone
3 tsp fine salt
1 tsp grated ginger
Flavourless cooking oil (vegetable or sunflower), for frying
Cornflour, for coating
For the glaze:
50g garlic, peeled and crushed
465g corn syrup or rice syrup
110ml soy sauce
100g water
20g gochujang paste
13g gochugaru (Korean chilli powder)
For the batter:
400g cornflour
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
600ml sparkling water
Rub the chicken with salt and ginger, marinate covered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. For the glaze, stir-fry garlic briefly in oil, then add remaining glaze ingredients. Simmer gently for 25 minutes until thickened. Just before frying, mix batter ingredients; adjust consistency with water or flour if needed. Heat oil to 160C in a deep-fat fryer or high-sided saucepan. Coat chicken pieces in cornflour, then batter, and fry in batches for 7 minutes until internal temperature reaches 75C. Drain on a rack and set aside for 15-20 minutes. Reheat glaze to a thick consistency. Heat oil to 180C, fry chicken for 3 more minutes, drain, coat with glaze, and serve after 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Curacao: Pastechi di Piska
These crisp, golden pastries filled with seasoned fish reflect Curacao's Sephardic heritage. Serves 6.
For the dough:
325g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp (60g) butter, at room temperature
1 egg, beaten, plus extra for glazing
For the filling:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp tomato puree
225g cod, cooked and flaked
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For deep-frying:
700-950ml vegetable oil
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub in butter until breadcrumb-like. Stir in egg and 120ml water to form smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes. For filling, saute onion, garlic, and green pepper in oil until softened. Stir in tomato puree, cod, capers, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper; cook 3-4 minutes. Cool. Roll dough to 3mm thick, cut into 10-12cm rounds. Place filling in centre, fold into half-moons, seal with fork. Heat oil to 180C and fry in batches 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Alternatively, brush with egg and bake at 190C (170C fan) for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.
Haiti: Griot and Fried Plantains
Griot is a beloved Haitian dish with West African roots, typically served with pikliz and fried plantains. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
910g boneless pork shoulder, skin removed, cut into 5cm cubes
Juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 scotch bonnet peppers, sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp ground allspice
250ml sour orange juice (or mix of orange and lime juice)
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 ripe plantains
Wash pork with lime juice and water, drain. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, onion, scotch bonnet, thyme, allspice, and orange juice. Marinate in fridge at least 2 hours or overnight. Place pork and marinade in pot, add water to cover, bring to boil, then simmer until tender (about 1 hour). Drain. Peel plantains and slice diagonally 1.5cm thick. Heat oil to 180C and fry pork in batches for 5-6 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain. In a skillet, fry plantain slices in 1.5cm oil until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Serve warm.
Colombia: Sweetcorn Arepas
Choclo arepas are sweet and cheesy, best served with a tomato and avocado salad. Makes 6.
For the arepas:
175g sweetcorn kernels (frozen, canned, or fresh; drained if wet)
175g masa arepa (pre-cooked fine yellow cornmeal)
3 tbsp caster sugar
65g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
225g quesito or feta, crumbled
50g manchego or parmesan, grated
3 tbsp butter, melted, plus 2 tbsp
175ml whole milk
For the salad:
300g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, cubed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
100g quesito, fresh ricotta or feta, crumbled
25g coriander leaves
Grind sweetcorn in food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl, add cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and cheeses. Stir in 3 tbsp butter and milk; mix until combined. Rest 10-15 minutes. For salad, combine tomatoes, avocados, lemon juice, olive oil; season. Heat cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Pour 125ml batter per arepa, cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Keep warm in oven. Serve topped with salad, crumbled cheese, and coriander.
Egypt: Koshari
Egypt's national dish combines vermicelli, rice, pasta, lentils, and sauces. Serves 8.
For the tomato sauce:
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 litre passata
125ml white-wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
For the daa'ah:
1 tbsp minced garlic
250ml white-wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
For the chilli sauce (optional):
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the koshari:
2 large onions
1 tbsp cornflour
250ml sunflower oil
125g vermicelli
400g Egyptian rice (short grain), rinsed
300g green lentils, soaked in boiling water 1 hour
100g macaroni
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 handful of spaghetti
150g tinned chickpeas, drained
For tomato sauce: saute garlic in oil, add coriander, passata, 250ml water, vinegar, cumin. Simmer 15 minutes. For daa'ah: stir garlic into 500ml water, add vinegar, lemon, cumin, salt, pepper. Boil, simmer 5 minutes, cool. For chilli sauce: heat oil, add chilli flakes and 2 ladles tomato sauce. For koshari: slice large onions into thin wedges, mix with cornflour, deep-fry in oil until golden. In same pot, add remaining koshari ingredients except spaghetti and chickpeas. Pour boiling water to cover by 1cm, top with spaghetti, cover, simmer 20 minutes. Assemble by turning out pot contents onto dish, spoon over tomato sauce and daa'ah, drizzle chilli sauce, top with chickpeas and fried onions.
Japan: Yakitori
Grilled chicken skewers with sweet soy sauce and negi. Serves 6.
Ingredients:
125ml soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp sake
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
500g boneless, skin-on chicken thigh, cut into 2cm cubes
4 medium negi or 12 fat spring onions, white and light green parts, cut into 2cm pieces
In a saucepan, bring soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger to a simmer; cook 7 minutes until syrupy and reduced by half. Cool. Add chicken and negi, toss, marinate 30 minutes. Position rack 10cm from heat, grill. Thread chicken and negi onto skewers, alternating. Grill 7 minutes per side, brushing with reserved marinade.
Spain: Tortilla de Patatas
A classic Spanish tortilla with potatoes and onion. Serves 4 as a tapa.
Ingredients:
2 large waxy potatoes
1 medium Spanish onion
500ml olive oil, for frying
8 eggs
Salt
Peel and thinly slice potatoes and onion into half-moons. Pour oil into deep frying pan with onion over high heat. Once onion starts frying (about 5 minutes), add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes until soft. Drain oil if needed. Break eggs into large bowl, pour hot potatoes on top, season with salt, mix gently with fork. Rest 30 minutes if time. Heat non-stick pan over medium heat, drizzle oil. Pour in tortilla mix, reduce heat to minimum. Cook 3 minutes, separate edges with fork. Flip onto plate, slide back into pan, cook 2 more minutes. Serve runny in the middle.
