What people eat and drink around the world

A starting point for a food and wine tour

We love food and wine. We are partial to good food, we enjoy discovering new flavors, we like the way wine tastes, the way it enhances a meal, and the way people come together around the table to share both. Food and wine are a pleasure that opens a door — to other countries, other cultures, and new people.

Departures

Home cooking can get boring after a while. Look around World Food and Wine for something different. Variety is the spice of life, and it's also an essential ingredient for staying a happy, motivated cook.

"We're for simple cooking. We don't have the time," you'll say. But home cooking doesn't have to be a boring chore. A garnish or a good side dish can lift a whole meal. We want fantasy, with shape and color, unexpected flavors and aromas, things that surprise our taste buds. Find out how food can stop being simply fuel for life and become a pleasure more satisfying than you ever thought possible on a plate.

Take a fresh interest in cooking and in where food comes from. Learn not only which foods are healthy, but how to choose ones from sustainable sources. Good eating runs through the kitchen — and you can make better choices for the planet while you're at it.

The world is your oyster

Find step-by-step recipes, easy to follow, for anyone with a little kitchen confidence.

Planning and cooking an Italian dinner for six is as easy as planning and cooking anything else — and so is a British, Danish, or Polish dinner, a romantic dinner for two in the Paris style, a Caribbean party for twenty, a Hawaiian luau for six couples, or an Indonesian banquet for ten. When the cooking of other countries is at your fingertips, it's easy to add exciting new tastes to your own table.

We'll discover that Chinese stir-frying is quick, clever cooking, and fall for the simplicity of Japanese dishes. We'll try easygoing Spanish tapas and bold Middle Eastern spices. And we can always fall back on fajitas, burgers, clam chowder, and chicken pot pie when we feel homesick.

Home cooking is suddenly full of possibilities. Let's do some food travel, and bring the world to you.

Food and wine adventures

Food and wine belong together. The right food brings out the flavors in a wine, and the right wine is the perfect complement to a dish. Discover the art of pairing food and wine, and impress your friends at your next gathering with what you know about matching wine and cheese. Pasta is an easygoing partner for almost any wine, since it's really the sauce that decides the match — but there are still a few simple rules worth knowing to pair it well.

Discover international food and wine one picture at a time, then share the experience — describe the flavor, describe the aroma. Explore other countries and travel the world from your own kitchen. Tell us about the food you try and the wine you taste.