Foodhut

A Japanese noodle soup, ramen has grown in popularity in the last decade and it's easy to see why. In its simple form, it's a rich meat (or occasionally fish) broth, flavoured with soy or miso and served with toppings such as mushrooms, seaweed, sesame seeds, spring onions and soft-boiled egg. As with most dishes, there are regional varieties too, including the most popular tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen of Kyushu and the miso ramen of Hokkaido.

You might think that there couldn't be anything easier than deep-frying a piece of chicken – but you'd be wrong to assume it's as simple as that. Making the perfect batter, adding just the right amount of seasoning and choosing the best way to fry takes practice. A dish deeply rooted in the American South, a perfect basket of fried chicken is one for the bucket list.

This classic French dish might look rustic, but plenty of work and skill goes into making it just right. Consisting of beef slowly braised in red wine, plus beef stock, carrots, onions and sometimes mushrooms, this super-rich dish is packed with layers of flavour. It's also become one of the most famous recipes from Julia Child's groundbreaking cookbook The French Chef.

Barramundi is key to Australian cuisine and you'd be hard pressed to find a restaurant, a café or a fish and chip shop Down Under that doesn't have it on the menu. This white fish can be fried, grilled, barbecued, baked, chargrilled or steamed, and it's excellent when served with a lemon and dill butter.

Both the name of a cheese and a full dish, this is a traditional après-ski meal. The cheese is either melted under a grill or in a little pan and then served with potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions and sometimes a selection of charcuterie. Thought to have been invented in the Swiss canton of Valais, it's traditionally made with Raclette cheese produced in the region.

This warm, comforting noodle dish has taken the world by storm and rightly so. Its apparent simplicity hides complex flavours that are at once unctuous and refreshing. Born in northern Vietnam in the late 19th century, pho’s development was influenced by Chinese and French cooking, mirroring the history of the country. Today, it is a uniquely Vietnamese offering that you won’t have to go far to find, wherever you are in the world.

It might not be a looker, but this Québec dish is certainly delicious, and is now popular across Canada and the northeast of the US. Comprising fluffy-on-the-inside, crunchy-on-the-outside French fries, and thick, rich and meaty gravy, poutine is elevated to a culinary event by the addition of cheese curds. These small, solidified white cheese bites retain some of their shape under the heat of the gravy.

A celebration of spices and rice, biryani's origins lie with the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. Today, endless varieties of biryani exist, depending on the region where it's cooked, but the basics – rice and an assortment of spices – remain untouchable. You can make yours with meat or skip it for a vegan or vegetarian treat.