Staff picks: Country where you would most like to have a meal

If you’ve ever watched the Food Network, the Travel Channel, or various other cable-TV time-wasters, you know that there’s a lot more to cuisine than burgers and fries, both within and, especially, beyond America’s borders. If we had the time and money to eat anywhere in the world, here’s what countries’ food we’d be consuming.

If I could have a meal in any country, it would be Greece. Gyros are my favorite things in the world. Also, Greek salad is delicious. I get so excited every year for the Greek festival mostly because of the food. I’m sure it would be even better in the actual country of Greece. [Caroline Rogers]

Germany would be the perfect country to enjoy a meal. My family goes to Disney World every year, and my absolute favorite place to eat is the Biergarten Restaurant in EPCOT. They have a huge variety of German foods, and I eat a little bit of everything there. The restaurant tries to achieve the authentic German vibe by recreating a small German village, complete with German entertainment, but it would be amazing to experience that atmosphere at a restaurant actually located in Germany to further immerse myself in the culture while enjoying some bratwurst and sauerkraut. Guten Appetit! [Mackenzie Lee]

Spain would be amazing to have dinner in. Even though they eat dinner between 10 p.m. and midnight, the tapas (small, bite sized appetizers) that are served to hold you over until the main meal are just incredible. The tapas can range anywhere from spicy fried potatoes with crema to a simple dish of olives and the main meal many times consists of some form of paella. Eating all the food in Spain after waking up from a nice siesta just sounds like a dream come true. [Hannah McElroy]

France has easily the most notable reputation for food, and I love eating its recreations over here. Every Christmas, my mother and I even make chocolate crème brûlée. Duck confit, crepes, foie gras, baked camembert, ratatouille, and beef bourguignon are just a few of the foods I’m dying to try in their native land where they’re almost sure to be twice as good as here. [Kelsey Kinzer]

Australia. Koalas. All of them. [Graham Benefiel]

Nothing beats authentic Mexican food. A couple of years ago in Mexico my family got to eat tacos after a day of zip lining in the forest. The ingredients were cooked in the ground, and it was amazing. I had no idea that I was eating cactus, but it ended up being really good. I would definitely love to go back and have another meal there, and not just because you get free chips and salsa everywhere. [Annie Smith]

Indian food is some of the best food that I have ever eaten. Even though I have never been to India, I would love to go there one day. Indian food is known for dishes that are full of various spices that light a world of enjoyment for your tastebuds. I have seen several movies that beautifully depict the country’s unique culture and I hope that I will be able to visit India and sit down to an incredible meal. [Litza Craig]

I’ve never really thought about this kind of thing, so I googled it, and I found this awesome Canadian dish called Poutine. It’s basically french fries covered in brown gravy and cheese curds, which may sound gross to you, but I read the word gravy, and I was sold. [Cameron Scott]

If I were to have dinner in any country, I would choose Japan. Sushi is my all-time favorite food and I am frequently found dining in the local Sushi places. I am sure it would taste even more delicious than it already does in the country it originated from. Although, getting the chance to experience Japanese culture while dining would be even more extraordinary than the sushi. [Tori Lafon]  

As an extremely picky eater, most foods from other countries do not appeal to me. Grilled cheese and fried chicken are sadly not served everywhere. So, I would probably have to say I would want Chick Fil A for breakfast in good ole ‘Murica. There’s nothing better than chicken minis, hashbrowns, and a cherry Coke. [Zoey Line]

I’d definitely would initially agree with Hannah that Spain would be a great place to go, but I’m not sure if I would actually like the food there. Squid, crickets, and stuff like that does not exactly appeal to me. However, I miss eating at Idaho Pizza Company and Chicago Connection in the great state of Idaho, USA. [Taylor A. Johnson]