Kid-friendly recipes from around the world

World Food Day, celebrated on 16 October every year, is an international commemoration of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. Every year, a theme is announced to highlight the various areas of food supply or production that need particular attention. This year, the theme is “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.”

In honour of leaving no one behind, this year, Expat Explore is celebrating World Food Day with a list of the best kid-friendly recipes from around the world. Often, the lists of top foods or recipes to try around the world are very focused on adults, sometimes even with advanced pallets and acquired tastes. But why not start early and encourage children to try new things, eat healthily and embrace the different cultural and traditional practices around the world?

Celebrate World Food Day by trying our top kid-friendly recipes from around the world:

Phở, Vietnam

Introduce the little ones in your life to the classic tastes of Vietnam with the hearty and delicious Phở! The secret to perfecting it is in the broth, which may take a bit of time to prepare. But trust us, it’s totally worth it when you try a bite for yourself and see happy faces all around as the family enjoys it too!

Ingredients:

• 900g beef bones
• 1 onion, halved
• 5cm piece ginger, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2-3 star anise
• 4-5 cloves
• 225g beef slices
• 225g rice noodles
• 240ml bean sprouts
• Lime wedges
• Basil leaves
• Hoisin sauce
• Sriracha sauce

Directions:

1. Roast the beef bones, onion, and ginger before boiling with 2.8 litres of water.
2. Add in your cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Let it simmer for about an hour.
3. Strain the mixture before adding 5g salt. Then, boil the rice noodles until cooked.
4. Arrange the beef on top of the cooked noodles.
5. Pour over the broth and serve with sprouts, lime and basil.
6. Add hoisin and sriracha sauces as desired and dig in!

Related: Check out the top things to do while you’re in Hanoi!

Schnitzel, Germany

Allow your children’s adventurous taste buds to say guten tag to a true German staple! Schnitzel is such a popular dish, especially among children, that many family-style restaurants around the world have adopted this German classic and added it to their various regional menus. Try it one family dinner night, and see why! And since Schnitzel alone isn’t the most adventurous of global flavours, we’ve also added a bonus sauerkraut side recipe.

Schnitzel Ingredients:

• 4 pork/veal cutlets
• 120g flour
• 2 eggs
• 120g breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil/butter

Schnitzel Directions:

1. Flatten the cutlets you’ve opted to use and season them well.
2. Coat them all in flour on all sides and dip into 2 beaten eggs.
3. Coat each eggy cutlet with bread crumbs all around.
4. Fry each one until golden brown in ¼ cup oil/butter.
5. Drain the excess oil or butter before serving with a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste.

Sauerkraut Side Ingredients:

• 450g sauerkraut
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 apple, peeled & chopped
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• Salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

Sauerkraut Side Directions:

1. To start, sauté the chopped onion in a pan.
2. Add in the sauerkraut, chopped and peeled apple as well as the caraway seeds.
3. Add 1 teaspoon salt as well as 2 tablespoons of sugar.
4. Let this simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, then serve.

Related: Plan your trip around the top destinations to visit in Germany!

Crêpes, France

Up next, we have a French treat that even the most discerning of kiddies palates will surely fall in love with! And what’s more symbolic of France than crêpes? You can’t walk a few blocks in Paris without encountering a crêpe with some sort of delicious filling. So, why not give them a try to introduce the little ones to the magic of French cuisine?

Ingredients:

• 120g all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 360 ml milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 30g melted butter

Directions:

1. Mix 120g flour, 2 eggs, 360 ml milk, and a quarter teaspoon salt into a batter consistency.
2. Cover and let the mixed batter rest for about 30 minutes.
3. Next, heat about 5 ml of melted butter in a hot pan.
4. Pour 60 ml batter at a time into your pan and swirl the mixture to coat the bottom.
5. Cook each crêpe evenly on both sides.
6. Finally, stuff them with whatever your imagination can muster! Try truly anything, from sweet to savoury.

Related: Learn these essential French travel phrases before your vacation!

Gözleme, Turkey

Up next on our tasty kiddies’ food tour is Turkey! Turkish Gözleme is likely to be a favourite among younger connoisseurs due to the fool-proof combination of dough, cheese and toppings. This deliciously savoury Turkish flatbread can be served with a variety of toppings, but spinach and feta are a popular choice!

Ingredients:

• 240g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 120ml water
• 60ml olive oil
• Filling (spinach and feta)

Directions:

1. Mix 2 cups of flour with half a teaspoon of salt before adding the olive oil and water.
2. Knead well, then divide the dough into equally sized balls. Roll them out thinly.
3. Add your spinach and feta filling, then fold and seal the edges.
4. Cook well on both sides until golden brown and serve!

Related: Take a look at the best time to travel to Turkey!

Hokkaido milk bread, Japan

Japan brings us the next tasty treat for kids to try this World Food Day! Not only is it a yummy snack but making it also offers the perfect time to bond with kids and teach them a thing or two about baking. Take this one on as your next fun weekend project and enjoy the mouthwatering reward!

Ingredients:

• 160ml warm milk
• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 360g bread flour
• 50g sugar
• 5g salt
• 45g unsalted butter
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Dissolve 2 and a half teaspoons of yeast in 160 ml of warm milk.
2. Separately, mix 360 g of flour, 50 g of sugar and 5 g of salt.
3. Add in the yeast mixture, the 45 g of butter and 1 egg.
4. Knead the dough until smooth and let it rise for about 2 hours.
5. Punch it down and shape it into a loaf in your favourite bread pan.
6. Let it rise again, this time in the pan, for about 1 hour.
7. Bake at 175°C for 25 to 30 minutes and let cool before serving!

Related: Discover more Japanese recipes!

We hope you have fun making and trying these delicious global dishes with the kids! Hopefully, it will inspire the next generation of travellers to keep exploring and discovering more amazing global dishes!

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With so many delicious foods to test around the world, you’ll be spoilt for choice when deciding where to go next. Book a trip with Expat Explore, and start tasting the sweet life as you sample these yummy global treats!