ECUADOR

CAPITAL: Quito

ETHNIC INFLUENCES: Spanish, Peruvian

POPULAR RESTAURANTS: Alma, Quito; Pavarotti Ristorante, Quito; Segundo Muelle, Quito.

BREAKFAST: Along the Pacific Coast breakfast mainly consists of strong black coffee brewed in a special little aluminium pot (caf´ de olla), fried plantain and local hard white cheese and perhaps omelette and fresh fruit juices. In the highlands it may include black coffee or herbal teas with fresh bread rolls and scrambled eggs.

SNACKS & STREET FOOD: - fritata (similar to carnitas) with traditional sides of onions, tomato, fried hominy, potatoes?- hornado, a roast whole pig with side dishes of potato, onion, llapingacho, potato patties enclosing a piece of queso fresco served with aji (fresh salsa with tomate del arb�l), humitas, a sweet tamale with queso freso inside, eaten with coffee for merienda in the late afternoon?,ceviches of various sorts served with palomitas (popcorn) or the same fried hominy as fritata?- baccaloitos, fritters made of cod fish like the ones in PR?, choclos con aji, a very large-kernel corn, unlike American sweet corn, served with the typical hot salsa, fresh fruits and juices, hervidos, particularly papaya, oranges, watermelon and pineapple, strictly seasonal. 

BREAD: Corn and cheese bread.

CHEESE: queso blanco (white fresh cheese), hard cheese. 

POPULAR DISHES: patacones, unripe plantains fried in oil, mashed, then refried, llapingachos, a pan seared potato ball, and seco de chivo, a type of stew made from goat. 

OTHER DISHES: ceviches from the coast, which are different from other ceviches and traditionally is served unprepared, as well as almidon breads, plantains served with crushed peanuts or salprieta, and encebollado, the most popular dish in the Coast, that contains a marinade with large chunks of fish, onions and various regional seasonings.

LOCAL DRINKS: Manzana soda, Pony Malta (like kvass), blackberry juice, Avena Casera Toni, beer, Canelazo.

PRODUCE: fish, beans and plantains on the coast, meat, rice and white hominy in the mountains, 

NEED TO KNOW: Lunch is the main meal in this country.

UNUSUAL FOODS: Cuy, a type of guinea pig is a delicacy.

FESTIVE FOODS: Christmas dinner will usually consist of roast lamb, baked potatoes, and brown sugar bread. In the cities, turkey is preferred. Christmas Eve, families enjoy the Cena de Nochebuena, which traditionally includes stuffed turkey or chicken, grapes and raisins, salads, rice with cheese, local produce and wine or chicha.

HEALTHY EATING: Visitors should drink bottled water. Avoid all fruit except oranges because of sanitation, and juices made with water.

TRIVIA: Beef Jerky comes from the word in the ancient incan language in Quechua, Charqui.

Want to add anything? What is YOUR favourite dish or place to eat in this country?

EGYPT

CAPITAL: Cairo 

ETHNIC INFLUENCES: Eastern Mediterranean countries.

POPULAR RESTAURANTS: Fish Market, On the Americana Boat, Cairo; Andrea, 59 Teraat el-Maryotteya St, Cairo.

BREAKFAST: Tea, ful Mesdames, fava or broad beans, with fried egg and pita bread. 

SNACKS: Fuul (fava been paste) or tamiya (fava bean patty) sandwich,  

BREAD: Pita bread, Aish Merahrah a flat bread of ground fenugreek seeds and maize. 

CHEESE: Fetta, sardo, pecorino.

POPULAR DISHES: Koshari - a mixture of rice, lentils, and macaroni,

OTHER DISHES: Ful Medames (mashed fava beans), Koshari (rice-stuffed pigeon), Molokheyya and lentil soup with mint; lamb kebabs, felafel. 

LOCAL DRINKS: Tea, Egyptian coffee, Koshary tea (sweetened mint tea). Saiidi tea is very sweet and strong. Herbal teas (tisanes), Karkadeh a tea of dried hibiscus sepals, sugar cane juice (aseer asab), licorice tea, carob juice, tamarind drink. 

PRODUCE: Onions, garlic, legumes, wheat, maize, vegetables, dates.

NEED TO KNOW: Bread is eaten at most meals.

FESTIVAL FOODS: Kahk, nut-filled cookies for the Breakfast Feast at the end of Ramadan, Qatayef is a dessert reserved for Ramadan. 

UNUSUAL FOODS: Salep is a drink made from the dried tubers of a sort of orchid.

HEALTHY EATING: Karkadeh (hibiscus tea) is believed to help lower blood pressure. Many dishes are suitable for vegetarians. 

Want to add anything? What is YOUR favourite dish or place to eat in this country?

ESTONIA

CAPITAL: Tallinn 

ETHNIC INFLUENCES: Danes, Germans, Russians, Swedes , Finns and Poles. 

POPULAR RESTAURANTS: Gunpowder Cellar of Tartu, Olde Hansa, Tallin 

BREAKFAST: Porridge, coffee, fruit, open sandwiches, fish, cold cuts, eggs, yoghurt.

STREET FOOD AND SNACKS: Chestnuts in winter, berries in summer, juustusupp (cheese soup) in pubs. 

BREAD: Rye bread, black bread

CHEESE: A wide range of hard and soft cow and goat milk cheeses. 

POPULAR DISHES: Silgusoust (fish in vinegar sauce), mulgikapsad, a sauerkraut side dish, Verivorst (blood sausage), S�lt (jellied pork), keel hernestega (tongue) and karask (barley loaf).

OTHER DISHES: Marinated eel, jellied meats, rosolje based on beetroot, meat and herring. Small pastries pirukad - a relative of the pirozhki - filled with meat, cabbage, carrots, rice. Desserts include kissel, curd snack and kama. 

LOCAL DRINKS: Kali, a white unfermented beer, vodka, wines, coffee, mead, herbal liquer Vana Tallinn, Fizz cider, 

PRODUCE: rye bread, pork, fish, eels, potatoes and dairy, herring, cabbages, fruits, barley, potatoes, beef, wheat. 

NEED TO KNOW: The Estonian Cold Table is traditional and features a number of small dishes to begin a meal. Instead of saying bon appetit, Estonians say j�tku leiba (may your bread last). 

UNUSUAL FOODS: Kvass is an alcoholic drink made from fermented rye bread.

FESTIVE FOODS: Beer Summer Festival - obviously beer and food to go with that; Christmas: Black pudding (verivorst), head cheese (s�lt) and sauerkraut (hapukapsas) with oven-roasted potatoes. Typical Christmas treats have been apples, mandarins and gingerbread.

HEALTHY EATING: Visitors should drink bottled water.

FOOD BLOG: http://nami-nami.blogspot.com