10x where the world’s most famous food really comes from (and it’s more surprising than you think!)

Do you know where the doughnut originally comes from? And where the birthplace of scooped ice cream was? No? The answer will surprise you!

Doughnut: not from America

Nothing is as American as doughnuts. With that sweet glaze, filled with vanilla custard or jam, plus a box of doughnut holes on the side too, yum! But did you know that the doughnut descends from the Greek treat loukoumades? As early as 776 BC, these sweet balls of dough with honey and walnuts were given to athletes who won the Olympic Games.

Scooped ice cream: not from Italy

When you go on holiday to Italy, you naturally go for that delicious food. Spend your entire holiday budget on pizza and pasta, because you won’t eat them anywhere as deliciously as in Italy. And for dessert? An Italian ice cream, of course. But those ice creams aren’t nearly as Italian as you think: according to the story, scooped ice cream was invented in Mongolia. Mongolians galloped across the steppes, with bags of fresh milk strapped to the backs of their horses. The temperature dropped below zero, the milk froze as it was constantly jostled on the horses’ backs and voilà: there you have ice cream. Marco Polo took this invention with him to Italy.

Croissant: not from France

You can guess what’s coming: the croissant isn’t as French as it looks. The crescent-shaped puff pastries were already being baked in Vienna in the twelfth century; back then, they were called ‘kipferl’.

Pasta: not from Italy

Spaghetti, tagliatelle, macaroni: typically Italian, right? Think again—the strands of dough were invented in China in the century before Christ. Nomadic Arabs brought the typically Asian noodles with them to Italy, where they became an instant hit. They were already popular there in the thirteenth century. To be fair, the Italians did perfect pasta—and they did invent those sauces themselves.

Churros: not from Spain

Those crispy, golden-brown churros, with sugar and cinnamon, dipped in hot chocolate… Truly Spanish? No, China gets the credit here too. The Chinese breakfast dish youtiao is the forerunner of churros. They are deep-fried strands of dough, more savoury than sweet. They reached Spain via Portugal and the rest, as they say, is history.

Swedish meatballs: not from Sweden

Whenever you’re at the furniture giant, you have to stop by the buffet with a tray for a portion of meatballs, with that cream sauce, jam and, of course, fries. But those unique meatballs are a copy of a Turkish recipe. Meatballs themselves are much older, but in Turkey, meatballs were first made from lamb or beef, with onion, parsley and breadcrumbs. Turkish köfte are therefore the forerunner of Swedish köttbullar. Allen key and frustration over bookshelves: yes, that really is Swedish.

Fish and chips: no, not British

You’re supposed to eat them wrapped in newspaper, with a little oil and vinegar poured over them: fish and chips. But the Portuguese had already thought of this centuries ago. In the fourteenth century, they were already making their peshkado frito, particularly on the Sabbath. Sephardic Jews from Portugal fled to Northern Europe around that time and brought their recipe for breaded and fried fish with them: a new tradition was born.

Chicken Tikka Masala: no, not from Bangladesh

Chicken tikka definitely does come from Asia, but creamy chicken tikka masala was developed in 1970 by an Indian chef in Glasgow. It was a hit, and everyone assumed it was an original dish from Bangladesh or India, but no.

Scotch egg: no, not Scottish

A meatball with a boiled egg hidden inside: that’s a Scotch egg. And this celebratory dish comes—not surprisingly—not from Scotland, but from India. As early as 500 BC, Nargisi kofta were being made in India: eggs wrapped in minced meat and then deep-fried. When India became a British colony, these eggs crossed over to Scotland. They got their name from a Scottish army regiment, which couldn’t get enough of those delicious eggs.

Vindaloo: no, not from India

In the fifteenth century, groups of Portuguese people moved to India. They brought their recipe for carne de vinha d’alhos with them: meat stewed in wine vinegar and garlic. In Goa, the wine vinegar was replaced with tamarind, black pepper and cardamom were added and voilà: vindaloo.

Read also:

• The origin of crisps
• So this is where the cheese in peanut butter comes from
• Why a city trip to the wine city of Bordeaux is a brilliant idea

Source: Bored Panda