In pictures: 17 dishes and their surprising origins

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In pictures: 17 dishes and their surprising origins

These universal eats are popular, but do you know where they're actually from?

Published: July 06, 2021 17:50 Sharon Benjamin, Features Writer

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doughnuts-pexels — Doughnuts: Or Donuts, have been known to have originated from several areas, but these sweet and fried goodies were formerly known as olykoeks in Dutch – which loosely translate to oily cakes – before it came to Manhattan in the US Image Credit: Cottonbro/Pexels.com

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apple-pie-pexels — Apple Pie: No, it's not from America. Rather, it's from medieval England although the recipe and the pie's lattice crust were tweaked to perfection by the Dutch Image Credit: Hilal Bülbül/Pexels.com

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croissants-pexels — Croissant: The famous croissant is often mistaken for having a French background, especially because of its name. But the buttery and flaky viennoiserie pastry actually originates from Austria Image Credit: Pixabay/Pexels.com

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churros-pexels — Churros: A tasty treat laced with sugar and cinnamon, the churro was brought into light by Portuguese sailors in China. These mariners later introduced the concept in Latin America and Spain Image Credit: Pixabay/Pexels.com

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coffee-pexels — Coffee: Did you know? Coffee beans were first discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi around 850 AD. It was the energetic behaviour of Kaldi's goats, which interested him at the time. Much later as news travelled east – coffee reached the Arabian peninsula and the first coffee plant was found in the mountains of Yemen – from where its beans were exported to the rest of the world. The hot beverage was first introduced in Europe during the 16th century, and is the third most-favoured drink in the world Image Credit: Skitterphoto/Pexels.com

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cheesecake-pexels — Cheesecake: Originates from Greece, and is said to have been served during the the Olympics. As time progressed, this soft dessert with a crumbly crust, found itself in the hearts of many by the 18th century. The recipe underwent several modifications, and can now be served in two forms – some baked, others made with uncooked cream cheese with a cracker or biscuit base Image Credit: Wendy Wei/Pexels.com

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fries-pexels — French fries: Every one loves it, but these deep-fried potato bites aren't from France, rather from Belgium. According to BBC, the age-old lore claims that American soldiers – who were stationed in and around the Francophone regions – dubbed these finger chips as "French fries", and hence the name caught on Image Credit: Marco Fischer/Pexels.com

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Chicken vindaloo from Goa — Vindaloo: This famous gravy dish actually originates from Portugal, and was brought to India in the form of a dish named 'Carne de Vinha d’ Alhos' – which translates to meat made with a garlic marinade – and is popular mainly in Goa Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Classic French toast — French toast: This popular breakfast dish is often associated with France, but it actually isn't from there. It is said to have come from various places such as New York, England and even Mumbai (known as Bombay toast). In France, this breakfast bread is actually known as 'pain perdu' or lost bread Image Credit: Anas Thacharpadikkal/Gulf News

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Fish and chips guide — Fish and chips: This combination has been popular in England ever since the 16th century, but the dish actually originates from Portugal and Spain Image Credit: Anas Thacharpadikkal/Gulf News

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scotch-eggs-shutterstock — Scotch eggs: Often argued that this dish was first introduced in North Africa and India, the origins of scotch eggs can be traced back to Whitby in England, and was also known as a 'traveller's snack' Image Credit: Shutterstock

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chimichangas-shutterstock — Chimichangas: These deep-fried burritos are said to be a part of Mexican cuisine. But, it is not. According to the tales of the same, the chimichanga was first introduced in America – when the founder of the El Charro restaurant in Tucson, Arizona – accidentally dropped a burrito into a deep-fryer. It was then that the chimichanga became popular all over the world, starting with America (of course)! Image Credit: Shutterstock

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swedish-meatballs-shutterstock — Swedish meatballs: You would assume these are from Sweden, given its name. But, these tasty meatballs were actually brought into Sweden from Turkey by King Charles XII during the early 18th century Image Credit: Shutterstock

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german-chocolate-cake — German chocolate cake: If you are a dessert lover, then you would be surprised to know that this cake is not from Germany, but Texas. The recipe for this cake was actually first featured in The Dallas Morning News in June 1957, and was titled 'German Sweet Chocolate Cake'. The 'German' name was actually put into the title after Samuel German – who invented the sweetened chocolate while working for Baker's Chocolate – and garnered further popularity over the years Image Credit: Shutterstock

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hawaiian-pizza — Hawaiian Pizza: The concept of 'pineapple on pizza' first came emerged at the Satellite Restaurant (Canada) in 1962. The pizza – titled Hawaiian pizza – was first introduced by Greek-Canadian Sam Panopoulos. Sam was inspired by the sweetness of the pineapple, and the savoury flavour of the ham, before actually making it popular among several pizza lovers Image Credit: Shutterstock

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chicken-tikka-masala-shutterstock — Chicken Tikka Masala: Contrary to popular belief, this dish is not from India. It first took its form from Glasgow in Scotland. Rich in flavour and aroma, this dish plays quite a role when contributing to the Indian cuisine. The concept behind this was first conceived when a chef cooked up a spicy yoghurt-based sauce to go with the chicken, to impress his customer Image Credit: Shutterstock

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danishes-shutterstock — Danish: A name associated with Denmark. But this pastry originated from Vienna in Austria. In 1850, there was a strike amongst Danish bakers. This strike resulted in a decrease in manpower, which in turn led to bakery owners to outsource their personnel from Vienna. The introduction of this pastry [Danish], then became a part of the new recipes and traditions native to the European country Image Credit: Shutterstock

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