50 World Foods to Try Before You Die

© iStock / Getty Images Plus / NDStock
Kottu Roti - Sri Lanka
If you get the chance to visit the beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka (or happen to have a local Sri Lankan restaurant near you), you definitely need to try its iconic kottu roti dish. Easily the country's most popular street food, it's made of shredded roti (a round flatbread) that's cooked on a griddle with a meat-based curry, scrambled eggs, onions and chilies. You can also order it vegetarian or with chicken or seafood. The ingredients are stir-fried and finely chopped with a pair of cleavers throughout the cooking process, which results in loud clanking sounds that can be heard from a distance.
Where to eat: Hotel de Plaza in Colombo is one of the famous spots for kottu, recommended by the late Anthony Bourdain for its traditional kottu roti as "the perfect hangover food."