International Treats

Every country has its own special treats. Here are four famous foods from around the world that you may want to try.

Vegemite is one of the best-loved foods in Australia, but it's not very popular in other countries. It's a dark brown spread that tastes salty-a bit like beef bouillon. Australias usually eat it on bread with butter, or on toast with melted cheese. It has a lot of vitamins and minerals, and most Australian kids grow up eating it. When Australians go abroad, many take a jar of Vegemite. It's hard to find in other countries.

Escargots, or snails, are popular French dish. The snails are usually cooked in liquid, then put back into their shells with butter, garlic, and herbs. Because snails eat things that can be poisonous, the snails are first fed lettuce and flour for about two weeks. Then they are not fed anything for several days. This cleans out their stomaches so they are safe to eat.

If you like hot, spicy foods, you'll like Korean kimchi. There are many different kinds of kimchi, but the most popular kind is made from Chinese cabbage, garlic, onions, and hot peppers. To make kimchi in the traditional way, Koreans combine the ingredients in a big jar. Then the jar is put outside during the winter months. This lets the kimchi ferment and fives it a hot, sour taste. Kimchi is served at meals as side dish, and it's used in many recipes. It has lots of Vitaminsand minerals.

On a hot day in Singapore, try ice kachang, or red bean ice. It's a big ball of shaved ice with sweet, fruity syrup and red beans. The beans are sweet, not salty, and taste good with the fruit-flavored ice. It's usually served with milk jelly. Variations of ice kachang are fond all over Asia.