Food has an incredible ability to transport us to familiar places and introduce us to new destinations. While traveling may not be in the books for you right now, you can still cure your wanderlust through your sense of taste.

Condiments are a great way to add pizazz to your food and each country has its own favorite condiments loved by locals and tourists.

If you’re looking to travel via your tastebuds, try these condiments from various countries:

Chutney – India

Chutney is a condiment commonly used in Indian food and can be made to be sweet, spicy, smooth, or chunky. With a combination of vegetables, fruits, and spices, chutney is the perfect way to get a taste of India.

You can make chutney at home or purchase from your local grocery store.

Labneh – Israel

If you’re ever had a falafel or pita, chances are you’ve tasted labneh. This condiment, made from thick yogurt cheese, elevates your pita and vegetables.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fresh Labneh (@fresh_labneh) on Nov 26, 2019 at 9:28pm PST

Labneh is fairly easy to make at home, or you can find in most grocery stores.

Pico de Gallo – Mexico

Summer is approaching and nothing is better than chilling outside while eating a few tacos and sipping on a margarita. Pico de Gallo is an excellent summertime condiment and goes easily with roasted vegetables, tacos, grains, and grilled meat.

View this post on Instagram

Improv homemade spicy shrimp tacos with pico de gallo, lime, and radish🌮🌶

A post shared by looped (@loopedfood) on Apr 11, 2020 at 3:18pm PDT

Pico de Gallo is super easy to make at home and you can find it in most grocery stores.

Peri-Peri Sauce – South Africa

This delicious sauce is made from African Bird’s eye chilies, red onions, and garlic and is blended to a smooth consistency. Peri-Peri sauce is a stable in South African households and cuisines and is the perfect addition to any dish.

View this post on Instagram

Peri peri chicken and chips!! . Mid-week roasssttt anyone? 👀 . Noms all round with this hands off chuck it all in dinner! The ingredients for the peri-peri sauce cook with the chicken (see stories) and takes little effort. The chilli heat is barely there, perfect for the young guns! I promise its worth the wait for the chicken to roast! . Recipe, serves 4-6 2kg whole chicken (large) 2 red peppers, chopped into chunks 1 red onion, chopped into wedges 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 red chilli, halved and de-seeded (more of you like the heat!) 4 garlic cloves, skin on slightly bashed 1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika For the rub: 2 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika Few sprigs of thyme 2 garlic cloves, peeled Glug of olive oil Salt and pepper . Heat an oven to 190 fan. Pop the chicken, veg, chilli and garlic cloves on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle the veg with the paprika. . Bash together the rub ingredients in a pestle and mortar untill you get a paste. Smother all over the chicken. Roast the chicken and veg for 20 mins. After 20 mins, remove the veg, garlic and chilli from the tray. Return the chicken to the oven. Pop the garlic cloves out of their skins and blitz in a processor or blender with the veg, chilli and the red wine vinegar, you may need to add a little water to loosen. Transfer the peri peri sauce to a saucepan and simmer for 5 mins to cook out any chicken juices. Set aside. . 10 minutes from the end of the roasting time, baste the chicken with some of the peri peri sauce. Rest the chicken for 20 mins prior to serving. I Served with the warmed peri peri sauce, corn, sweet and white potato wedges (roasted in a little olive oil, paprika and seasoning for 35 mins in the same oven as the chicken). . #periperichicken #periperisauce #periperiroastchicken #roastchicken #midweekroast #chicken #wedges #familyfood #hhfperiperichicken #familymeals #familymealinspiration #dinnerinspo #dinnerideas #healthyfamilyfood #healthydinnerideas #familyfoodtribe #feedingafamily #feedingboys #easydinner #midweekroast #chickenandchips

A post shared by Kate Harris👩🏼‍🔬 (@hungryhealthyfamily) on Nov 20, 2019 at 11:51am PST

You can find this yummy condiment at Walmart.

Pesto – Italy

If you’re like me, making pasta during this time is very comforting. Adding pesto to your pasta can elevate your dish and transport you to Italy.

Made from basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and pine nuts, pesto sauce is an incredible addition to any pasta dish.

View this post on Instagram

🇺🇸 HOMEMADE PESTO🌿 PASTA 🇮🇹 This is what quarantine does to people. You get to practice many recipes: homemade pesto with spaghetti 🍝 It’s flavourful, comforting and perfect for these hot days. Hope you like it! If you want the recipe just let me know by posting a comment below ⬇️💋 . . 🇪🇸 PESTO 🌿 CASERO 🇮🇹 Esto es lo que la cuarentena le hace a la gente. Te da la oportunidad de poner en práctica muchísimas recetas nuevas: pesto casero con espaguetis 🍝. Es súper sabroso y perfecto para estos días calurosos que se avecinan. Si queréis la receta hacérmelo saber con un comentario abajo ⬇️ 💋 . . #pestopasta #pesto #quarantine #spaghetti #pestogenovese #feed #delicious #foodporn #newpost #feedfeed #yummy #homemadepesto #recipe #pasta #tasty #pastalover #basil #foodie #food #pestorecipe #pasta🍝 #healthylifestyle #healthyfood #pinenuts #oliveoil #eatclean #eat #health #newideas #eatclean4yourself

A post shared by Eatcleanforyourself 🥑 (@eatclean4yourself) on May 19, 2020 at 8:48am PDT

As long as you have a food processor, pesto is really simple to make! It’s also easily accessible in grocery stores.

Vegemite – Australia

Ok, so this one is definitely an acquired taste and it’s salty flavor may catch you off guard. Vegemite is a popular breakfast condiment for Aussies and is made from yeast.

View this post on Instagram

How's this for a winter brekkie?! There's nothing better than #VEGEMITE and eggs on toast to make you warm and fuzzy in the morning! 🥰 Looks delicious @hannahtdub #TastesLikeAustralia

A post shared by Vegemite (@vegemite) on May 30, 2020 at 3:59pm PDT

Marmite, a condiment similar to vegemite, is popular among the British.

You can find vegemite in most International stores such as World Market or online.

Harissa – North Africa

Harissa is a chill paste commonly eaten in North African countries such as Tunisia and Morocco. It’s the perfect way to spice up your meals and pairs well with cous cous and grilled meat.

View this post on Instagram

Moroccan Harissa Sauce is a spicy red hot sauce prepared from hot chilli peppers. To give an extra flavour, ingredients like lemon juice, coriander seed, cumin seed are added to this sauce. Here is how to make Harissa Paste. Ingredients 1 tsp Coriander Seeds 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 2 Red Bell Peppers 4-5 Fresno Chillies Any less spicy red chilli will do. 2-3 Bird's Eye Chillies Any spicy chilli will do. 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Salt 5-6 cloves Garlic 2 tsp Lemon Juice Instructions Dry roast coriander and cumin seeds until browned and fragrant and keep aside. Roast the red peppers over direct flame until charred from all sides. Cool and remove the charred skin. Discard the seeds and chop into small pieces. Wash and cut the Fresno chilies into small pieces. Discard the seeds. Add all the ingredients in a blender. Blend to make a smooth paste. Store in a clean jar. Top with some more olive oil. Store in refrigerator for a week. #harissa #Harissasauce #Harissapaste #Moroccan #Sauce #Homemade #Food #FoodPorn #InstaFood #India #Foodie #Indiaeats #IndianFood #IndianKitchen #InMyKitchen #OnThetable #Eat #Foodandwine #eeeeets #eattheworld #goodfood #feedfeed #beautifulcuisine #thekitchn #Foodgawker #FoodStyling #Onmytable #thatsdarling #instafood

A post shared by Neha Mathur (@whiskaffair) on Mar 28, 2018 at 7:00pm PDT

You can find harissa at most grocery stores.

Wasabi – Japan

Have you been getting your sushi fix? Wasabi is a great condiment, made from horseradish and mustard, to transport you to Japan.

Wasabi is easily found in most grocery stores.

Sriracha – Thailand

You may already have this condiment in your kitchen and we don’t blame you, it’s unapologetically delicious. This sauce is made from chilli pepper paste, distilled vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic.

The origins of Sriracha have been said to be from Vietnam but the condiment is Thai and named after the town Si Racha in Thailand.

Sriracha is easily found in grocery stores.

Tahini – The Middle East

Personally, tahini is one of my favorite condiments in the world. It can be used in most meals and is made from sesame seeds and turned into a paste.

View this post on Instagram

The key to a good salad is tasty dressing. Preparing this salad here with Lemon Tahini Dressing. It’s creamy but light, oil free, and vegan. Click the link in my profile for the recipe!

A post shared by Jasmin Foster Food Photography (@mashandspread) on Feb 18, 2019 at 12:06pm PST

You can find this wonderful condiment in most grocery stores (Trader Joe’s has a great one)!

Aioli – France

Aioli is a delicious, creamy sauce made from garlic, egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil, and can be added to potatoes, salads, burgers, vegetables and more.

This sauce is very popular in the south of France as well as the Mediterranean.

You can find a variety of aioli’s in most grocery stores.

South Africa

LATEST

Join the world’s most exclusive travel community.