Comfort foods – those dishes we turn to when we’re nostalgic for the past or in need of the gastronomic equivalent of a hug. Some are enjoyed by a particular culture, others are appreciated across the globe – here are some of the most recognizable.

While Argentinian grass-fed beef is a succulent treat, empanadas – the melt-in-the-mouth meat, cheese or vegetable pastries popular in Latin America – are so popular that there are shops that specialize in this moreish snack. Eaten both at home and on the go, expect fillings to vary from region to region.

While pie floaters, meat pies floating in a thick pea soup, are popular with many Aussies who relish the dish’s warm heartiness, the most famous snack in Australia has to be a layer of Vegemite (yeast extract) on warm buttered slices of toast.

These soft, small cheese rolls are light, fluffy and nothing short of addictive. Cooked in a similar way to French gougères, the end result is an array of hollow puffs of loveliness that Brazilians go mad for. They’re gluten-free too.

Fries, chips, fried potatoes – most countries have a version and they’re a never-ending source of joy. But Canada’s gone one stop further with its Quebec-born fast food dish of French fries with creamy cheese curds and salty gravy. Unsurprisingly, it’s a comfort food winner, especially in the colder months.

With eight key cuisines and 56 ethnic groups, choosing one comfort food from China is a tall order. While steamed dumplings (bao) and noodles get a unanimous thumbs-up, it’s hotpot that gets top votes. Centuries old, impressive in both sight and smell, the broth is as flavorful as the tidbits dunked into it. Thought to have originated from Mongolia, the most recognizable kind is the spicy Sichuan hotpot.

Koshary is a carb lover’s paradise of rice, pasta and lentils coated in tangy tomato sauce, a sprinkling of chickpeas, crispy fried onions and spicy sauce. This vegan leftovers dish, which was originally prevalent amongst the Egyptian working classes, now has street carts and restaurants dedicated to it and a growing following.

England’s a nation that loves its pies and does them well, but for many the top comfort-food meal is undoubtedly a plate of roasted meat, potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy followed by a sweet, soft-yet-crunchy apple crumble.

Because France is such a large and gastronomically rich country to choose one comfort dish would do all the others a disservice. There’s French onion soup with its cheesy bread topping, the classic croque monsieur and creamy crème brulee. But many would agree that they’d happily tuck into gratin dauphinoise – made from oven-baked potato slices, cream, butter and garlic it's irresistible in its simplicity.

The wonderfully-named kartoffelpuffer are fried potato pancakes that are hard to resist. Beloved of Germans and Austrians, they have the added benefit of a side of apple sauce, making them a savory-sweet treat that’s both filling and nostalgic.

Unsurprisingly, soups feature heavily as comfort food dishes. Greece’s offering is a chicken broth made with eggs (or sometimes just egg yolk) and lemon. Rice or orzo is added to stabilize the lemon-egg emulsion. Probably Jewish in origin, versions can be found across Europe and the Balkans.

A recent survey found chicken to be the go-to comfort food in India, which is somewhat ironic given that it’s a predominantly vegetarian country. After chicken dishes, curd rice comes a close second. A staple, especially in the south, it’s made from mixing yogurt, herbs and spices into cooled rice.

This rustic dish of mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage (or sometimes kale), butter, and milk or cream might be modest but it never goes out of fashion, perfect for cold wintry nights or when there’s not much food in the pantry. There’s even a song named after it.

A distinctly Jewish dish (though there are variations across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East), cholent is a slow-cooked stew made from beef brisket, beans, barley, potatoes and spices. In Israel it’s served with hard-boiled eggs. Traditionally it was cooked on a Friday so that people could enjoy a hot meal on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, without having to cook.

Lasagne is probably the most popular Italian comfort food dish, known worldwide for its rich layers of meat, pasta and cheesy sauce. But the Italians hold a special affection for tiramisu and it’s impossible to contest the marvel of this creamy, boozy dessert with a caffeine hit.

Jamaican cuisine is filling, substantial and full of spice. One of the best dishes is curried goat, which is bursting with flavor and heat. It’s a staple regularly served at parties and celebrations as well as at home.

Eaten when people are not feeling well, okayu is a warm, mild rice porridge. It doesn’t look particularly enticing compared to other Japanese dishes but does the trick, simultaneously soothing both a sore throat and the soul.

This smorgasbord features the best of Malaysian cooking and is one of the country’s national dishes – the sheer variety (which changes from region to region) solidifies its popularity. Steamed coconut rice, sambal, dried anchovies, fried chicken, curry, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber, roasted peanuts – you name it, nasi lemak’s got it. Traditionally a breakfast dish served on a banana leaf, it’s now eaten at any time of the day.

Mexican cuisine is virtually synonymous with comfort food so choosing one dish is nigh on impossible. But there are two soups that are firm favorites throughout the country: sopa de lima (pictured), a heartwarming, stomach-soothing chicken, tortilla and lime soup from the Yucatan region; and pozole de frijol, a quick and easy pinto bean broth with chilies and hominy (maize) that can contain pork or come as a veggie dish.

There aren’t many people who would turn down stuffed dumplings – what’s not to love about bite-sized morsels of meat or veg incased in a starchy dough? Whether steamed or fried, momo are ubiquitous in Nepal – the locals love them, especially with a spicy tomato achar sauce.

Otherwise known as fried plantains, dodo are loved for their comforting sweet crispiness. Because of plantains’ starchiness they make a substantial snack, side or main meal though they’re often served with rice or fried eggs. They’re basically Nigeria’s answer to French fries.

This is a Filipino favorite – chocolate rice porridge made with glutinous (sticky) rice, coconut milk, sugar and cocoa powder. It’s a snack served at merienda (teatime) but such is its reputation it’s eaten at breakfast and for dessert too.

Just as soups are high up on the list of foods different nationalities turn to for solace, so are dumplings. Pierogi, boiled semi-circular dumplings with savory or sweet fillings, are universally adored. Once regarded as peasant food they remain an essential part of Polish and Slavic cuisine.

This is home cooking at its most memorable, for Russians at least, who are happily sated by this dish of stuffed cabbage leaves with a filling of ground beef and pork, rice, onion, carrots and garlic, cooked in a liquor of stock and sour cream.

Named as such because it’s a one-pot meal prepared on the stove, stovies is an uncomplicated leftovers dish found in various forms across the country and made from the remaining meat of a Sunday roast (or sausages), lard or dripping, potatoes and onion. The Scots swear it’s the best dish to line your stomach before a night of drinking and it also works as hangover cure.

South African cuisine has Dutch, Asian and African influences, making it an amalgamation of an intriguing mix of styles. The national dish, bobotie, a spiced minced meat dish with a baked egg topping is regarded by many as the ultimate cheering dish, but for something soothingly sweet it has to be melktert (milk tart), a baked custard tart dusted with cinnamon, which many South Africans swear is their preferred comfort food.

Alternatively known as Korean pancake or Korean pizza, there are countless types of jeon – essentially, if something is coated in egg and flour and fried it’s jeon. From ones made with offal to sweet varieties, there’s something for everyone, which is why it never fails to satisfy.

Essentially Spain’s answer to the donut, churros are recognizable by their distinctive ridges and tear-shaped form (straight ones are also common). Made from choux, fried then sprinkled with sugar, they’re dipped in thick hot chocolate and to Spaniards (and many other cultures) are the closest things to heaven.

It gets chilly in northern Europe so a warming, nourishing home-made bowl of split pea and ham soup is a cheering dish in the frozen winter months. Customarily eaten on a Thursday (before a day of fasting when the country was largely Catholic), today it’s eaten whenever someone is in need of a simple, sustaining supper.

Congee (rice porridge) is eaten all over Asia and In Thailand jok moo – rice congee with ground pork balls – is a favored dish. Somewhere between a soup and porridge, congee is undemanding and soothing. Though it looks plain, it’s garnished with a variety of spices, herbs, meat and veg.

A simple dish of stewed beans may not sound overtly enticing but it’s viewed as ‘ev yemegi’ in Turkey, meaning a dish that Turks intrinsically associate with home cooking. Similar to the Greek dish fasolada, the beans are cooked in a tomato, onion and carrot sauce. It’s served with rice.

America’s fast-food culture has become synonymous with comfort – burgers, fries, hot dogs, Philly steak sandwiches and the like all compete in this category. But it’s arguably that famous Italian import, pizza, that wins out simply because it’s so versatile with its countless toppings.

The food attributed to the American South deserves a special mention – it’s called soul food, after all, and evolved to nurture our spirits. Fried chicken, biscuits and mashed potatoes is arguably the most famous meal but if there’s one cuisine that carries the honor of being comforting in every dish, it’s this one.

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