Not a national dish: where sauerkraut, croissants and spaghetti with tomato sauce actually come from

Croissants come from France,with tomato sauce from Italy and sauerkraut from Germany – every child knows that. Only: That's not true!In fact, many well-known dishes have different origins, than we all think.We'll tell you where well-known national dishes originally come from.

And then you see again: It doesn't matter where you come from. Ultimately it comes down to the (inner) values. Please everyone think about this more often.

For many it is THE classic of Italian cuisine: spaghetti with tomato sauce - a national dish whose Italian origins no one has ever doubted. The dish itself probably comes from France. At least the recipe was first written down in a French cookbook in 1797, while in Italy it was first found in a cookbook in the early 19th century. Therefore, instead of Pasta al Pomodoro, you would have to order Pâtes à la Tomate.

So, where do you often get fortune cookies after visiting a restaurant? That's right, in restaurants with Chinese cuisine. But research is certain that fortune cookies as such were invented in Japan. Japanese baker Takeshi Matsuhisu has explained that treats filled with good luck messages are a tradition in Japan that dates back to the 17th century. According to Japanese historian Yasuko Nakamachi, the fortune cookies come from a small family bakery in Kyoto, where the traditional Tsujiura Senbei, as fortune cookies are called in Japan, are still made today. An illustration from 1878 also shows a baker making fortune cookies. What is true, however, is that the cookies were made popular by people with Chinese roots - albeit in America.

Sauerkraut is probably one of the most German foods ever - it's not for nothing that we are still sometimes derogatorily referred to as Krauts in English-speaking countries. In fact, pickled cabbage only came to Europe and Germany in the 13th century, through Genghis Khan. In China, white cabbage, preserved through lactic acid fermentation, had been eaten for centuries before. And in Greece, fermented foods were already known long before the Germans; Hippocrates praised them as healthy. The fact is: Historically, sauerkraut cannot be described as a German national dish.

French cuisine, one of the great world cuisines, is known for a whole host of dishes: from baguette to Camembert, from crepes to ratatouille, from crème brûlée to cassoulet. And of course the croissant is also a symbol of culinary France. However, this originally comes from Austria and is therefore not a national dish of France. In 1838, the Austrian baker August Zang opened a shop in Paris and offered Viennese croissants, which are now known as croissants, and which were quickly baked by his French colleagues. The croissants were originally developed from Austrian croissants - they were also made from puff pastry.

If you don't know: Tempura is a preparation variant of fried dishes that is primarily known from Japanese cuisine. Fish, mushrooms and vegetables are usually coated with flour, egg and ice water and quickly fried in hot oil. Only: This method of preparation was brought to Japan in the middle of the 16th century by the Portuguese, who in turn copied the whole thing from the Chinese. Tempura is by no means of Japanese origin.

American cuisine isn't necessarily known for salads, except for one: the Caesar salad. But here we unfortunately have to tell all Americans: The dish was invented in Tijuana, Mexico - albeit by an Italian-American. His name: Cesare Cardini. He was born in Italy, emigrated to the USA in the 1920s and opened a restaurant in Tijuana during Prohibition. When there was a rush of Americans to the restaurant on July 4, 1924, the American national holiday, Cardini offered a salad based on the remaining ingredients that he modestly called Caesar Salad. From then on, the court spilled over into the USA. Since then it has been known as a US dish, but it is by no means a US national dish.

Who do you think invented french fries? Based on the name alone, you'd assume it was French, right? (Although fries are often thought of in the USA due to the many fast food chains.) But it seems as if the Belgians were the inventors of this popular food - even if they spoke French at the time. The fried potato sticks are said to have been invented by Belgians during the First World War, and US soldiers are said to have observed them. And because they spoke French, the men called the dish French fries. It is fitting that the per capita consumption of French fries in Belgium is the highest in the world. Around 350,000 tons of fries are eaten in this country every year - fortunately not per capita, but overall.