Foodie's wish list: 10 must-try foods around the world

If we lived in an "ideal world" where we could simply go to any country at a moment's notice to try the best foods, people could go for the 10 iconic foods suggested by the news site Huffington Post.   United States Estimated Filipino population: 3,166,529* BBQ Ribs   Considered as the world's best smoked pork ribs, BBQ ribs are served in a variety of ways in cities such as Kansas, Memphis and St. Louis.   Some of the ways of preparing BBQ ribs include being rubbed with special garlic and spices, adding honey and molasses, and being slow-smoked.   China Estimated Filipino population: 26,772* Peking Duck   A Chinese imperial dish, the Peking duck is popular for its crispy skin which is sweet and garlicky.   Ordering a Peking duck is a treat in itself as the customers get to see how it is prepared.   The skin is usually served first, followed by the meat, then steamed pancakes, spring onions, and sweet hoisin sauce.   France Estimated Filipino population: 50,144* Escargots   This famous appetizer, identified mostly with the French, is actually a bunch of snails flavored with garlic and butter.   Flavoring aside, escargots are similar to mussels with a firm texture.     Greece Estimated Filipino population: 11,100* Moussaka   A casserole dish, the Moussaka is the Greek counterpart of the Italian lasagna. Melt-in-your-mouth layers of cheese and béchamel sauce adorn eggplants and meat. The dish is finished off with a showering of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices.   India Estimated Filipino population: 2,081* Masala Dosa   Considered as a vegetarian’s pick, Masala Dosa is the best bet to make a “dedicated carnivore” try vegetables. The Masala Dosa is a thin pancake similar to the quesadilla. It is made from rice and lentils and is stuffed with a special mix of mashed potatoes and fried onions.     Italy Estimated Filipino population: 123,379* Zucchini Flowers   They say this Italian delicacy gives a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth sensation that is "to die for."   It is prepared by stuffing the Zucchini flowers with herbed ricotta or mozzarella and dipping it into a batter and drizzled with olive oil.   Japan Estimated Filipino population: 290,358* Teppanyaki   Teppanyaki is actually not a kind of food but a type of restaurant in Japan.   It is a "show and dine" experience because the food will be cooked in front of you with blazing style using very tall flames on a gas-powered griddle.   Grilled Kobe beef, seafood or chicken and onion rings are some of the recommended foods to order when visiting a Teppanyaki restaurant.   Malaysia Estimated Filipino population: 316,273* Seafood Curry Laksa   This Chinese-Malay soup dish is of Peranakan origins and consists of noodles, seafood, fish stick, puffed tofu, vegetables, a hard-boiled egg, coriander and chili sambal all mixed within the spicy and creamy coconut soup.   The Laksa also has variants such as the Assam Laksa that uses fish instead of coconut broth.   Thailand Estimated Filipino population: 14,954* Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)   Originally from the Isan region, this salad can be sweet, sour, salty, spicy or even a combination of all with most servings usually partnered with grilled chicken and rice.   The shredded unripe papaya can be eaten with palm sugar, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind juice, dried shrimp, seafood, tomatoes, carrots, beans and peanuts.     Australia Estimated Filipino population: 345,592* and New Zealand Estimated Filipino population: 29,699* Pavlova   This decadent dessert is named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and is being claimed by both Australia and New Zealand as a dessert originally from their country.   Pavlova’s main ingredients are meringue and cream smeared with kiwi, strawberries and passion fruit. - with Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News   * Based on the 2010 Stock Estimate of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas