More culinary icons, the comestible staples we so closely identify with certain locations around the globe, flourish in another installment of quintessential city food symbols.

Cairo, Egypt: Ful

Insane and cacophonous Cairo, a city that never sleeps, is home to just under 18 million people. With a history that predates most, the Nile River city has a wealth of wonderful food, much of which can be had in the suq, or bazaar areas. Is it much of a surprise then that the staple dish, dear to the hearts of Cairo residents and indeed, Egyptians all over the world, is the unpretentious fava bean? Ful is just the kind of stick-to-the-ribs peasant goodness that every traveler needs to try.

The humble copper pot dish is a slow fava bean stew, whose resultant richness is elevated with copious glugs of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and onion. If you wander among the busy Cairo streets and encounter a ful stand with a long line, stay there and experience the Egyptian lunch of a lifetime.

Kingston, Jamaica: Jerk

With the dispersion of the Caribbean diaspora in North America and Europe over the past five decades, jerk has become a familiar culinary term. The spice rub that elicits heart palpitations is perilously addictive. The combination of allspice and lethal Scotch bonnet peppers, often with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and garlic in the mix, turns chicken into a vehicle of poultry madness. You may think you have authentic jerk in your city, but no version compares to what they cook up in Kingston, Jamaica.

The best jerk in the capital city is made the old way, in hollow oil barrels that serve as homemade charcoal pits in which to roast the fiery meat. It may not pass muster with the health inspector but who cares – the end product is ridiculous. No need to ask your hotel concierge where to find the best jerk stands either. When in Kingston and indeed, other parts of Jamaica, your nose will be your guide.

For a taste of jerk, check out the best hotel rates in beautiful Jamaica.

Valencia, Spain: Paella

Perhaps the most incomparable one-pot meal, paella is the national dish of Spain. Or so most of us think. The problem with that notion however, is that we discount the vital regional divarications that make the country very dissimilar from say, Galicia to Andalusia. Consider the fact that Spain has fifty provinces and 17 autonomous communes, not to mention a geography that features France on one end and North Africa on the other.

The message to neophyte tourists is thus: do not expect to eat paella everywhere in Spain. Order it in Valencia, the pioneer home of the dish. The word “paella” refers to the immense, shallow pan the real deal dish is made with. The dish is a test of patience, resolve and love, and should take time to prepare. The end product in the best Valencia kitchens is a magnum opus of saffron, rice, seafood or meat that serves a small community. Do not waste your paella experience in the north of Spain, in Barcelona or even Madrid. Save it for Valencia.

Visit Valencia safe in the knowledge that your hotel is affordable and heavenly paella awaits.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Feijoada

The culinary symbol of Brazil, feijoada has much in common with other items on our quintessential list. A peasant staple for one, that began with a humble, hearty ingredient whose taste and texture grew in appeal with a patient union of heat and time. With the addition of fat, salt and spices, the subsequent outcome was gold. Thus, much like cassoulet, ful and paella, feijoada provides the denizens of Rio de Janeiro with comfort food for the soul. The slave-era stew of black turtle beans with meat, in the form of offal, has become the food of the mainstream.

More than likely, the star protein today is pork sausage or beef, with myriad accompaniments that may or may not include rice, cassava and pepper sauce. Die-hards of the dish favor the nasty bits however, like tongue or tripe. Because it takes hours to prepare properly, feijoada is not a daily special in Brazil. However, certain restaurants in Rio specialize in the dish. Make a reservation at a spot where the locals congregate and be sure to enhance your feijoada experience with cachaca and cold beer.

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