CNN readers voted Taiwan as the top destination for authentic cuisine. Taiwan's food is a blend of Chinese and Japanese influences, with Taipei having over 20 streets dedicated to snacks. The Philippines was second, known for dishes like adobo and lechon. Italy came in third, renowned for items like pizza, pasta, and cheese. Thailand placed fourth due to the complex flavors from herbs and spices in dishes like papaya salad and grilled pork. Japan rounded out the top five for its multi-course kaiseki meals and revolving sushi bars.

1. Top 5 Destinations for Authentic Cuisine
Presentation by Eric Gaulin

2. Which destination has the
world’s best foods?
Last year, CNN asked readers to
vote for their favorite culinary
destination in an open Facebook
poll.
https://www.facebook.com/goaseantv/posts/384576191738112

3. Based on those findings…
Here are the Top 5
Destinations Worth
Traveling to for
Authentic Cuisine

4. #1 - Taiwan.
including a total of 8, 242 votes
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

5. The island’s food is a mash-up
of the cuisine of the Min Nan,
Teochew and Hokkien Chinese
communities, along with
Japanese cooking.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

6. The Taiwanese capital, Taipei,
alone has around 20 streets
dedicated to snacking. And then
there’s Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest
city, which is often referred to
as its food capital.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

7. #2 - Philippines.
including a total of 1, 528 votes
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

8. Filipino food isn’t as well known
as the other cuisines on this list,
but with more than 7,000
islands and a colorful history,
this archipelago has some
delicious dishes of its own.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

9. Adobo, for instance, is an
ubiquitous dish whipped up in
every household in the
Philippines. It’s Mexican in
origin, but Filipinos found that
cooking meat (often chicken
and pork) in vinegar, salt, garlic,
pepper, soy sauce and other
spices, was a practical way to
preserve meat without
refrigeration.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

10. Lechon, meanwhile, is the
Philippines’ most popular party
guest. An entire pig is spit-
roasted over coals, with the
crisp, golden-brown skin served
with liver sauce, the most
coveted part.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

11. #3 - Italy
including a total of 810 votes
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

12. Italian food has enslaved taste
buds around the globe for
centuries, with its zesty tomato
sauces, those clever things they
do with wheat flour and
desserts that are basically
vehicles for cream.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

13. Whether you’ve hit up Sicily to
gorge on arancini, made a
special trip to Naples to sample
the world’s best pizza or took a
train to Modena to taste the
world’s finest Parmigiano-
Reggiano, no corner of Italy will
leave your stomach
disappointed.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

14. #4 - Thailand
including a total of 470 votes
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

15. With influences from China,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar
and a royal culinary tradition,
Thai cuisine is the best of many
worlds.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

16. The combination of so many
herbs and spices in each dish
produces complex flavors that
somehow come together like
orchestral music. For
something really flavorful,
check out the country’s
northeastern — or Isaan —
cuisine.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

17. Popular Isaan dishes include
som tom (papaya salad), larb
moo (minced pork dressed with
lime juice, fish sauce, mint
leaves, onions, chilies) and ko
moo yang (grilled pork neck),
which comes with an incredible
dipping sauce.
som tom (papaya salad)
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

18. #5 - Japan
including a total of 445 votes
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

19. Typically, Japanese apply the
same precision to their food as
they do to their engineering,
taking their love for food a step
further than most nationalities.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

20. You can get a lavish multi-
course kaiseki meal that
presents the seasons in a
spread of visual and culinary
poetry or grab a seat at a
revolving sushi conveyor for a
solo feast.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/travel/world-best-food-culinary-journeys/index.html

21. If you liked this
piece, please
check out:
Eric Gaulin’s
Cooking Website
Eric Gaulin has always had an open
mind to new food, with a “try
anything once” mentality. While in
attendance at Elon University, Eric
helped to launch a cooking club at
and later became the lead, event
coordinator.