Hispanic American cuisine sweeps the rankings

The popular food encyclopedia Taste Atlas published its ranking of the best recipes from the Americas. Hispanic nations were the most represented on the list, occupying many of the top spots.

Argentina ranks first on the Taste Atlas list thanks to its asado with criolla, a typical barbecued meat dish which the country is known for. This Argentinian barbecue technique ranks sixth in Taste Atlas' rankings for the world. Back in the Americas, Brazil is next with pincahna, and Colombia rounds out the podium thanks to pan de bono, the emblematic breakfast and snack from the Cauca Valley.

Mexico has the most recipes in the ranking, 18. Mexican food is especially well known in the United States due to its proximity to the country. The cuisine of the neighboring states is strongly influenced by their neighbor to the south.

Hispanic countries dominate the rest of the ranking, though they share some of the spotlight with Brazil. The United States managed to sneak into 18th place thanks to carne asada fries, a dish that is particularly popular in the American Southwest. The hamburger, collectively, and Maine baked lobster also earned spots in the ranking. Puerto Rico's pernil took ninth place.

Taste Atlas, well known for its culinary maps and rankings, was started by Matija Babic, a Croatian tourism entrepreneur. The creator's idea is to help tourists get to know the typical and popular food from each country. The maps and rankings operate on a popular voting system by a number of accredited users.