Intrepid releases list of ‘Endangered Dishes’

June 2026

Developed by leading food experts, the list highlights global dishes that are at risk of extinction, encouraging travellers to seek out authentic, locally-rooted cuisine.

Intrepid Travel, a global leader in responsible travel, has released a list of ‘Endangered Dishes’, highlighting dishes from around the world that are at risk of disappearing. Developed in collaboration with leading food experts, the initiative is designed to inspire travellers to seek out authentic, locally-rooted cuisine, while supporting the communities that preserve these culinary traditions.

The list was researched and curated by Dan Saladino, author of Eating to Extinction, and award-winning food writer Yasmin Khan who drew on their own research and previous work, alongside interviews with local food experts and chefs around the world. Dishes were identified as being (1) materially endangered due to environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change, (2) culturally endangered due to dilution or standardisation driven by overtourism and globalisation or (3) craft-endangered due to reliance on traditional skills and practices that are declining because of social, economic or environmental change.

Among the dishes featured are hand-rolled New York bagels, which are increasingly being replaced by industrial production methods, Hong Kong’s oversized soup dumplings, now mass-produced to meet tourist demand, and “Inanchila,” a sacred sticky rice dessert from the Philippines that is under threat as Indigenous ingredients are replaced by more commercially driven alternatives.

The Endangered Foods List includes:

1. Cuscos Transmontanos com Coelho - Transmontanos couscous with rabbit stew (Lisbon, Portugal)
2. Mosbolletjies - grape must buns (South Africa)
3. Inanchila - a sacred sticky rice dessert made with endangered rice varieties (Northern Philippines)
4. Hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels (New York, USA)
5. Petkhvis Cvishtvari - black millet patty (Georgia)
6. Kwun Tong Gao - “jumbo soup dumplings” (Hong Kong)
7. Chelsea bun (London, UK)
8. Tlacoyos made with maíz criollo – ‘heirloom native corn’ (Mexico)
9. Traditional gumbo with filé powder (New Orleans, USA)
10. Funazushi / Narezushi - the original sushi (Osaka, Japan)

The initiative comes amid growing demand amongst travellers for authentic food experiences. A recent Intrepid survey of more than 8,000 travellers across Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom found that 66% of travellers consider experiencing local food and cuisine an important factor when choosing a travel destination, while 93% agree that eating locally is one of the best ways to understand a culture when travelling. Intrepid has worked to incorporate these at-risk dishes across its trips, helping travellers experience authentic local cuisine while supporting the communities that preserve and produce it.

Erica Kridikies, General Manager at Intrepid Travel commented:

“So much of a destination’s culture is rooted in its food - from traditional recipes and local ingredients to the stories, customs and generations of knowledge behind every dish. Tourism can play an important role in helping to safeguard these culinary traditions, but when it’s not done responsibly, it can also contribute to its decline. By shining a light on these at-risk dishes, we hope to highlight the role travellers can play in supporting communities to preserve their food heritage and encourage them to seek out authentic, locally-rooted culinary experiences.

“These dishes - alongside many others – are featured across the thousands of food experiences Intrepid offers on its trips worldwide, helping travellers to discover them in a meaningful way while supporting the communities keeping these traditions alive”.

Dan Saladino, Author of ‘Eating to Extinction’, said:

“We chose dishes like the New York bagel and sushi from Japan because they are, in culinary terms, global icons, yet most people don't realise the authentic versions are actually on the brink of vanishing due to modern shortcuts and mass-market pressures. Food is the most profound link we have to our history, our land, and our identity, yet we are currently witnessing a global collapse of culinary diversity.”

Food Writer, Yasmin Khan, who collaborated on the research, added:

“When a traditional dish disappears, we don’t just lose a recipe; we lose a piece of history and heritage. As travellers, we have a responsibility to support the food cultures that make the places we visit so distinctive. When we choose the safety of the familiar over food rooted in local tradition, we can inadvertently contribute to the loss of irreplaceable flavours, techniques and ingredients. Protecting these dishes isn’t just about saving a meal –– it’s about preserving the stories at the heart of the cultures we travel to experience.”

Intrepid operates 20 dedicated food tours across four continents, alongside thousands of local food experiences offered on more than 900 trips worldwide. Many of these dishes are available to experience on Intrepid tours around the world. South Africa’s Mosbolletjies (grape must buns), featured on itineraries such as the Okavango Experience, Okavango & Beyond and Botswana Family Safari with Teenagers. In Georgia, travellers can try the list’s Petkhvis Chvishtari (black millet patty) on the Georgia Adventure trip. Tlacoyos made with maíz criollo (heirloom native corn) feature on Intrepid’s Mexico Unplugged and Mexico Real Food Adventure, while traditional gumbo with filé powder is available to try on the New Orleans French Quarter Food Experience.

For more information on the list and Intrepid Travel’s experiences, visit www.intrepidtravel.com/endangered-dishes

Read more about Intrepid’s dedicated Food Trips: www.intrepidtravel.com/food