"My food is better than yours" is a jibe that had an early beginning. During the age of European empire-building, nations started devising a national cuisine to differentiate themselves from their rival nations.
Except for Mexico, China or India, most countries have their representative dishes that either highlight the most popular food or their speciality.
Hamburgers in the US, Sushi in Japan, Kabuli Palaw in Afghanistan, Pad Thai from Thailand, and so much more, national dishes are a country's way of sharing its culture and, needless to say, criminally mouth-watering.