From Europe’s alpine meadows to Africa’s savannas, from the Amazon Rainforest to the icebound Arctic, every region on Earth brims with unique flavors that reflect its history, climate and culture. As conservation travelers, we also discover that food can unite sustainability and tradition—honoring local agricultural practices, Indigenous knowledge and our planet’s natural balance. Below, explore some of the world’s most enticing vegetarian dishes that can be found in Nat Hab destinations, highlighting native plants and a commitment to preserving biodiversity and local food cultures for generations to come.
Per tradition, we poured fresh cream on top of Victoria sponge cake on Nat Hab’s Scotland adventure. © Emily Goodheart
Europe: Heritage of the Harvest
Slovenia & Croatia
In the lush valleys of Slovenia, you’ll find štruklji—rolled dough filled with cheese, wild herbs or walnuts sweetened with local honey. Beekeeping is a national tradition, with prized honey varieties including linden blossoms and chestnut. Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast boasts fresh vegetables, olive oil and fragrant herbs like rosemary, sage and oregano. Dishes like blitva, a simple stew of Swiss chard, potatoes and garlic, highlight the bounty of the Adriatic region.
The Cotswolds, England
Rolling hills, honey-colored stone cottages covered in roses and charming tearooms define the Cotswolds. A comforting staple is bubble and squeak—pan-fried potatoes and greens such as cabbage, kale, English peas or Brussel sprouts, topped with a poached egg or tangy local cheddar. To satisfy your sweet tooth, Victoria sponge cake, filled with strawberries and whipped cream, pairs perfectly with Earl Grey tea.
Scotland’s Highlands & Islands
Scotland’s untamed beauty emerges in its rustic, hearty fare. Potato scones—thin, triangular scones made from mashed potatoes and flour—are a staple at breakfast and afternoon tea. Slather them with butter or top with Scottish heather honey for a comforting treat.
Portugal
Along with its delicious Port wine, Portugal offers up caldo verde (green soup) as a regional specialty, made with collard greens, potatoes and olive oil. Many coastal restaurants are embracing local seaweeds and wild herbs to create vegetarian small plates, often accompanied by artisanal bread dipped in local olive oil.
Iceland
In the land of fire and ice, geothermal energy powers greenhouses that produce tomatoes, cucumbers and even strawberries. A delicious staple is geothermal-baked rye bread, often left to slow-cook in the warm earth. This dense, slightly sweet loaf can be served with local butter or skyr, thick Icelandic yogurt, showcasing how innovative farming methods thrive amid Iceland’s volcanic terrain.
Nat Hab Philanthropy supports Groandi, an NGO focused on empowering Iceland’s conservation-oriented youth through environmental education about gardening and sustainable practices that foster connection to the land.
Greenland
Although agriculture is limited, Greenlanders use hardy herbs, root vegetables and greenhouses to cultivate fresh produce. Geothermal potato salad incorporates herbs like angelica, used by Inuit communities for centuries. The result is a meal that marries contemporary resourcefulness with age-old respect for the Arctic environment.
While traditional growing seasons are almost non-existent in Greenland, thanks to the inspiring efforts of Siu-Tsi’s Tasiilaq’s garden project, a Nat Hab Philanthropy grant recipient, crops like spinach, onions, turnips and radishes abound in this small, remote village in East Greenland.
I was treated to an array of vegetables on Nat Hab’s Tanzania Great Migration & Ngorongoro Crater safari. © Emily Goodheart
Africa: Celebrating Indigenous Grains & Greens
Botswana, Namibia & Zimbabwe
In Botswana and Namibia, sorghum and millet form the basis of porridge-like dishes. Enjoy bogobe jwa lerotse, a millet infused with the juice of the lerotse melon. It’s commonly paired with morogo—wild spinach sautéed with onions and tomatoes. Drought-resistant grains, melons and leafy greens showcase the ingenuity of local cooking in the semi-arid Kalahari environment. In Zimbabwe, peanut-based stews, known locally as dovi, include groundnuts, collard greens and sometimes sweet potatoes, served alongside sadza (cornmeal porridge).
Nat Hab Philanthropy supports Wilderness Community Drought Relief, a project distributing emergency food parcels to 12,500 individuals, primarily children, to alleviate the consequences of a severe drought in Southern Africa.
Kenya & Tanzania
Kenyan cuisine is wonderfully diverse, reflecting more than 40 different ethnic groups. A vegetarian highlight is irio, originating from the Kikuyu community. This mashed combination of potatoes, green peas and corn (sometimes with pumpkin leaves or watercress) is nutritious and comforting. Often served with a tangy tomato-onion relish, irio underscores Kenya’s reliance on its verdant farmlands for essential staples. Tanzania’s fertile landscapes yield a vibrant array of vegetables, including mchicha (the Swahili word for amaranth) and mlenda (okra stew), which pair well with ugali (maize porridge), the country’s staple food. Sweet potatoes and pumpkins appear in both savory stews and sweet porridges.
Nat Hab Philanthropy supports Gyekrumalambo Primary School in northern Tanzania. The most recent project funded is the completion of a school kitchen. This is a game-changer for the community and school children, where a facility like this (and the food to be served as a result) simply didn’t exist prior.
South Africa
Rich in biodiversity, South Africa utilizes plants like amaranth (locally known as imbuya), which can be sautéed with onions and tomatoes. Chakalaka, a spicy relish made from carrots, peppers, and onions, can be enjoyed on its own or with pap (maize porridge).
Rwanda & Uganda
In Rwanda, isombe—cassava leaves cooked with garlic, onions, and sometimes peanuts—makes for a hearty vegetarian main. Across the border in Uganda, matoke (steamed green bananas) pair well with groundnut sauce, reflecting the region’s reliance on bananas for sustenance. Pair with a cup of Ugandan coffee—the high and fertile landscape around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is excellent coffee-growing terrain. On Nat Hab’s Ultimate Gorilla Safari, travelers visit Gorilla Conservation Coffee, a project we support that uses sustainable coffee cultivation on the margins of gorilla habitat as a natural buffer, deterring gorillas from venturing into food crops. Founded by veterinarian Dr. Gladys Kalema, this initiative champions community education and direct monitoring of gorilla health, with farmers growing, processing and roasting beans to sell at a premium to benefit gorilla conservation.
Nat Hab Philanthropy supports Bwindi Plus Nursery and Primary School, tackling food insecurity by purchasing land and farming resources so students can grow their own food.
Madagascar
Famed for its vanilla—the world’s finest—Madagascar produces aromatic beans that transform desserts into indulgent treats. A Malagasy vanilla custard features eggs, milk, sugar and a generous infusion of vanilla. This dessert underscores how local farmers rely on sustainable vanilla cultivation to support both livelihoods and vital ecosystems in this biodiversity hotspot.
An Aboriginal guide leads us on a bushwalk across a dormant volcano near the Great Ocean Road to sample native edible plants on Nat Hab’s Australia South safari, and the author poses with an Indian thali © Emily Goodheart
Asia & the Pacific: Spices & Timeless Traditions
Rajasthan, India
Seventy-five percent of Rajasthan’s population is vegetarian, leading to a plethora of vegetarian cuisine. Staples include dal baati churma, lentil curry paired with wheat “baati” rolls, and gatte ki sabzi, featuring chickpea flour dumplings simmered in a tangy yogurt sauce. You’ll try locally sourced dishes like these at ecolodges on Nat Hab’s India Tiger Quest Adventure.
Ladakh, India: The Land of the Snow Leopard
High in the Indian Himalayas, skyu, a warming barley dumpling soup loaded with root vegetables and local greens, and gur gur chai, a pinkish salted yak butter tea, fortifies travelers against the harsh winters. These recipes have remained unchanged for centuries, a hearty meal for high-altitude trekkers.
Bhutan & Nepal
Bhutan’s national dish is ema datshi, made from yak cheese and dried chilis. The stew pairs beautifully with Bhutan’s red rice. Bhutan’s reverence for Gross National Happiness extends to farming practices designed to protect the environment and uphold cultural heritage. Nepalese cuisine is anchored by dal bhat tarkari—lentil soup (dal), steamed rice (bhat) and vegetable curry (tarkari), often accompanied by pickles (achar). Many Nepalese farmers follow organic practices by default, using compost and traditional terracing methods in the steep Himalayan foothills.
Sichuan, China
Sichuan Province is legendary for its bold, spicy cuisine. Fiery dan dan noodles with sesame paste, chili oil, garlic and Sichuan peppercorns can be made vegetarian by swapping in minced mushrooms or tofu.
Borneo
In the rainforests of Borneo, local communities cook with bamboo shoots spiced with wild ginger flower, and midin, a leafy fern often stir-fried with garlic. Borneo also offers an array of tropical fruits enjoyed by people and orangutans alike, such as durian and mangosteen. These ingredients highlight the island’s biodiverse ecosystem, carefully foraged and cultivated by Indigenous groups.
Australia
Australian Indigenous food culture, known as “bush tucker,” highlights native ingredients like wattleseeds, lemon myrtle and bush tomatoes. A wattleseed damper—a simple bread made from flour, wattleseeds, and water—can be baked in campfire embers. In Tasmania, pepperberry adds a spicy zing to soups, while in Queensland’s tropics, fruits like mango, dragon fruit, and lychee flourish. On Kangaroo Island, my fellow travelers and I were treated to a wine tasting and had the chance to savor local favorites, from blackberry pavlova and paella to lavender tea with a dollop of honey from the island’s hives, which support the only pure strain of Ligurian bees left in the world. You’ll venture to all these regions on Nat Hab’s 21-day Ultimate Australia Safari, staying at ecolodges that source their produce from microfarms and organic co-ops that are committed to preserving Australia’s unique biodiversity.
New Zealand
The Māori hāngi tradition involves cooking food underground over hot stones. A vegetarian hāngi might include kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin and cabbage, all steamed in flax baskets until tender and infused with a subtly smoky flavor. Add karengo seaweed foraged from the South Island’s coasts for extra mineral richness.
We savored tropical fruits and tlacoyos with blue corn and squash blossoms in Mexico’s volcanic highlands on my Monarch Butterfly Photo Expedition © Emily Goodheart
Latin America: Cacao, Cassava, Carambola, Calafate & Camu Camu
Mexico’s Central Highlands: Kingdom of the Monarchs
Corn forms the backbone of Mexican cuisine. Indigenous communities in the volcanic highlands make tlacoyos—thick masa cakes stuffed with beans, cheese or squash blossoms, often topped with nopales (cactus). Indigenous communities also harvest wild mushrooms from volcanic forests, often cooking them in corn husks with garlic and the herb epazote.
The Galapagos, Ecuador
Try a rich chocolate mousse with passionfruit curd, pairing the island’s tangy maracuyá (passionfruit) with Ecuador’s artisanal chocolate. The result is a bright, creamy indulgence that showcases both the islands’ fertile volcanic highlands—where passionfruit flourishes—and Ecuador’s heritage as a premier cacao producer. Nat Hab has partnered with local, family-owned chocolate producers SALAPÍ and CHIOCORELLA. Their chocolates are crafted using fine aroma cacao harvested from the Ecuadorian forest and San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos, guaranteeing 100% ‘tree to bar’ traceability—from farming cacao pods, fermenting beans in wooden boxes and sun drying to the artisanal chocolate-making process. By supporting these small businesses, we are investing in the local economy and promoting sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both people and the planet. We’re proud to be the first small ship operator in the Galapagos to eliminate chocolate packaging, offering nightly chocolates in guests’ cabins without any plastic or paper wrapping.
Nat Hab Philanthropy supports MonteMar Coffee. On Santa Cruz Island, MonteMar’s conservation coffee supports ecosystem rehabilitation for Galapagos giant tortoises grazing on the biodynamic farm.
The Peruvian Amazon
Along the Amazonian tributaries, you’ll find abundant tropical fruits such as camu camu, soursop and the sweet-tart lucuma. Locals blend these fruits into refreshing juices, desserts and ice creams, capturing the rainforest’s incredible biodiversity in each bite. For a superfood immune boost, try camu camu chia pudding. Manioc (yuca) is another Amazonian staple—often mashed and formed into juane de yuca—which can be filled with vegetables, then wrapped in banana leaves for steaming.
Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley
High-altitude farms in the Sacred Valley yield a kaleidoscope of native tubers, including purple potatoes known as papa púrpura. Indigenous Quechua and other Andean communities have cultivated these potatoes for centuries, passing down sustainable terracing and seed-saving practices. Causa—a layered, lemony potato dish—can be filled with avocado, vegetables or cheese, while the vivid papa púrpura lends a colorful twist that celebrates the region’s deep ancestral roots.
Brazil’s Pantanal
In the world’s largest tropical wetland, cassava flour (farinha) and beans feature heavily in vegetarian versions of feijão tropeiro—a dish typically including collard greens, onions and plenty of garlic.
Patagonia
Stretching across Chile and Argentina, Patagonia is a land of dramatic fjords, glaciers and windswept plains. A highlight is calafate berry jam, made from a dark blue berry that thrives in the harsh climate. Slathered on fresh bread or used in pastries, the calafate’s tart-sweet flavor has earned it legendary status—locals say if you taste it, you’re bound to return to Patagonia someday.
Costa Rica
A global leader in ecotourism, Costa Rica offers gallo pinto—rice, beans, onions, and bell peppers, topped with fried eggs or cheese. Locally grown avocados, yucca and plantains round out a hearty vegetarian meal, while fresh tropical fruits like carambola (star fruit), cas (Costa Rican guava) and mamón chino (Costa Rican rambutan) underscore the biodiversity that flourishes in its rainforests.
A lilac luncheon with herbs and berries at one of my favorite U.S. locales, Hurd Orchards, a 100-year-old fruit and flower farm. © Emily Goodheart
Canada & U.S. National Parks: Inspired by Indigenous Ingredients & A Bounty of Berries
Haida Gwaii: “Canada’s Galapagos”
Birch syrup and cedar jelly; Saskatoon berries and soapberries; stinging nettle and sea asparagus; Haida Gwaii’s old-growth rainforests and coastal waters provide a feast of seasonal ingredients. On Nat Hab’s Haida Gwaii adventure, travelers will have a special lunch at Keenawaii’s Kitchen, hosted by local Haida elder Roberta Olsen. Beautifully plated courses, from an appetizer of dried seaweed to a huckleberry dessert with nettle tea, embody Haida knowledge of sustainable foraging in one of the planet’s most pristine marine-temperate forest ecosystems.
Churchill, Canada: The Polar Bear Capital of the World
Northern Manitoba bursts with berries that provide food for both people and polar bears: cranberries, crowberries, cloudberries, dewberries, thimbleberries, lingonberries, gooseberries, bunchberries, blackcurrants, blueberries and aptly named alpine bearberries. For generations, First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have relied on berries as a dietary staple—eating them fresh, drying them for the winter or even boiling them for tea. Harvesting these fruits, which ripened under the midnight sun, has always been a communal event.
Fireweed paints Churchill’s tundra in vivid purple, one of the 700 plant species thriving in Wapusk National Park. Indigenous communities have long incorporated it into their meals, and Heather Spence-Botelho, a Parks Canada Knowledge Weaver and Churchill resident, makes fireweed jelly with blossoms gathered in late August. Serve fireweed jelly or berry jam with bannock, an Indigenous frybread.
During my travels with Nat Hab to the Polar Bear Capital of the World, I grew curious about the diets of people and animals living in this remote portion of the subarctic. Spurred by my background in animal behavior and food anthropology, I found that subsistence lifestyles in Churchill were intrinsically interlinked with wildlife and their food sources. Polar bears supplement their diet with many Indigenous traditional foods, including berries, fungi and plants. © Emily Goodheart
Over the years, Nat Hab has partnered with Churchill’s leaders to support local residents, including hosting an annual Thanksgiving celebration and community breakfasts for hundreds of townsfolk; providing food for the school breakfast program; and contributing to food drives with leftover groceries from meals served aboard our Polar Rovers. Nat Hab also supports The Churchill Northern Studies Center’s hydroponic greenhouse. The farm provides 250-400 pieces of produce each week, including lettuce, kale and herbs, to local grocery stores, the hospital cafeteria, and local restaurants and businesses. To help this program flourish, Nat Hab funded the Center’s hydroponic cabinet, a new educational component that offers hands-on learning experiences for scientists, residents and visitors. “Churchill is a cold tundra most of the year. We invested in hydroponic farming to help them grow fresh greens year-round. If you’re headed on a Nat Hab polar bear trip, you’ll likely have your own Rocket Greens salad!” shares Nat Hab’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Court Whelan.
Alaska
Berries abound in Alaska, a favorite of bears and humans alike. Salmonberries, bright orange jewels on the tundra, are used in the Indigenous dessert akutaq (Alaskan ice cream). Substitute animal fat with a vegetarian alternative and sweeten with a touch of local birch syrup for a culinary delight that is a testament to Alaska’s resourceful food traditions.
Yellowstone National Park
Acorns have long been a dietary staple for Indigenous communities around the Yellowstone region, who developed methods for leaching out tannins to make these nuts more palatable. Inspired by their culinary heritage, acorn stew with roasted acorn flour pays tribute to this tradition, especially when enhanced by the earthy depth of foraged morel mushrooms.
In 2019, Nat Hab operated the World’s First Zero Waste Adventure in Yellowstone National Park, an ambitious quest to reduce waste so dramatically that everything we generated on a weeklong trip would fit into one quart-sized bottle. And we did it!
Glacier National Park
Blackfeet tribes in Montana have long gathered local berries, including serviceberries and chokecherries. A warm Blackfeet berry soup goes excellent with fry bread and is simple to make—just berries, sugar and water!
Acadia National Park
Fiddlehead ferns, dandelion greens and sorrel are traditional spring foods of the Wabanaki in Maine, and are all delicious sautéed with garlic. The Pine Tree State’s famous blueberry pie is an ode to the wild lowbush blueberries that thrive in Maine’s acidic soils, harvested by the Wabanaki for centuries. Topped with fresh cream, it’s a slice of classic New England summer.
Food Sustainability & Conservation Travel
Wherever you go, sustainably sourced, plant-forward and planet-based meals are part of protecting wildlife habitats and cultural identities. At Nat Hab, we prioritize:
- Responsible Sourcing: We favor local producers, fair labor practices and ethical harvest methods.
- Waste Reduction: We continuously reduce waste, innovating new ways to protect the environments we explore.
- Community Support: By engaging Indigenous and local communities, we help sustain traditional agriculture and ensure fair compensation.
- Innovation & Education: We track the latest in food sustainability, always seeking ways to lessen our footprint while celebrating local cuisines.
Read more about our approach to sustainable food and waste reduction to discover how you can be a part of this global effort!
Food is more than just nourishment; it’s a gateway to understanding cultures, ecosystems and ourselves. So next time you’re dreaming of exploring Slovenia’s alpine meadows or Botswana’s savannas, remember that every bite tells a story—of the farmers and foragers, of the soil and climate, and of the traditions handed down through generations.
