Picnic Ideas From Around The World

There’s something very special about family meals. It’s a time to catch up, giggle, and prepare yummy dishes with your loved ones. And now that the sun’s out, why not take your meals outdoors to your favourite park or local nature reserve?

Outdoor picnics can be a resourceful way to use up what’s left in your fridge. Got some feta cheese and bread left over? Put it in your picnic basket! Has it been a kid’s birthday recently? Whack some birthday cake in a tin, fill up your flask with tea and enjoy a nibble with a view.

Family picnics can be as low maintenance or as high maintenance as you wish. Go food shopping with your youngsters and spark their interest in different foods. If it’s a special occasion you can buy ready-bought sharing platters from cheap supermarkets like Aldi and mini cocktail cans or bottles of bubbly. Grab some dips, crisps, fruit, a bit, and fruit juice and have a snackathon! Or, you can make food at home before you go.

Picnic gear is also very inexpensive. Most people will take plastic cutlery, plates and cups or disposable items. All you really need is your food, drinks, a blanket, maybe some cushions (not essential), a cooler bag, some ice packs, a carrier bag for your rubbish, tissues, and Bob’s your uncle!

If you want to jazz up your picnic consider adding extras like a music speaker, bring an iPad and watch a film together while you snack or bring a disposable BBQ with you if you want to crank it up a notch!

All in all, people love picnicking because it gets you out of the house, it’s a great opportunity to bond with your loved ones, and it’s inexpensive!

So now you know all the reasons why you should do a family picnic, let’s get into how to create a unique picnic full of treats from around the world…

Spanish cuisine is perfect for picnics. Why? Because Spain is the home of Tapas! Tapas is an appetizer/snack in Spanish cuisine. They are often served in Spanish restaurants in lots of small dishes. People typically eat a few different dishes altogether.

This is great if you’ve got kids who are picky eaters as they can literally pick and choose between small amounts of food. They won’t feel the stress of committing to a full meal and fear the waste, as it’s a shared dish.

Some excellent Tapas ideas would be a selection of cold (previously cooked) meats like jambon, chorizo, and Serrano ham.  You can then add a variety of soft and hard cheeses like Manchego, Spanish blue cheese and Mahon. Keep the Summery vibes going with some yummy citrus-marinated olives, grapes, cherry tomatoes, figs and of course, breadsticks! And if you want to be a bit cheeky, chuck in a bottle of Snagria – for the parents only!

Take a basket of the Mediterranean with you on your next outdoor adventure!

Japanese cuisine is refined and elegant from the flavours to its presentation. Sushi is probably the most famous Japanese delicacy we know of here in the Western world. This popular dish is also the perfect thing to add to your picnic bags, especially if you are thinking of doing a Japanese-themed picnic.

You can get sushi rice, sushi rolls, sashimi, and other cold meats from supermarkets if you didn’t feel confident making it at home. Aldi is a great place to shop for delicious yet cost-effective sushi. Sushi is featured in many meal deals in supermarkets across the UK!

Pick from Nigri, Maki, Inari, rainbow rolls, California rolls, shrimp tempura and so much more! If you want to find out more about sushi, make sure to check out our Sushi Near Me blog. You’ll find local sushi restaurants alongside a breakdown of what sushi actually is.

And for dessert? Pack a matcha Swiss roll. black sesame seed cookies or Japanese cheesecake. Wash this all down with some Ramune Lychee or Mogu Mogu drinks.

Similar to Spain, Italians love their cured meats, cheeses and colourful vegetables. Italian food is super popular in the UK. The Italians gave us all of our favourite foods from pizza to pasta, antipasto salad, salami, coffee, tiramisu and so much more…

You can add each of these sensational delicacies to your family picnic. Try an Italian sandwich! Use fresh Italian rolls, add Italian sliced meats, sliced provolone, bright red tomatoes and some green lettuce.

All hail the Greek salad!!! A traditional Greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta cheese. This classic combination is delicious, so I stick to it, just adding a handful of mint leaves for a fresh finishing touch. My olives of choice are Kalamata olives.

Its refreshing and zingy taste is perfect for a hot Summer’s day. Pack some cloudy lemonade and a cheeky shot of ouzo and job’s a gooden!

C’est l’heure du pique-nique!

One thing about the French, they love their food! So make sure you honour their traditions with food and enjoy every item you pick. But where to start, that’s the question!

French foods are typically centred around bread, cheese, meats, fruits, vegetables, and lots of sauces. Some great picnic ideas would be breadsticks or rustic breads like fougasse with cured meats like salami and pastrami. Add in some Cantal cheese or chevre frais (goat’s cheese). Buy some mini quiches – you can get these everywhere and they are the perfect lunchtime snack! Satisfy your sweet tooth with some madeleines or tart tatin and voila!

Food and socialisation go very well in France so make sure to pair your yummy dishes with great company. Picnics are also great date night ideas, so why not throw in a bottle of wine and pack some candles too? Just pretend you’re in Paris and toast to a bright future ahead!

Another one of the UK’s favourite international cuisine is of course, from India!

There are many fragrant and delicious dishes to share with your kids on a beautiful summer’s day. Cook up some chilli paneer bites with red onion and mint salad or do some chicken kathi rolls. You can even pack in some samosas as they are just as delicious cold as they are warm!

Primarily featuring starchy vegetables, hearty stews, and lots of herbs and spices, Nigerian dishes are a treat for all the senses.

Nigeria’s most famous dish is Jollof. This hearty comfort food is rice cooked with tomato, onion, pepper, and spices. You can add more vegetables or even throw in your favourite meats from beef to fish and chicken.

This dish is best served hot so if you make at home and put it into a thermal lunchbox or take a mini heated buffet server with you, you can keep it at the right temperature. You can of course still eat it cold but it’s whatever you prefer!

Keep it light and refreshing with a cool kraut salad – it’s made with pickled vegetables alongside fresh red cabbage, radicchio, and red onions to give your salad some crunch.

Enjoy a German-inspired Reuben sandwich while you sunbathe on the beach! Although Reuben sandwiches are associated with North America a lot of the ingredients are German. A Reben sandwich consists of corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, dressing and rye bread.

Salmon-based dishes are very popular in Norway as well as reindeer sausage and pjalt-style waffles. We recommend adding lots of fish to your Norwegian feast. Make smoke salmon sandwiches, herring sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and pickled beet salads.

Norwegians love light dishes such as crispbreads with toppings like cheese and fish. They often eat ‘open-faced sandwiches’ which is just a sandwich without the top slice of bread. You can make this dish sweet by adding jam or cream with pieces of fruit and honey.

Load up on sugary goodness with some lingonberry jam, sticky waffles, and Krumkake cookies.

Ooze into British Summertime in the mountains, by the coast or in a field and pick from a quintessential banquet of afternoon tea-style finger sandwiches, cups of English breakfast tea and scones!

A lot of British food is finger food, so picnics are perfect for us folk! From sandwiches to pastries, biscuits and cake – we just can’t get enough of it! Just make sure to pack some hand sanitiser or wipes with you to make sure your youngsters and clean and safe, as we know it can get really messy sometimes.

You can’t go wrong with sausage rolls so make sure those are added to your bag and if you don’t eat meat, get some vegan sausage rolls too! Sprinkle in a couple of scotch eggs, a potato salad, some fairy cakes or a Victoria sponge cake. Pork pies also wouldn’t go a miss!

British food is hearty and comforting food but it has also embraced food from all around the world too. So you can also add some Indian samosas, chicken tikka, prawn crackers, smoked salmon sandwiches and more.

Korean food has grown rapidly in popularity, especially on the British street food scene and it’s no mystery why! Korean food is savory, spicy, hearty and nutritious and it’s captivated Britain’s tastebuds.

There are a few yummy Korean concoctions you can try this Summer at your next family picnic. One of them is Bibimbap. This special food is made from a combination of vegetables, rice, beef, eggs, and several other ingredients. Bibimbap is a delightful Korean meal made with red pepper paste which is a special additive that enhances the spiciness of Bibimbap.

Next on the list, is Kimchi Jjigae. Now if you’re a Tiktokker you may have seen people all over the world try to make kimchi for the first time. This delicious and healthy dish is captivating to look at and eat. Its bright red colouring and zingy taste are truly irresistible. Kimchi on its own is fermented cabbage radish or cucumber. it’s served with most Korean dishes and is a staple food in Korean culture. Kimchi Jjigae includes fermented vegetables and pork. Tailor this dish however you wish and enjoy!

Lastly, Hamal Pajeon is an exquisite Korean picnic food idea! This is more or less a yummy pancake made with clams, green onions, squid, and vinegar soy sauce. Haemul Pajeon should be served with traditional rice wine if you are after the full throws of deliciousness!