8 foods with unexpected origins

ikea restaurants made them famous all over the world: Köttbullar, or Swedish meatballs. Sweden has now revealed that the recipe for its iconic dish actually came from Turkey. It was brought to the Scandinavian country by King Charles XII, who lived in exile in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th-century. Unlike in Turkey, Swedes — and Ikea — often dish up meatballs with gravy and ligonberry jam.

The English muffin actually doesn't come from England, though its creator did. Samuel Bath Thomas moved to the United States from England in 1874. It was only after crossing the Atlantic that he created the popular breakfast food that was baked on a griddle rather than in an oven. English muffins were imported for years into the UK from the US before British producers started making their own.

Döner Kebab can be found worldwide, and many say the popular grab-and-go meal originated in Germany. Kadir Nurman, a Turkish-born restaurateur who lived in Berlin, is said to have been the first person to take traditional Turkish spit-roasted meat and stuff it into a flatbread. While many contest his 1972 "invention," Nurman definitely helped make the meal a German — and a global — culinary hit.

What reputable French bakery would dare to not offer croissants? After all, the buttery, crescent-shaped pastry is practically synonymous with French baked goods. But the croissant actually comes from the Austrian "kipferl." This was brought to Paris by an Austrian artillery officer who adapted it into the croissant. And the "kipferl"? Its origins supposedly lie with the Ottomans.

The Spanish word "faja" means belt or sash, and "fajita" refers to the strips of beef skirt steak used in this dish. While prevalent on menus at Mexican restaurants today, the sizzling meal can actually be traced to West Texas cattle ranchers. The Tex-Mex chimichanga (above), a deep-fried burrito, has a similar story, though it is neither Texas nor Mexican — it was invented in Arizona.

Round with a hole in the middle; boiled, then baked: that's the bagel we know today. For many, it's a New York City specialty, or an American one at least. But the bagel actually traces its roots to Jewish communities in Poland. The name "bagel" comes from Yiddish, which was influenced by German dialects. Bagels were a mainstay of Polish cuisine before Polish Jews brought them to the US.

These crisp, hollow cookies that contain lucky numbers, words of wisdom or prophecies are served after a meal in Chinese restaurants in nearly every country — except for China, that is. They are not a tradition there. The sugary oracle is thought to have been first made by Japanese immigrants in California in the late 19th or early 20th century. A similar cookie is served in parts of Japan.

While hummus' ingredients are easy enough to identify (chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt), its origins are anything but clear. In fact, they can be downright controversial. Tension over the dip's origins even spiraled into a "Hummus war" after Lebanese and Israel both laid claim to it. The fact remains that hummus can be found widely across the Middle East and Mediterranean.