To most Chinese, Africa, South America and Oceania are unfamiliar lands; and food from these regions is unknown. However, Chinese and foreign visitors alike will have a chance to sample the unique dishes of these regions at the Shanghai World Expo.

Welcome to Africa

The ?"Hakuna Matata" Restaurant near the Africa Joint Pavilion opens.

An African-themed restaurant is located near the Africa Joint Pavilion in the Expo Park. Painted with the traditional African colors of red, yellow and brown, the restaurant's name means "free from worries," or "Hakuna Matata" in Swahili, one of the native languages of Africa. The interior of the restaurant is painted with stripes of various colors, resembling the jungles of the Dark Continent.

One can enjoy a wide variety of African food at the restaurant, ranging from Ethiopian coffee to Nigerian "five-color rice," as well as red wine from South Africa and pasta from North Africa. The food here is among the cheapest to be found in the Expo Park; restaurant staff said the average cost for a meal is about 40 yuan ($5.80) per person on the first floor of the restaurant.

Dishes from Peru

A visitor enjoys Pisco at the Peru Pavilion. [Photo by eastday.com]?

One of the main features of the Peru Pavilion is the food. Visitors may know nothing about the Peruvian pepper or Pisco (a type of Peruvian liquor) before visiting the pavilion, but they will all become fond of them after having a taste. The stir-fried sliced beef with Peruvian pepper sauce and French fries is very popular among Chinese customers.

Seafood mixed with tomato ketchup, liquor poured over shrimp and potatoes, and condensed milk over pudding: while these combinations may seem peculiar, they are quite typical of Peruvian food. These combinations reflect the clash and exchang of different cultures in Peruvian history.

Lamington cake and hamburgers are a staple at the Australia Pavilion, and the chefs there are very generous. The "submarine hamburg" contains vegetables and abalone, a delicacy in Australia. The Lamington cake, at only 8 yuan ($1.17) a slice, is filled with tasty shredded coconut stuffing.