The world’s 11 greatest spreadable foods (and one bad one)

Spreadable foods don't begin and end with dips – consider cheese, soft and creamy, cheese that yields at the slightest touch of a knife, that goes perfectly when smooshed across fresh, crusty bread. Yep, you get it. Of course, France excels at this sort of cheese (and not co-incidentally, this sort of bread). Go for Brillat-Savarin, a triple-cream cheese from Burgundy, or maybe Buche de Chevre, a goat's cheese from Aquitaine near Bordeaux.

Chutney, India

Is chutney a spreadable food? Would you actually spread it on anything, or is it more a condiment? Both good questions that have been discussed lately in my food-obsessed house. And the answer is that yes, chutney is spread on things, because it's a vital part of one of my very favourite Indian street foods, vada pav, a bread roll filled with a spiced potato patty and topped with chutney, served in Mumbai. The chutney itself can be just about anything, made with fresh or preserved vegetables, with plenty of spice.

Kaya, south-east Asia

Without wanting to delve too deeply into the exact origins of kaya – let's just say it's popular throughout Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand – we can still sing the praises of this sweet spread made with coconut milk, eggs and sugar. By far the best way to eat it is in a Singaporean hawker centre, where the kaya is spread on buttery toast and served with coffee and peppery, soft-boiled eggs. Dip the toast in the eggs: you don't think it will work, but trust me, it does.

Nduja, Italy

How good is this: even sausages can be spreadable. Italy's classic spreadable sausage, nduja – similar to Spanish sobrassada – is a spicy, porky Calabrian snack that can be spread on crusty bread and eaten as is, or added to pasta sauces for a fiery umami hit. The sausage is usually made using pork meat from the head, mixed with salt and spice and plenty of fat. If you know, you know.

Marmalade, England

Jam is great, of course. I love jam. But surely marmalade is the thinking person's jam, a fruit preserve that carries hints of sourness and bitterness to balance out all the sugar. Though the practice of preserving quinces and citrus fruits began in Roman times, and was popularised in Spain and Portugal, you could argue that it's the Brits who now do it best, and that's where I would like to be having my marmalade on toast, with a cup of tea.

Dulce de leche, Argentina

Fair play, Argentinians. Not only have you somehow made it acceptable to eat cake for breakfast (seriously, it's a thing), but you've also taken good old-fashioned caramel and persuaded everyone to just eat it all the time, on everything. Visit a breakfast buffet in Argentina and you will find little pots of dulce de leche to smother on your toast or drizzle on your fruit. Have a midday snack and you might get alfajores: biscuits with a huge dollop of dulce de leche smooshed between them. And dessert will definitely feature everyone's favourite caramel.

Hummus, the Middle East

Yes, I've said the Middle East, because you wouldn't even attempt to say where this cherished and delicious dish is really "from". It's from a lot of places. Let's move past that and concentrate solely on the greatness of hummus, the dip of mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Somethings you get toasted pine nuts added, sometimes minced meat, sometimes just a sprinkle of paprika. The common thread is that this is a simple dish that is an alchemical wonder once it's put together.

Cream cheese, USA

You know what to order when you get to New York: a "bagel with a schmear". The schmear in question is a great big slathering of cream cheese, which goes on a bagel of just about any flavouring. The cream cheese itself is an adaptation of a French cheese, only – in beautifully American fashion – with a heap more cream added. You can't eat a proper NYC bagel without it.

Butter, France

This is it. This is the greatest. Quite possibly the simplest spreadable food, and without doubt my ride-or-die, my death row spread, my one and only. Butter. Fresh, lightly salted, preferably unpasteurised French butter. Spread on a French baguette. This is all you need for culinary greatness, just two ingredients that are both the highest quality you can get your hands on. The best I've ever had is butter from the market in St-Jean-de-Luz, spread on a baguette from Montagne near St Emilion, though I'm sure there are infinite similarly delicious combinations throughout the country. Perfection.

Vegemite, Australia

Small caveat here: I don't actually like Vegemite, which, I realise, makes me a poor excuse for an Australian and a generally untrustworthy human being. Still, despite my personal feelings I'm including Vegemite on this list because it really is one of Australia's iconic national foods, a creation of our very own, and one that also happens to be eminently spreadable. Why anyone would want to do that to their toast is beyond me, but hey, you guys do you.

What's your favourite spreadable food from around the world? What have I missed? Where is the best place to enjoy your favourites?

Email: b.groundwater@traveller.com.au

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