European Cuisine
I would like to invite you to join me on culinary trip across all continents. Lets visit all the countries, big and small. We will visit all the lands, and all the islands, from big and small, in search of all amazing national dishes, which are the pride of the people living there . let us discover the beauty of traditional cooking, that is passed through generations, from mother to daughters… please come with me, to learn all the amazing favours, and lets learn few new interesting recipes to try…
Traveling through Europe, it is not only about sighting the most beautiful places, it is also the culinary feast. It does not matter in which location you are every regional cuisine will get you positively amazed. As many countries in EUROPE as many famous and iconic dishes to try, while visiting them.
That is my plan for today.
An ultimate food tour across The Old Continent…
Well, I was born and raised in Europe, so I should have an idea what to show you, about my homeland.
In my humble opinion, those are the worthiest dishes, from European Continent:
ALBANIA – Tave kosi
A true comfort food dish. The soft, tender lamb baked with rice, oregano, and garlic underneath a layer of yogurt combined with eggs and rice.
World culinary journey.. STOP 1. EUROPE
ANDORRA – Escudella
Wintertime stew. Usually made with broth, vegetables, rice or shell pasta shapes, and meat. The basic idea behind it, was that the dish could be prepared from whatever was available in the pantry.
ARMENIA – Harissa
A goulash, made from different cuts of meat, with an addition of wheat, and cooked slow for many hours.
Making a dish is simple but time consuming. Meat is added to the wheat (whole grain), which must be soaked overnight beforehand. It can be chicken, although traditionally it was mutton or lamb. Salt and pepper are added to taste and half a cup of melted butter. It is important to mix the harisa carefully to achieve a purée-like consistency.
AUSTRIA – winner schnitzel
Schnitzel is an Austrian national dish. It is quite a large piece of veal, which is breaded in breadcrumbs and fried in butter. Usually, when the dish is ready, the size of the schnitzel is the size of the plate on which it is served
AZERBAIJAN – Kutabi
Stuffed pancakes – is practically the national dish of the country. They are stuffed with pumpkin, vegetables, meat or simply sprinkled with herbs, then turned over and grilled.
BELARUS – Draniki
It is a dish of grated potatoes with the addition of onions and eggs, easy to prepare, but with a unique taste. There are many different recipes for them, and although potato pancakes are eaten not only in Belarus, it was there that they were first invented. Most often they are served with butter and cream, but in their original version they were baked in clay pots.
BELGIUM – Carbonnades Flamandes
Flemish stew, alternatively spelt carbonnade or à la flamande is a Belgian beef and onion stew made with beer, and seasoned with thyme, bay leaves and mustard. Quite like French Boeuf Bourguignon. Mushrooms or spiced bread can also be added is a meat dish like French beef bourguignon. It is traditional beef in beer
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – Pljeskavica
It is a cutlet made of one or a mixture of beef, pork, and lamb. Usually served in a bun (as fast food) with vegetables and sauces (including ajvar), in a drink or on a plate. Pljeskavica is sometimes called a Balkan hamburger. In our opinion, the best version of this dish is gurmanska pljeskavica, where cheese and bacon are also mixed with the meat.
BULGARIA – Banitsa
A traditional Bulgarian dish Banitsa, is a traditional pastry dish, prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs, natural yogurt, and pieces of white brined cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven. Traditionally, lucky charms are put into the pastry on certain occasions, particularly on New Year’s Eve is served in the form of a pie, which is translated into white sirene cheese and then baked
CROATIA – Crni rizot
Crni rizot is nothing but black risotto. The Croatian variety of the dish owes its color to the squid ink. This dish has an intense seafood flavor and smell.
CYPRUS – HALLOUMI
Cypriot national dish. Semi-hard cheese made from sheep’s milk and sometimes from a mixture of sheep’s, goat’s, and cow’s milk, often with mint. You will find it almost EVERYWHERE!
CZECHIA – Vepřo-knedlo-zeloThis is one of the most characteristic dishes in the Czech Republic. Vepřo-knedlo-zelo is a roast pork with dumplings and boiled cabbage.
DENMARK – Snobrød
That means bonfire bread. It is a bread whose dough is wrapped around a stick and baked over a fire. For Danish people have the same meaning as s’mores for Americans.
ESTONIA – Kiluvõileib
Kiluvõileib is a sprats and egg pasta. Usually eaten, as a bread spread, a simple sandwich. It is one of Estonia’s favorite dishes
FINLAND – Rye bread
Rye bread is so beloved by Finns that it was voted the national food in 2017 (the same year Finland celebrated its 100th year of independence from Russia). Eaten for breakfast, as a side at lunch, and as a snack, ruisleipä is a staple of the Finnish diet that is often served with ham and cheese or a side of butter.
FRANCE – Escargot a la Bourguignonne. The typical Burgundy snails are served sautéed with garlic butter and finely chopped parsley. They also appear on French tables as stuffing, fried or grilled. Snails are eaten with the tongs intended for this purpose (they are used to hold the shell) and a special skewer, thanks to which we can extract the meat from the shell
GEORGIA – Khachapuri
It is a buttery stuffed bread that is topped with egg and cheese. It is considered a staple food in Georgia and the cooks there have prepared it in a variety of tasty ways. It is served with Georgian orange wine and traditionally eaten by tearing off the sides and dipping it in the gooey topping of egg and cheese.
GERMANY – Käse Spätzle
Spätzle it is a type of small flour dumplings, that are boiled and then pan-fried. It is a most popular German side dish. This national dish, therefore, is a version of the little dumpling being topped with cheese, and baked in the oven, kind of like Mac and cheese. Before serving, fried onion is added to the top.
GREAT BRITAIN – Fish and chips.
Deep-fried fish is usually served in a piece of newspaper. Additionally, it is served with fries and green pea purée.
GREECE- Moussaka
The dish resembles Italian lasagna, but it is prepared with long and thin slices of eggplant, tomatoes, and minced meat. There is also béchamel sauce and yellow cheese
HOLAND – Bitterballen
This meat-based snack, made by making a very thick stew thickened with roux and beef stock and generously loaded with meat, refrigerating the stew until it firms, and then rolling the thick mixture into balls which then get breaded and fried. Seasonings in the base stew usually include onions, salt and pepper, parsley, and nutmeg. are then dipped in mustard sauce.
HUNGARY – Goulash it is a meat stew, cook for few good hours. Pork or beef, I luscious sauce, with vegetable. Seasoned with dry paprika, which is a national treasure spice in Hungary.
ICELAND – Hákarl
(colloquially rotten shark) – a traditional Icelandic dish prepared from the fermented meat of the polar shark (Somniosus microcephalus). For people who do not encounter Icelandic cuisine daily, the smell of the dish may seem unpleasant and even repulsive. It looks like lard but tastes much spicier than it. It is clearly noticeable ammonia and a fishy, sharp smell. It rubs against a bitter and tart taste. Due to its consistency and taste, it goes well with strong alcohols.
IRLAND – Corned Beef and cabbage
Corned beef is salt-cured brisket of beef. The meat I had cut in sizable pieces and braised with white cabbage, for few hours. You cannot imagine St. Paddy day without this dish.
ISRAEL – Hummus
It is a chickpea dip mixed with olive oil, sesame paste, with the addition of lemon juice and spices. Today it is a national dish of Israel that has entered the daily menu, served with both meat and vegetarian products.
ITÁLIA – Pizza Margherita
Pizza, that is took the name after the queen. Amazingly simple in preparation. White dough, red tomato sauce and green basil. Colors of the Italian flag.
KAZAKHSTAN – Beshbarmak
in Kazakh, it means “five fingers” because you should eat only with your fingers. Of course, that is a thing of the past, and today everyone uses a fork. It usually consists of cooked meat (often of several kinds), pasta cooked in large rectangles, and broth.
KYRGYZSTAN – Shashlik
stuffed with pieces of grilled mutton over roasting coals, which are derived from the raw materials of onion slices, is served in a restaurant, and often sold on the street. The meat is usually marinated for several hours before cooking. The shish kebab can also be made from beef, chicken, and fish. Each shashlik usually has a fat to meat ratio of one to one.
LATVIA – Sklandrausis
Sklandrausis – traditional Latvian vegetable tarts. A sweet pie made of carrots and potatoes is usually sprinkled with cinnamon and served with milk
LITHUANIA – Lithuanian cold BORSCH soup
Extremely popular dish consists of cold borsch soup (made of beets). Mixed with soured milk or buttermilk, finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, hard boiled eggs, and fresh dill.
LUXEMBOURG – Quetschentaart
Quetschentaart it is an immensely popular type of plum pie, or plum galette. Traditionally it is eaten in September, when plums are in season.
MALTA – Pastizzi
Pastizzi are savory pastries that are usually served in two ways: with ricotta cheese or with peas. They are like croissants.
MONACO – Barbagiuan
Crispy, fried, or baked dumplings made of puff pastry. The filling consists of chard, ricotta, leek, garlic, and herbs. The dish is usually served as a snack.
MONTENEGRO – Cevapci
The main ingredient of this dish, available in every restaurant, is a mixture of beef and pork. The meat is formed into rolls and grilled. They can be served with vegetables, various sauces such as tzatziki. It is often served with pita pies.
NETHERLANDS – Stamppot
(Mashed pot) potatoes cooked with other vegetables, mashed potatoes, usually served with deeply fried bacon. In winter, boerenkool stamppot, i.e. potatoes cooked with kale and Dutch smoked rook worst sausage, is extremely popular. Endive (andijvie stamppot), spinach and sauerkraut (zuurkool)
NORTH MACEDONIA – Tavče gravče
This dish it is prepared with fresh grains and beans, butter, parsley, and spices, and it can be found in almost all restaurants in the Republic of Macedonia. This meal is baked and served in a traditional earthenware pot.
NORWAY – Fårikål
It is a mutton or lamb dish, with cabbage and black pepper, cooked in one pot and served with boiled potatoes. Fårikål is most eaten in Norway in the fall and this type of dinner is often a good opportunity to invite family and friends to eat together.
POLAND – Pierogi
I believe that is the most popular, and the worldliest recognized polish dish. Pierogi are basically dumplings stuffed with sweet or savory feeling, and then boiled or fired.
PORTUGAL – Bacalhau
It’s the most recognizable dish from Portugal. Its a dried and salted cod, thats is wildly available. the traditional dishes, using the salted fish, that must be rehydrated in water, to bring it back to life, and remove the excess salt from the fish before cooking.
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA – Mămăligă
(a cornmeal mush or porridge). This is a staple polenta-like food on the Moldovan table, served as an accompaniment to stews and meat dishes or garnished with cottage cheese, sour cream, or pork rind. Regional delicacies include brânză (a brined cheese) and ghiveci (a lamb or goat stew). Local wines accompany most meals.
ROMANIA – Sarmale
You cannot visit Romania and not eat sarmale. The dish resembles cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and cooked in a mixture of sauerkraut juice, water, and tomato juice.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION – Blini
Pancakes – pancakes made of buckwheat flour, butter, yeast, and milk. They are served with caviar, chopped herring, melted butter and cream.
SAN MARINO – Faggioli con le cotiche
Traditional Soup Made of Bean and Bacon Generally Served at Christmas.
SERBIA – Pljeskavica
Please see Bosnia and Herzegovina (before fall of Yugoslavia, those separate now countries were one, so the same national dish, make a lot more sense when you know a about of history)
SLOVAKIA – Bryndzové
Halušky. These are small noodles made of potato and flour dough and served with sheep cheese. The dish is poured with melted bacon and sprinkled with cracklings
SLOVENIA – Mlinci
Mlinci are a bit like maca, although they are called noodles because they are poured over them with water. They are a traditional addition to poultry roasts
SPAIN – Paella
It is the most famous dish from Spain. Large flat pan, filled with rice, many types of seafood and meat. Traditionally with addition of saffron, which give it that golden yellowish color.
SWEDEN – Köttbullar
If you ever been to Ikea store you have seen them. Swedish meatballs. Small size round meat balls served with sauce you would like. As an appetizer, or main course.
SWITZERLAND – Fondue
Cheese or chocolate. A table heated pot, filled with seasoned melted cheese, or in sweet version melted chocolate. You are using long forks, to dip, in to melted goodness, different side dish items, like bread, meats, sausages, veggies, or strawberries etc.
TAJIKISTAN – Kurutob
If you can describe Tajik cuisine in one word, it will be kurutob. Legend dish and the National Treasure of Tajikistan This dish consists of salty dried milk balls soaked in water with pieces of toasted bread floating in them. There are vegetables on top: tomato, cucumber and onion, some meat, dill, parsley, and hot pepper. Everything is eaten from one large wooden bowl
TURKEY – Dolma
this name means little stuffed cabbage rolls, prepared from grape leaves. These leaves are usually stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, rice, and mint. Then the rolls are steamed.
UKRAINE – Ukrainian Borsch
The national dish is Ukrainian borscht soup. Made with fresh beets, cabbage, white beans and vegetables, bacon. Significant amount of cream is a must. Fresh dill to top it all.
If you visited any of the European countries, what was your favorite food and where?? What do you remember the most .
waiting for your comments.
