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List of European cuisines

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(Redirected from Nordic cuisine)
See also: European cuisine

This is a list of European cuisines. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions,[1] often associated with a specific culture. European cuisine refers collectively to the cuisines of Europe.[2] European cuisine includes cuisines of Europe, but can arguably also include non-indigenous cuisines of North America, Australasia, Oceania, and Latin America, which derive substantial influence from European settlers in those regions.

The cuisines of European countries are diverse by themselves, although there are common characteristics that distinguishes European cooking from cuisines of Asian countries[3] and others. Compared with traditional cooking of Asian countries, for example, meat is more prominent and substantial in serving-size.[4] Wheat-flour bread has long been the most common sources of starch in this cuisine, along with pasta, dumplings and pastries, although the potato has become a major starch plant in the diet of Europeans and their diaspora since the European colonization of the Americas.

European cuisine by regions

Central European cuisine

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Main article: Central European cuisine
German sausages and cheese
  • Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries. Many of the fine cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated in the Czech lands. Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common, and beef and chicken are also popular.
  • Hungarian cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, cheeses and honey. Recipes are based on centuries-old traditions of spicing and preparation methods.
  • Polish cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Poland and its primary ethnic group, the Poles. Traditional Polish dishes are based on meats, vegetables, fruits, breads, cheeses, sausages, milk, etc. The most typical ingredients used in Polish cuisine are sauerkraut, paprika, beetroot, cucumbers (gherkins), sour cream, kohlrabi, mushrooms, sausages and smoked sausage. A meal owes its taste to the herbs and spices used; such as marjoram, dill, caraway seeds, parsley, or pepper. The most popular desserts are cakes and pastries.
  • Slovak cuisine varies slightly, though sometimes dramatically, from region to region, and was influenced by the traditional cuisine of its neighbors. The origins of traditional Slovak cuisine can be traced to times when the majority of the population lived in villages, in self-sustenance, with very limited food imports and exports and with no modern means of food preservation or processing. This gave rise to a cuisine heavily dependent on a number of staple foods that could stand the hot summers and cold winters, including wheat, potatoes, milk and milk products, pork meat, sauerkraut and onion. To a lesser degree beef, poultry, lamb and goat, eggs, a few other local vegetables, fruit and wild mushrooms were traditionally eaten.
  • Slovenian cuisine there are many distinct cuisines in a country, whose main distinguishing feature is a great variety and diversity of land formation, climate, wind movements, humidity, terrain and history. Slovenia is a borderland country, surrounded by Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, with established and distinct national cuisines. There is a wide variety of meats in different parts of Slovenia. Dandelion is Slovenian wild lettuce, which has been gathered in the fields for centuries.

Eastern European cuisine

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Main article: Eastern European cuisine
  • Belarusian cuisine shares the same roots with cuisines of other Eastern and Northern European countries, basing predominantly on meat and various vegetables typical for the region.
A plate of pelmeni. These types of dumplings are usually filled with minced meat.
A large selection of Russian vodka
Telesko vareno, Bulgarian beef soup
  • Bulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Essentially South Slavic, it shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines. Owing to the relatively warm climate and diverse geography affording excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits, Bulgarian cuisine is diverse.
  • Kazakh cuisine
  • Moldovan cuisine – Moldova's fertile soil (chernozem) produces plentiful grapes, fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat and milk products, all of which have found their uses in the national cuisine. The fertile black soil combined with the use of traditional agricultural methods permits growing a wide range of ecologically clean foods in Moldova.
  • Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been greatly influenced by Ottoman cuisine.
  • Russian cuisine is diverse, as Russia is the largest country in the world.[7] Russia's great expansions of territory, influence, and interest during the 16th–18th centuries brought more refined foods and culinary techniques, as well as one of the most refined food countries in the world. It was during this period that smoked meats and fish, pastry cooking, salads and green vegetables, chocolate, ice cream, wine, and liquor were imported from abroad. At least for the urban aristocracy and provincial gentry, this opened the doors for the creative integration of these new foodstuffs with traditional Russian dishes. The result is extremely varied in technique, seasoning, and combination. Traditional and common Russian foods include:
Ukrainian borscht with side dishes of smetana, pampushky and pork cracklings
  • Ukrainian cuisine has significant diversity, historical traditions and is influenced by Russian, Turkish and Polish cuisines.[9] Common foods used include meats, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, berries and herbs.[9][10] In Ukraine, bread is a staple food, there are many different types of bread, and Ukraine is sometimes referred to as the "breadbasket of Europe."[9] Pickled vegetables are utilized, particularly when fresh vegetables are not in season.[9] There are about 30 varieties of Ukrainian Borscht soup,[10] a common dish that often includes meat.[9]
  • Crimean Tatar cuisine is primarily the cuisine of the Crimean Tatars, who live on the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. The traditional cuisine of the Crimean Tatars derives basically from the same roots as the cuisine of the Volga Tatars, although unlike the Volga Tatars they do not eat horse meat and do not drink mare's milk (kymyz). However, the Crimean Tatars adopted many Uzbek dishes during their exile in Central Asia since 1944, and these dishes have been absorbed into Crimean Tatar national cuisine after their return to Crimea.
  • Ukrainian wine
  • Armenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people, the Armenian diaspora and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as incorporating outside influences. The cuisine also reflects the traditional crops and animals grown and raised in areas populated by Armenians.
  • Azerbaijani cuisine is the cuisine of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani cuisine throughout the centuries has been influenced by the foods of different cultures due to political and economic processes in Azerbaijan. Out of 11 climate zones known in the world, the Azerbaijani climate has nine.[11] This contributes to the fertility of the land, which in its turn results in the richness of the country's cuisine.
  • Georgian cuisine refers to the cooking styles and dishes with origins in the nation of Georgia and prepared by Georgian people around the world. The Georgian cuisine is specific to the country, but also contains some influences from the Middle Eastern and European culinary traditions.

Northern European cuisine

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An English Sunday roast with roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding
Irish stew is a traditional stew made from lamb, or mutton, potatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley.[12]
Lohikeitto is a creamy salmon soup and a common dish in Finland and other Nordic countries.
  • British cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with the United Kingdom. British cuisine has been described as "unfussy dishes made with quality local ingredients, matched with simple sauces to accentuate flavour, rather than disguise it."[13] However, British cuisine has absorbed the cultural influence of those that have settled in Britain, producing hybrid dishes, such as the Anglo-Indian chicken tikka masala.[14][15]
  • Northern Irish cuisine
  • Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but shares much with wider European cuisine as a result of foreign and local influences both ancient and modern. Scotland's natural larder of game, dairy, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the integral factor in traditional Scottish cooking. Scotland, with its temperate climate and abundance of indigenous game species, has provided a cornucopia of food for its inhabitants for millennia. The wealth of seafood available on and off the coasts provided the earliest settlers with their sustenance. Agriculture was introduced, with primitive oats quickly becoming the staple.
  • Welsh cuisine
  • Nordic cuisines

Southern European cuisine

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Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based dish popular in Mediterranean cuisine and Balkan cuisine. Several variations exist.
Doner kebab on rotisseries in Istanbul
Greek salad
  • Spanish cuisine has a variety of dishes including thousands of recipes and flavors arising from Spain's extensive history with many cultural influences, and variations in geography and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots. Spanish wine is a significant part of Spanish cuisine. Regional Spanish cuisines include:
A gourmet antipasto platter
Pasta is a staple food of Italy.
  • Italian cuisine – presents popular dishes like pizza, pasta, lasagne, Mozzarella and other well-known food. Italian cuisine has been influenced by Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, Etruscan cuisines and dates back to 4th century BCE. It maintains strong regional diversity and it uses a vast variety of ingredients, mostly because of the political divisions in Italian history and different climate and resources in the country. Most of the dishes are simple to prepare and not expensive, which is one of the reason it is very popular around the world.
  • Italian wine
  • Regional Cuisines – in Italian cuisine, each area has its own specialties, primarily at the regional level, but also at provincial levels.[17][18][19] The cuisine has an abundance of differences in taste, and is known to be one of the most popular in the world,[20] with influences abroad.[21] The differences can derive from a bordering country (such as France or Austria), whether a region is close to the sea or the mountains, and economics. Italian cuisine is also seasonal, often incorporating fresh produce. Italian regional cuisines include:
  • Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Armenian and Balkan cuisines.

Western European cuisine

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Coq au vin is a French braise of chicken cooked with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic.

Regional cuisines

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Historical cuisines

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Cuisine." Thefreedictionary.com. Accessed June 2011.
  2. ^ "European Cuisine." Archived 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine Europeword.com . Accessed July 2011.
  3. ^ Kwan Shuk-yan (1988). Selected Occidental Cookeries and Delicacies, p. 23. Hong Kong: Food Paradise Pub. Co.
  4. ^ Lin Ch'ing (1977). First Steps to European Cooking, p. 5. Hong Kong: Wan Li Pub. Co.
  5. ^ Austrian cuisine
  6. ^ Culinary Influences[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Russia." The World Factbook. U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed July 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Russian Traditional Foods." Archived 2011-08-18 at the Wayback Machine Goeasteurope.about.com Archived 2011-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed July 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Cuisine – Flavors and Colors of Ukrainian Culture." Ukraine.com. Accessed July 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Ukraine National Food, Meals and Cookery." Ukrainetrek.com Archived 2014-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed July 2011.
  11. ^ Climate zones of Azerbaijan Archived 2007-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Home Cooking: Traditional Irish Stew
  13. ^ UKTV. "British cuisine". uktv.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  14. ^ "Robin Cook's chicken tikka masala speech". The Guardian. London. 2002-02-25. Retrieved 2001-04-19.
  15. ^ "Chicken tikka masala: Spice and easy does it". BBC. BBC E-Cyclopedia. 20 April 2001. Retrieved 28 September 2007.
  16. ^ "Taramosalata." Ultimate-guide-to-greek-food.com Archived 2011-08-14 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed August 2011.
  17. ^ "Italian cuisine – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  18. ^ "Italian Food – Italy's Regional Dishes & Cuisine". Indigoguide.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  19. ^ "Regional Italian Cuisine". Rusticocooking.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  20. ^ "Cooking World » The most popular cuisines of the world (Part 1)". Cooking-advices.com. 2007-06-25. Archived from the original on 2009-07-26. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  21. ^ Freeman, Nancy (2007-03-02). "American Food, Cuisine". Sallybernstein.com. Retrieved 2010-04-24.
  22. ^ "French Country Cooking." Archived 2011-06-18 at the Wayback Machine French-country-decor-guide.com Archived 2011-07-03 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed July 2011.
  23. ^ "Bon appétit: Your meal is certified by the UN." Archived 2010-11-20 at the Wayback Machine The Dallas Morning News. Accessed July 2011.
  24. ^ "Celebrations, healing techniques, crafts and culinary arts added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage." United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Accessed July 2011.
  25. ^ "The Cuisine of Holland"[usurped] Buzzle.com[usurped]. Accessed July 2011.
  26. ^ "German Regional Food Specialties." Food-links.com. Accessed July 2011.
  27. ^ Weiss, Melitta Adamson (2004). "Food in medieval times." Greenwood Press. Google Books. Accessed July 2011.
  28. ^ Weiss, Melitta Adamson (2004). "Food in medieval times." (abstract). Greenwood Press. Google Books. Accessed July 2011.
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