Finding The Taste of Europe – my top 5 European Foods
What is a taste of Europe? Well, this seems like a simple question but it’s actually quite complicated. Europe is very diverse – every European country has it’s own culture and that means, their own food. So when we ask about the taste of Europe, let’s go for a trip (from the comfort of our homes) to find out how my favorite countries of Europe taste like! My selection is 100% subjective and other people surely will have different opinion but I believe these dishes
Taste of Europe – the 5 best European Foods you must try
Taste of Europe #1: Country: Poland, Dish: “Pierogi Ruskie” (Dumplings), Difficulty Level: Medium, Taste: Incomparable to anything else
Poland, with it’s about 38 million people has a very distinct quinine. It has developed over the centuries and blends many different tastes and types of foods. One of my favorite polish dishes is something called “Pierogi Ruskie” which translates to “Russian Dunplings”. Why Russian? Nobody knows, as this is strictly a polish dish and Poland has nothing to do with Russia, except for some unsettled history. So despite being called Russian dumplings, this is actually a 100% polish dish.
What is it actually? These are sour dumplings with a feeling made from potatoes, white cheese, onion, with salt and pepper. The combination of potatoes and white cheese is something that cannot be replaced by anything else – nothing tastes like this. You absolutely have to try!
You can make them yourself, or try to find a polish restaurant in your area. There are also some pre-made options available (I once tried “Kasia’s Pierogi” – from Chicago. You can have a look here at Kasia’s Deli. They taste almost like homemade like my Mum used to make! So let’s make Russian dumplings, the traditional polish dish, the taste of Europe today.
Taste of Europe #2: Country: Italy, Dish: Spaghetti con la ‘Nduja, Difficulty Level: Super Easy, Taste: Amazing, if you like spicy food.
Yes – spicy food in Italy might sound wired but ‘Nduja is a type of soft, spicy sausage that you buy in a jar, so doesn’t look like a typical sausage. It tastes amazing. If I was to compare that to something – and please, my Italian and Spanish friends don’t shout at me for making this comparison, I know these things are totally different – I’d compare ‘Nduja to Chorizo. Spaghetti con la “Nduja is one of my favorites dishes ant it really takes 15 minutes to make. I have my own way of making it (again my Italian Friends – please don’t judge me here). I cook spaghetti pasta, al dente. In parallel, I chop 2 pieces of garlic, and fry it on a pan with some olive oil. Then I add a lot of “Nduja, directly from the jar to the pan. I mix it and add some tomatoes passata. Once everything is mixed, I ass black olives, a little splash of pasta water and put my spaghetti pasta into the pan to mix everything. Ready in no time and it’s so good! You really must try! So let’s make Spaghetti con la “Nduja the taste of Europe of today.
Taste of Europe #3: Country: France, Dish: Quiche Lorraine, Difficulty Level: High, Taste: Heaven on Earth
The French are famous for their food and culture. There are many traditional French dishes that are amazing and it took me a little while to decide which one to include here. I went with Quiche Lorraine because almost every country in the world has something similar in their cuisine. The idea of baked dish that includes everything you could find in your fridge is known to all, and Quiche Lorraine is the “mother” of all those ideas. So how do you make it? You’re gonna need: for the pastry flour, pinch of salt, egg and butter, for the filling bacon, gruyere cheese – you can use Swiss cheese, chopped onion, crème fraiche, double cream, 3 well bitten eggs and some cayenne pepper or black pepper to your taste. You basically mix the pastry, put into the baking dish, then you mix the filling and put on top and then you bake it for about 50 minutes. Today Quiche Lorraine is the taste of Europe!
Taste of Europe #4: Country: Spain, Dish: Paella, Difficulty Level: Medium, Taste: Sun and Summer on a Plate
Spanish food you either love or hate. I love it. It’s very diverse, as is the Spain. Even Paella varies depending on the region. Some even say that you can eat different type of Paella every day of the year. We will stick to the most traditional version of Paella – coming from The Valencia region. When thinking Paella, you probably think sea food. This is truth for some types of Paella but the “traditional” one comes with chicken and rabbit or pork ribs, spices with saffron and some sweet paprika. The choice of rice is also super important – it has to absorb the aromas yet stay soft and hard at the same time (so that you can tell you’re actually eating rice!). Cooking Paella takes time, effort and lots of love – until you get the “socarrat”. All ingredients should be fresh and local and the good news is – if you don’t like one of them – you can easily substitute with something you like. What is important while making Paella is really sequence of adding and cooking all the ingredients and how much you cook rice in broth and how you prepare the meat to be soft and simply delicious! Today is the day when Paella Valenciana is the taste of Europe!
Taste of Europe #5: Country: Ukraine, Dish: Ukrainian Borscht (Red Beet Root), Difficulty Level: High, Taste: Peaceful and Proud
Considering recent events I could not forget about the beautiful country of Ukraine with their unique quinine. Some dishes are similar to polish as both nations have a lot common history over the centuries. However Ukrainian Borscht is something so specific and so amazing, that I had to put it on my list. This soup is actually very popular across many eastern European countries but the Ukrainian version of it is the best in my opinion. This delicious and rich soup is amazing for long winter evenings. It is rich in ingredients and requires certain skills to prepare. What you need is a lot of time, a lot of love, huge pot and a lot of: beet, cabbage, potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, broth made with beef and chicken, bay leaves, dill and some tomato paste. For someone not proficient is soup making, this can be a challenge to cook as you should make the broth yourself, from scratch. I highly recommend you look for Ukrainian restaurants is your areas – for sure they will have it there. This time Ukrainian Borscht is the taste of Europe!
As you can see, European food is super diverse, so as are European countries. This means – you should try them all – for example most loved dishes from each European country!
What are your favorite European dishes? Which country they come from? Share your views in the comments!