One of the most widely spread and distinct cuisines is European cuisine. Its tastes range from one extreme to another to cater to every taste bud. The delicacies of Europe are widely distributed and known all over the world as Europe has never let the modern culture ruin its traditional delicacies. Hence, let us take a tour of the standard food items of Europe that have kept them intact for years –
Traditional Food Items In Europe
Escargot In France
Escargots are edible snails, and French people eat them as appetizers. These are land snails cooked in garlic, parsley butter, and many other herbs and seasonings. One of their most distinctive features is that they are served in their shells. Moreover, it falls under one of the most expensive dishes but is still very popular among the locals. It has also been estimated that the French eat around 40000 metric tons of snails yearly, and the number keeps increasing. Looking further into the history, Historians have concluded from the archaeological excavations that snails were also eaten in the prehistoric period. Apart from the French, snails were also fondly eaten in Italy, and the Romanians reserved the food only for the elite.
Herring In The Netherlands
Being a maritime country, fish is an integral part of people’s diet. It is one of the yummiest Dutch delicacies and an eyebrow-raiser for many when they get to know that the fish is consumed raw. Consumption of salt and smoked Herring started in the Middle Ages. Initially, the fish had to be exported to various parts of Europe and was preserved proficiently. As time passed, the preservation process refined, and the fish was preserved using vinegar and other herbs and seasonings. This also helped in enhancing the taste. Herring is served as a snack, sometimes plain, sometimes with onions and pickles, or sometimes in a sandwich. As the locals suggest, the best way to eat the Herring is to grab it by its tail and put it in your mouth.
Cheese Fondue In Switzerland
For all the cheese lovers out there, Switzerland is a must-visit. It is the birthplace of cheese fondue, every cheese lover’s dream. The French word ‘Fondre,’ which means ‘to melt,’ gave emergence to the word ‘Fondue.’ The origin of fondue is believed to have been made in the 18th century when the families in villages wanted their food to suffice them even during the winter months. It is served in a communal pot and combines Emmental and Gruyere cheese. You will have to use a long-stemmed fork with bread and dip it in the cheese to have finger-licking bites. The fact that cheese has been undeniably mouth-watering for ages is well proven as Cheese Fondue was the country’s national dish in the 1930s.
Cheese Fondue In Switzerland
Pizza In Italy
There is hardly anyone unaware of this round-shaped bread. Pizza is inexplicably loved worldwide. To explain it in a few words, we can say that it is a round piece of bread with various sauces, vegetable toppings, and numerous seasonings. The Neapolitans made the earliest pizzas in the Italian city of Naples. It gained popularity because it was cheap as compared to other food items. Different parts of the country have different styles of pizza bread, making each unique. At the same time, Rome prefers a flat and crispy bread and Naples opt-in for a soft and spongy base. The world’s most expensive pizza is around $12K. Its specialty is topping organic buffalo cheese and three types of caviar, to name the best.
