Europe at Present [Spring 2003]
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III. Mediterranean regionMediterranean region stretches from Spain to Turkey and its cuisine blends classic European foods like pasta, wine, and sweets with Middle Eastern favorites such as spit-roasted meats, yogurt, and flat breads. Some of the ingredients most commonly associated with the Mediterranean are olives and olive oil, chick peas (garbanzo beans), couscous, oregano, garlic, basil, tomatoes, and a variety of nuts. Mediterranean cuisine limits the use of meats and eggs, relying instead on low fat staples like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. The foods are also locally grown or gathered, seasonally fresh, and minimally processed, making Mediterranean dishes full of flavor and nutrients. French cuisine485 French cooking is considered by many to be the standard against which all other cuisines are measured (it is also referred to as haute cuisine). This standard was introduced into the French courts by Catherine de Medici in the 1500s, and later perfected by Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), who is considered the Father of French Cooking. The classic “cuisine Francaise” based on flour and cream sauces lost its position in the 1970’s for “nouvelle cuisine”, which became popular for its healthful cooking philosophy: crisply cooked vegetables, and fruit based sauces. However "Nouvelle cuisine" has gone out of fashion and restaurants, like society as a whole, are now extremely diverse. French adopted international tastes, including fast-food products (likes hamburgers, pizzas and fizzy drinks), which are very popular with the French, especially with the young. However culinary traditions that have been developed and perfected over the centuries and have made French cooking a highly refined art are still vital. Eating well is of prime importance to most French people, who spend an amazing amount of time thinking about, talking about and consuming food. The favorite place to eat a meal both for lunch and dinner is at home. The typical French meal is well balanced. It comprises the essentials: a starter and main dish with vegetables and meat followed by cheese and fruit for dessert. Of course, both wine and fresh bread are an important part of a French meal to exist. Everyday cooking is considered as an art and is a key cultural ingredient. Mostly for this reason recipes themselves remain classic and constant. French cooking involves a large number of techniques, some extremely complicated, that serve as basics. French food do not tolerate shortcuts and it is expected that even the simplest preparation be undertaken in the most careful manner, which means disregarding the amount of time involved. The appreciation for the pleasures of food is mirrored in the broad range of herbs, spices and other seasonings they use. The most popular French herbs are parsley, thyme, bay leaf, mint, rosemary, chives, chervil and sage. Favored spices include fennel, coriander, cumin, caraway and juniper berries. The French also employ a spectrum of savory flavorings, including fragrant vinegars, garlic, mustards, and lemon juice. The cuisine also offers a wide range of vegetables. Connoisseurs of French soups enjoy light vegetable-based potages, based on carrots, leeks, potato, turnip and parsnips in chicken broth. Most French sauces are wine based. Wine is used in combination with cream or spices and/or stock. Finally cheeses, meats, fishes and wines also forme an unbelievable list. The cuisine of France is remarkably varied with a great many regional differences. Regional French cooking styles are reflected in the character of the land and its surroundings. The rich raw materials of the fertile land in Burgundy are apparent in this region's robust cooking style, which typically involves red wine, bacon and onions. Beef Bourguignon is one of the popular dishes from this region. The Provence is characterized by use of olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. As this region is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Provencal specialties naturally revolve around the fresh seafood of the area. The adjacent to Switzerland and Germany, the Alsace region exhibits influences of their neighbors in its cooking style, as in the dish choucroute (sauerkraut, pork and potatoes). Basquise is a region famous for ham and potatoes. Finally Normande is a region of creamy seafood sauce. Surprisingly it is Lyon, that is considered as French cuisine capital The reason for this reputation as a leading gastronomic center of the France is that it is well situated - it has access to the best food supplies. As a rule, the French eat three meals a day, usually at the same hour. Even though this practice is disappearing in the professional world, many people see this tradition as an important aspect of the French way of life. French people start the day with the petit dejeuner (breakfast), which consists of bread (le pain): baguette, croissants or brioches, with an expresso, a cafe creme (expresso with hot, foamy milk), a simple but strong bowl of drip coffee or a chocolat chaud (hot cocoa). Then comes the dejeuner (lunch), enjoyed between noon and 2:00 pm, which is usualy the main meal of the day. In the evening, the diner (dinner) is served not earlier than 8:00pm. The most common French dishes are: Choucroute – white cabbage sausages boiled with wine Beef Bourginion – beef boiled in red wine with carrot and bacon Le petit salle – greasy meet served with cereals From classic French cooking to Nouvelle Cuisine, and the many French regional cooking styles, there is something to satisfy just about every palate. Bon appetit! Italian cuisine486. Italy with the dominating force of its antiquity, the contagious mood of romance in the air and the passions of its people is famous for its Risotto, Pasta, Pizza and the Lasagna al forno. There are approximately 210,000 square kilometers/130,000 square miles of Italy excluding the islands surrounding the country. Italy is made up of twenty regions with distinct characteristics. There is no such thing as "Italian cuisine:" rather, Italy is made up of many distinct cuisines, each with its own flavor palette and preferred cooking techniques, which can be grouped within regional boundaries. Every town, every village, makes the same dish in vastly different ways, and every town and village has its proudest specialty. Local cooking preferences and customs are shaped by geographic, historical, and climactic differences: some regions are landlocked and mountainous, others hug the sea and are hilly; some regions have absorbed Arab or Greek influences, others have been marked by the French or Austrians; some regions live under the dazzling Mediterranean sun most of the year, others have cold winters, snow, fog, and harsh winds: Northern Italy's regions consist of Venice, Milan, provinces of Piedmont, and Lombardi. In general, the cooking is hardy, plentiful, tasty and a direct reflection of the quality of ingredients. Many meals include large meat potions due to the abundance of lamb, veal and game. Aslo used are wild mushrooms and white truffles from neighboring regions. Typical Northern Italian dishes include Costolette alla Milanese or Osso Buco. Cooking staples are Polenta and Risotto. Central Italian food is much lighter than northern style Italian cooking. It consists of much less meat, more vegetables, and fresh cheeses (i.e. ricota). Central Italian cooking embraces both rigorness and richness. Tuscany (Etruscan), a famous region of central Italy, is venerated as the heart and hallmark of Italian cooking. Unlike the north, Etruscan food is much lighter and less abundant in meats, reflecting the true staple of Italian food. Southern Italian food includes food from Sicily, Abruzzi, Molise, Campinia, Basilicata, and Calibria. The region is known for having its own unique style. Contrary to common misconceptions, Southern Italian foods from Sicily, Calibria, and Basilicata do not use tomato pastes, garlic, and oregano in excess. Actually, they implement a delicate balance of flavors and herbs, which produce light, colorful, and vivid dishes. Apart from regional differences we can talk about general tendencies (for instance, northern Italians eat more rice and polenta than southern Italians, and southern Italians cook almost exclusively with olive oil, barely touching butter). Pasta is the first course in a meal for most Italians with the exception of the far north. Here risotto or polenta is the norm. For the most part, meat does not play a regular part of many Italian diets with vegetables, grains and legumes taking center stage in most homes. Olive oil is often seen in its dark green state (from its first pressing) in the south, while more refined, golden oil in the north. Basically, Italian cuisine is a combination of vegetables, grains, fruits, fish, cheeses and a scattering of meats, fowl and game. The reliance upon what the country can produce has shaped a diet popular for centuries, particularly with the poorer Italian people, and is called la cucina povera. Now we can see a resurgence of this "poor people's food". However, as most people work, such snacks as pizza slice, are now a part of the Italian daily diet. Nevertheless, home cooking is still important. A typical meal is a pasta with a simple sauce followed by a meat dish, perhaps chicken with cooked vegetables. A sweet dessert is optional. Italians eat only two main meals a day. Breakfast: is before 9am which consists of a cappuccino, small cake or pastry, jams at a bar on the way to work. Cereals and milk are slowly making an impact at home. Lunch is at 12.30-14.00. It is based on pasta at home or pizza slice in work. In the evening, between 19.30-21.30 there is a family meal. As far as typical dishes as pizza and spaghetti are concerned there are several curiosities about that. Typically, Italian pizzas are very thin (in some cases as thin as a Mexican tortilla) which makes them difficult to eat by hand. They are also very large Being extremely large and extremely thin, the pizzas tend to get cold. What is also surprising Italians rarely use fork and spoon for eating spaghetti. Italians wind their spaghetti clockwise onto their forks with no spoon attached. Greek cuisine487 Greece is a republic of 50,962 square miles in area. What’s very important to its cuisine about a fifth of Greece consists of islands and no part of Greece is more than 85 miles from the sea. Greece, apart from giving birth to Dionysos, patron god of wine, is the birthland of Archestratos (330 B.C.), who wrote the first cookbook in history In fact Greece has a culinary tradition of some 4,000 years! Nevertheless, like most national cuisines, the Greek, has both influenced others and embraced ideas from its easterly and westerly neighbours, Turkey, the Middle East, and the Balkans. Although regional gastronomic differences do exist in this country; they are not significant and Greek cuisine should be treated as a whole national cuisine. What distinguishes the traditional Greek cuisine from others is a combination of the following factors: the unique ingredients, the Greek philosophy concerning matters of eating and sharing meals, and the country itself, the total environment. For the Greeks, sharing a meal with friends, either at home, in a restaurant or a taverna, is a deeply rooted social affair. The Greek word symposium, a word as ancient as the country itself, if translated literally means drinking with company. The atmosphere in typically Greek restaurants and tavernas, is very relaxed, informal and unpretentious. Food preparation, on the other hand, has its own sacred rules. Good amateur cooks are held in great esteem in their social circles. A good houseperson in Greece, means a good cook. And a good cook can spend days preparing a meal for his or her friends. Greece is a land of vibrant cuisine. It is food that is neither spicy nor bland, but rich in the flavors of the Mediterranean Greek specialties have arisen from the bounty of foods that grow on the sun-kissed land, especially olives, lemons, nuts, tomatoes, and grapes. The Greek cuisine has the following secrets: the good fresh ingredients, the judicious use of herbs and spices, unique vegetables, the famous Greek olive oil, which is present in almost all Greek dishes. Due to the mild Greek climate, forced growth of vegetables is not widespread. Therefore most vegetables are grown naturally and full of aroma and taste. The herbs, that almost all the Greeks collect from their mountains and countryside, are renowned for their taste, scent and healing properties. That’s why Greek dishes are famous for its aroma of oregano, thyme, spearmint or rosemary. Greek cuisine is also well known for its cheeses and particularly feta. As lambs and goats in Greece are free-grazing and the pastures are very rich in herbs, the meats have a unique taste not to be found anywhere else in the world. Greek olives, of which there are many varieties, adorn salads, meat and fish dishes, and even hearty breads. Olive oil, of course, is the primary fat used in Greek cooking. Ripe lemons are used to add tang to both sweet and savory delights. Pine nuts are used particularly with pilafs, appetizers, and meats. Almonds and walnuts are used generously in desserts. Fresh tomatoes are an important part of meat and fish preparations, often used along with spinach and eggplant. Tomatoes also make perfect salads, served simply with olive oil and traditional aged red-wine vinegar. Grapes are not only used in cooking and for wine, but grape leaves are used to wrap a variety of fillings for unique appetizers. As far the meat is concerned it is the lamb, that is the principal meat in Greek cooking. The common Greek herbs are basil, parsley, mint, and dill. Garlic and onions are also an integral part of Greek seasoning. There is also a great choice among the Mediterranean fishes. They are often seasoned with herbs, and marinated in olive oil and lemon juice. As in other European countries, legumes are commonly used in Greek menus. Chick peas, or garbanzo beans, are probably the most common. These are often cooked, then pureed to a paste-like consistency - seasoned with garlic and sometimes lemon juice and herbs - to create first course salads. The purees are also served as spreads along with hearty breads. Cheese is an important part of Greek cuisine. Feta cheese, made from goat's milk, is white, crumbly, and very pungent. It is used on salads, meat dishes, spread on bread, or even wrapped in grape leaves and grilled. Kefalotiri is another popular variety that is harder; it is grated and used like Parmesan. Yogurt is also important to Greek cooking. It is used for desserts, sauces and soups. As far as pasta is concerned it is also rarely used in Greek menus. Finally desserts also play a significant role as a part of the Greek meal. Typically these are sweetened by a honey syrup that is poured over the prepared desserts. Spanish cuisine488 Spain controls the crossroads between two seas -- the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. It is exceptionally mountainous and climatically it is much drier than the rest of Europe. The landscape ranges from arid mountain pasture to lush orchards and meadows, from magnificent coasts to rural or sophisticated towns. History and geography have intertwined to create one of the most varied and rewarding cuisines in the world. It was influenced the most by two cultures. The Spaniards inherited Moors cooking elements and imported tomato, potato, sweet potato, vanilla, chocolate, many varieties of beans, zucchini, and the pepper tribe from the New World. That’s why cuisine in the Iberian peninsula echoes the cooking of the Middle East (honey and cumin) and that of the Americas (dishes combining meat with chocolate). Essentially, Spanish cooking is relatively simple to prepare and characterized by fresh ingredients. Besides meat, poultry, game, and fish entrees, there are a wealth of dishes featuring beans, rice, eggs, vegetables, and savory pies that make a meal. Tapas -- small morsels or appetizers in great variety -- play a role in meals throughout the day. Spaniards are very fond of garlic, they love all types of sweet and hot peppers and their beloved jamon serrano -- cured ham. The golden spice saffron enhances many Spanish foods, paella in particular. Spain's most famous wine -- sherry, both dry and sweet -- flavors entrees and desserts. Spaniards also adore oils and citrus fruits. Food in Spain is taken very seriously. Dining is an indispensable ingredient in the country's ebullient social lifestyle. Meals are long and leisurely, providing an opportunity to enjoy good company, freshly prepared dishes, and fine wines, such as the world-famous Riojas. Breakfast and dinner are very simple meals in Spain. Breakfast is usually just coffee or hot chocolate. It is served with a biscuit or churros, a kind of fritter. Lunch isn't eaten until about 2:00. Dinner is rarely eaten before 9:00. Dinner is often just soup, bread, cheese, and fruit. A potato and onion omelet is sometimes served. While eating habits and hours are more or less uniform throughout Spain, the cooking can be quite different. Spain is sharply divided by regions, each with its own culinary traditions and dialects. In general, there are six major gastronomic zones in mainland Spain. The North is one of the richest culinary areas. The fish and seafood of Galicia is one of the worlds finest. Basque cooking is world famous, and its codfish recipes, "pil-pil" or Vizcayan style, and its delicious baby eels are some of Spain's finest food attractions. Asturias proposes "fabada", a magnificent bean stew, and the excellent regional cheeses with a good bottle of cider. The Pyrenees is a zone that specializes in marinade sauces known as "chilindrones". Aragon offers an infinite number of dishes with these tasty sauces as well as the fine ham made in Teruel. Cataluna is the land of casseroles. Besides these typical dishes are its fine sausages, cheeses and regional sauces, some of them world famous, such as "ali-oli", made with garlic and olive oil. Valencia and the surrounding region specialise in rice dishes. Besides their famous "paella", the Valencians are able to prepare exquisite rice dishes with any type of ingredients - meat, chicken, seafood, vegetables or fish. Also exquisite is the rice dish from the region of Murcia known as "caldera", or caldron. Andalucia is the land of fried food. There is also gazpacho, the exquisite cold vegetable soup, and Jabugo ham from the province of Huelva which is a true delicacy. Central Spain is known for its roasts. Lamb, veal, sucking pig, young goat and other meats are slowly roasted in wood ovens to give them an especially delicious texture and taste. The fine hams and cheeses, and some of the best sausages in Spain, round out this region's culinary offering. Madrid, so closely linked to Castille, has strong cuisine identity with a large number of typical dishes from the city. Among them are "cocido madrileńo", a nourishing meat and vegetable stew, Madrid style triple and exquisite sweets The Balearic Isles have created certain celebrated specialties that have been exported around the world. Among them are mayonnaise, originally created in the city of Mahon, in Menorca. In Mallorca, "ensaimadas" are exquisite light pastries, while "sobrasada" is a tasty sausage. The Canary Islands offer a very imaginative cuisine that has had to overcome the limitations of the islands produce. Many dishes include fish and a famous hot sauce known as "mojo picón". There are also magnificent tropical fruits from the island such as bananas, avocados and papayas. The most popular snack in Spain is tapas. They are small portions of food that are eaten before lunch or dinner. They are not like potato chips or pretzels but are prepared dishes. Some examples are pieces of fried squid or octopus, spicy sausage, cheese, eggs, olives, fruit squares, and candy made with almonds. Wine and beer are very popular in Spain. The most famous drink is sherry, a blend of several wines and a little bit of brandy. Sangria is a national drink of wine mixed with fruit and spices. Horchata is a milky drink made from almonds. Chilled coffee with milk and ice cream floating on top is a popular drink with many children. The most popular dish in Spain is paella. It consists of mainly rice and meat, fish, shellfish, and vegetables are added to it. Many foods from all over the world are also sold in Spain. For examples, Spain now has all of the major American burger chains like McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's.
Gmyrek Paweł, Jurczak Marta, Maksym Agata |