Importance of european food

European food has a distinct flavor and rich history. The food in Europe can be
characterized by fourcategories: meats, sugar, cereals, and fats. Meats include
tripe, fish, blood sausages, and wild game.Brought from India and the New World,
cane sugar became a necessary ingredient in European recipesand foods. Europeans
loved the sweet taste and the demand for sugar cane grew at the end of the
17thcentury. Cereals are the most important ingredients in European cuisine. Flour,
bread, wheat, oats, andother grains provide people with the most nutritious and
healthy meals. During the 18th century,though, new crops rose to popularity. Maize
and potatoes were brought from the New World andbecame favorite foods in Northern
Europe. Rice and pasta especially grew famous in Spain and Italy.Peas and beans are
still a staple food in Europe. However, their popularity diminished over time
aspotatoes and cereals took their place as the main foods. The most used fats in
Europe are olive oil, lard,and butter. Today, fats are indispensable as they are
almost always used when cooking. Coffee, tea,alcoholic beverages, and chocolate are
the most well-known drinks in Europe. Since water was not beingpurified until
recently and was not safe to drink, it was not considered a beverage for a long
time.Instead, wine, beer, ale, gin, and whiskey were the most popular drinks in
Europe. Coffee, chocolate,and tea were brought from Africa, America, and Asia.
Today, all of these drinks are popular, but purewater is consumed a lot more than
it was a few centuries ago.
Austria
Austrian food is rich in texture and has a unique flavor. Austrian
cuisine was influenced by the countriessurrounding it. These countries are Germany,
Hungary, and Italy. The most consumed meats in Austriaare chicken, beef, and pork.
Pastries, sweets, jams, and cakes are also Austrian favorites. Some famousAustrian
dishes are Wiener Schnitzel and Apple Strudel. It is believed that the Wiener
Schnitzel originallycame from Milan, Italy and was introduced to Viennese cuisine
in the 16th century.
Belgium
The Belgian cuisine is a mix of German and French food. Belgian food was also
influenced by the Franks,Spanish, Vikings, and Austrians. Belgians love to use
spices such as saffron, black pepper, ginger, andcinnamon. Beer is the most popular
alcoholic drink, and Belgian chocolate is considered among thefamous and best in
the world.
Norway
Traditional Norwegian food is smoked salmon. It is cooked many ways and is
served with dill, egg anddifferent kinds of sauces. Other kinds of fish that are
commonly eaten are smoked herring, sardines, codand mackerel. Whale meat and
horsemeat are often used to make Norwegian sausages.Fiskesuppe - popular dish in
Norwa
England
The English have healthy and filling meals everyday. Because England began to trade
with India in the18th century, India had a great influence on English food. The
food became more flavorful with manyherbs and spices. Tarts, cakes, pastries, pies,
and pudding are very common in English cuisine. Toast,coffee, and cereal are also
often eaten, especially during breakfast.
Wales
The food of Wales has been strongly influenced by English food. Dairy cattle
and beef are commonlyraised and there are many sheep farmers in this land. Welsh
cooking often uses seafood ingredients,especially near the coast. The leek is the
national vegetable and can be found in many Welsh recipes.The food in Wales is
diverse and full of contrasts and extremes. Throughout their history, the
Welshwould often cook outside or over fireplaces.Cawl - popular dish in Wales
Finland
Finnish food is very similar to Swedish and Nordic food. Germany and Russia
also influenced the cuisineof Finland. Since the climate is harsh and most of the
seasons are cold, there are not a lot of freshvegetables or fruit. Spices and herbs
are also hard to find during the winter. Fish plays a major rolebecause there is a
lot of water surrounding Finland. Mushrooms, meat, potatoes, and dairy products
aresome of the most popular foods.
Spain
Spanish food is a blend of Roman, Greek, and Celtic food. The Greeks and Romans
introduced grapes,wine, and olives. Meat pies and fish came from the Celts.
Ingredients such as garbanzo beans, lentils,and green beans are often used in
dishes. Potatoes, rice, almonds, sesame seeds, onions, tomatoes,eggs, red bell
peppers, and olive oil make up most Spanish dishes and offer Spaniards tasty
meals.Cozido - popular dish in Spain
France
French cuisine has a rich history of sophisticated dishes and plentiful feasts.
Because of the rich soil,many herbs, fruits, grains, and vegetables are grown in
France. Brandy and wine are the most popularFrench alcoholic drinks. Cheese is very
important for French cuisine and is used in numerous dishes.Veal, chicken, goose,
duck, mutton, and pork are
Germany
Food in Germany is important to its culture. The most popular meats in Germany
are pork, veal, andbeef. Germans love to smoke or pickle meat since it gives a
great flavor to the food. Germans typicallyeat breads, sausages, meats, vegetables,
and cheeses. Potatoes are essential to German cuisine and arefound in many dishes.
Breakfast is made up of jam, eggs, cheese, and meat. The most famous Germandish is
considered to be Sauerkraut.
Greece
Greek cuisine is very old and began thousands of years ago. Most of the foods
eaten by Greeks todaywere influenced by the foods eaten in Ancient Greece. However,
the Romans and Persian also had aneffect on Greek food. Pasta and sauces were
brought by Romans, and the Persians introduced pastries,sweets, and yogurt. Greek
dishes often include fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, cheese, and bread. Olivesand
soup are well-known in Greece as well.
Ireland
The Anglo-Normans brought peas, beans, and wheat to Ireland in the 12th
century. The main staplefood in Ireland is the potato, which was introduced to the
Irish in the late 1500s. Irish cuisine is full ofmeats such as goose, mutton,
chicken, beef, and pork. Because Ireland is surrounded by bodies ofwater, seafood
such as oysters, scallops, mussels, lobster, and salmon are quite common in Irish
dishes.Biscuits, pancakes, muffins, and porridge are often eaten for breakfast in
Ireland.
Italy
France, Austria, and the former Yugoslavia had a great effect on the cooking
techniques and food ofItaly. Italian cuisine is based on a few dishes. These famous
dishes are pasta, lasagna, ravioli, and pizza.Italian food is very spicy and often
includes ingredients such as crushed red pepper, black pepper, redbell pepper, and
green bell pepper. Cheese is also an indispensable ingredient. A few types of
Italiancheese are romano, parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, and gorgonzola.
Portugal
The food in Portugal is often filling, rich and full of flavor. It is very much
like the food of theMediterranean. The former colonies of Portugal contributed many
different spices that include piri piri(small, spicy chili peppers), as well as
cinnamon, black pepper, saffron and vanilla. Olive oil is also one ofthe common
bases of the foods of Portugal.
Netherlands
Throughout history, the food of the Netherlands has been closely linked to the food
of northern France.This can be seen throughout the Netherlands in Dutch restaurants
and the cuisine of the Southern region. Around the 17th century, many of the most
popular dishes today became available for the upperclass. These foods contained
lots of meat, nuts, cheese and fruits as well as wine.
Denmark
Throughout history, France had a strong influence on the culture and cuisine
of Denmark. Otherinfluences came from countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain.
American culture has begun to have aninfluence on those who live in
Denmark.Millionbøf - popular food in Denmark.
Sweden
Some of the traditional dishes of Sweden are hundreds of years old, but are still
an essential part of theeveryday meals of the people. There is a very long coast
and many rivers and lakes. This makes seafoodand fish a large part of the Swedish
diet and most Swedes love seafood including salmon that is usuallymarinated or
smoked. A common Swedish breakfast is a sandwich made of different kinds of
softbreads, cottage cheese, cream cheese, cold cuts, eggs, goat cheese, cucumbers,
tomatoes or toast. Allthis is often served with juice, coffee and honey.
Scotland
French foods have influenced Scottish cuisine way back to the time of Mary Queen of
Scotts. Much ofher staff, including the cooks were French and it is thought that
they brought many French ingredientsand cooking styles with them. Throughout the
19th and 20th centuries, there was a lot of immigration ofItalians to Scotland and
in later years those from Pakistan, India and the Middle East also traveled
toScotland. The addition of these cultures has dramatically affected Scottish
cooking.
Switzerland
The food of the Swiss is unusual in that it has so many regional influences from
the cuisine of itsneighbors. This includes the French, German and Italians.
Historically, Switzerland was a farmingcountry, and the most popular crops and
foods include cheese and potatoes as well as chocolate.
Cyprus
Throughout its history, the island of Cyprus has been invaded and occupied by many
differentcivilizations. Because of this, the traditional cuisine of Cyprus has been
affected by the different peoplewho have lived there. While the food in this
country does carry strong Turkish and Greek influences, it isalso widely affected
by the climate, history and geography. Fast food and other kinds of western
cuisineshave also carried a strong influence on the day to day eating habits of the
people in this country.

Turkey
Turkish food is usually not spicy, but some regions do enjoy spicy dishes. Sauces
and seasonings areoften used but tend to be light and simple and don't overpower
the natural flavors of the foods. Mostcommon seasonings include garlic, cinnamon,
mint, dill and parsley. Yogurt is often used in meals withboth meat and vegetables.
Vegetables, wheat and rice are often the basis of Turkish foods. Eggplant isthe
favorite vegetable of the country and zucchini is a common second in addition to
cabbage, beans,and artichokes that are made with olive oil.
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 (also called "Western cuisine") referscollectively to the cuisines of
Europe and other Western countries.[2] European cuisine includes cuisinesof Europe,
including (depending on the definition) that of Russia,[2] as well as non-
indigenous cuisinesof North America, Australasia, Oceania, and Latin America, which
derive substantial influence fromEuropean settlers in those regions. The term is
used by East Asians to contrast with Asian styles ofcooking.[3] This is analogous
to Westerners referring collectively to the cuisines of Asian countries asAsian
cuisine. When used by Westerners, the term may refer more specifically to cuisine
in Europe; inthis context, a synonym is Continental cuisine, especially in British
English.
The cuisines of Western countries are diverse by themselves, although there are
common characteristicsthat distinguishes Western cooking from cuisines of Asian
countries[4] and others. Compared withtraditional cooking of Asian countries, for
example, meat is more prominent and substantial in serving-size.[5] Wheat-flour
bread has long been the most common sources of starch in this cuisine, along
withpasta, dumplings and pastries, although the potato has become a major starch
plant in the diet ofEuropeans and their diaspora since the European colonization of
the Americas.
duck or goose fattened by force-feedingcorn with a gavage, although in Spain[2]and
other countiesoutside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding.
[3]Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacyin French cuisine. Its flavor is
described as rich, buttery,and delicate, unlike that of an ordinary duck or goose
liver. Foie gras is sold whole, or is preparedinto mousse, parfait, or pâté, and
may also be served as an accompaniment to another food item, suchas steak. French
law states that "Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical
heritageof France."[4]The technique of gavage dates as far back as 2500 BC, when
the ancient Egyptiansbegan keeping birdsfor food and deliberately fattened the
birds through force-feeding.[5]Today, France is by far the largestproducer and
consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly
inother European nations, the United States, and China.[6]Gavage-based foie gras
production is controversialdue to the force-feeding procedure used. A numberof
countries and jurisdictionshave laws against force-feeding or the sale of foie
gras.