European cuisine review

Have you ever wondered what the difference of European cuisine from the culinary traditions of other nations? After all, in fact European cuisine is a collective term, as Europe is inhabited by many nations, each of which has its own cultural heritage and taste preferences. In addition, different climatic conditions are formed in each of the countries a unique set of products produced by agriculture.

But there are commonalities among the national dishes of European states, be it France, Spain or Croatia. Let's take a closer look.

The first thing that unites the taste preferences of the Europeans - is the preservation of the natural taste of foods. Whether meat, fish or vegetable dish, the recipe for the traditional canons should emphasize the most natural taste of food. Primarily European cuisine is light and natural.
To date, European cuisine - one of the most popular cuisines in the world. Each dish of European cuisine can be compared with expensive perfume - it is bound to have one or more dominant notes. The most appropriate epithet for European culinary tradition is the word "classic".
Europeans are very pedantic in matters of food. However, with all this, European cuisine is infinitely varied as far as the number of diverse preferences, tastes and temperaments, united by the common name of "European".

French delicacies: Truffles and Escargot

It is generally recognized that the basis of European cuisine has developed in France. French had a strong impact not only on other European culinary traditions, but also in the traditions of many other nations. So today many popular delicacies have been developed precisely in France, and further efforts of French chefs have spread and honor in the world.

Perhaps we should start this review with a delicacy that in the midst of its harvest season attracts thousands of tourists wishing to join the exciting activities - hunting for the black truffle. After all the excitement of the truffle is not inferior passion for hunting: the mushrooms safely hidden under the ground and can only be got by skilled hunters with the help of specially trained animals. Steadily high demand for truffles is related to the fact that "the capricious Prince" grows only in the wild in deciduous forests under oaks and hazels. Attempts to "domesticate" the truffle often do not succeed. And as you know, it is a limited supply makes agiotage, which is why the most valuable specimens of delicacy even auctioned. Connoisseurs say the heady and bright aroma of truffles worth the money. The addition of just a few grams of truffles can give a dish a fantastically appetizing smell! And we can advice where to buy truffles.

Another product that presented in our survey proves that French chefs had creativity in abundance. After all, in order to raise dishes of snails to the rank of delicacy, ones need truly great skill.

It is worth to try a French national dish of escargot to understand that the real treasures can be grown even on your plot. Meat of cooked mollusks has elastic juicy texture and sweet taste. A serving of escargot directly from the shells able to inspire guests and give zest to a banquet.

Italian luxury: Porcini and Olive Oil

In contrast to the French tradition, dishes of Italian cuisine are clear and can cause your sympathy at first sight. Pizza, pasta, lasagna and a variety of appetizing sauces amazing, because most often the key ingredient dish becomes white mushroom porcini.
It is much appreciated porcini mushrooms which grew up under the hot sun of Italy in chestnut groves or on the seacoast. After all, they are able to add a truly royal aroma to products with inactive smell.
Nutty flavor with a scent of the earth is so pleasant that the porcini are added literally everything: soups and broths, meat and sauces.
The peculiarity of fungi is that during drying it gains only in odor intensity. Therefore, the most popular form of storage is a delicacy dried.
Whatever dish is prepared for lunch in Italy, we can say with certainty that it will contain olive oil. The oil extracted from the fruit of the olive tree a high-tech way of cold-pressed, which incorporates many useful features.
The mild, delicate taste able to complement any dish, and a high content of unsaturated fatty acids also benefit the body by reducing the level of harmful form of cholesterol.
Since the consumption of olive oil helps prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, this product is considered to be a mandatory component of the Mediterranean diet.
Perhaps the most pleasant nuance of using olive oil is that it can be used in the preparation of any of the first and second courses, for frying and adding pure. A few drops of olive oil can give a rich taste to salads and pizza.
If you are still in doubt whether to include extra virgin olive oil in the diet, the following interesting fact for you: nutritionists have discovered that olive oil is the only oil, which can fry foods in a healthy way! And all because olive oil has a higher boiling point than sunflower oil or soy, and therefore does not oxidize.

Spanish passion: Paella, Saffron and Lentils

If French cooking is considered to be the most original, the cuisine of Spain - the most mysterious. Why mysterious? Because during the centuries, Spain culinary tradition has acquired with many myths. In this review we have collected for you only proven facts about the Spanish cuisine.
For example, did you know that there is no single Spanish cuisine? It is a synthesis of gastronomic traditions of 17 ethnic regions of the country at once! With this there are many recipes of Spanish cuisine, each of which is preferred in a single region.
For example, popular all over the world paella is a specialty of Valencia and traditionally done by men. After all, a special pan named paelera is a symbol of manhood, and is awarded to a young man once in his life as a ticket to adulthood.
History paella also covered with legends. It is not known exactly who first proposed to combine in one dish meat, seafood, vegetables and rice. But that the dish turned out tasty can attest every tourist visiting Valencia.
Indigenous people say that in order to get a tasty paella it is necessary to observe some mandatory rules. The first is to choose for paella only round rice (preferably Valencian). Only this one is able to give the dish flavor and the desired crispness. Second - the paella is inconceivable without the saffron. It is the saffron gives to a dish distinctive yellow color and a pleasant aroma. This is the key ingredient replacing of which with a mixture from the supermarket means irrevocably spoil the dish.
All other components of paella are easily replaceable. That is why the famous rice dish is fertile soil for culinary experimentation.
Another pillar of the contradictory Spanish cuisine is soup. Passionate Spaniards have not decided what kind of soup should be eaten hot or cold, so put into the culinary tradition both. And now the world-famous cold vegetable soup gazpacho competes with a warming soup-puree of lentils.
Although lentils originated in Asia, Spain can be considered a second home for this legume. After all dense lentil soup Lentejas con chorizo competes in popularity even paella. Why Spaniards like it so much?
Lentils - one of the best product for people who want to lose weight. It is substantially free of fat, but contains 54% complex carbohydrates, which means that dishes of it will digested long maintaining satiety.
If you are wondering cook lentil soup or not, remember the biblical legend of Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebecca, who traded the birthright from his elder brother Esau for a bowl of nourishing and fragrant lentil soup. Today, such a way to get the right of inheritance is unlikely to work, but you are guaranteed to enjoy a tasty and healthy food!

Brightest stars: Mustard and Sea Salt

However, there are products that are equally popular in all European countries. Take, for example, mustard. Originating in Asia, it is firmly rooted in the culinary traditions of the peoples of Europe.
Mustard is the most frequently mentioned sauce in cookbooks from the era of the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Mustard seed as often can be seen in the later marinade recipes or recipes that required added poignancy to food. Mustard was cultivated and consumed as in ancient Rome, it was known in France during the time of Charlemagne, as well as England and Germany in the 12th century. And even in the Bible tells about a man who "was as steadfast in his faith as a mustard seed."
Mustard sauce was so popular at the time, because it has the ability to "warm up" the person, which is why it was used with cold dishes. Medieval doctors and medicine experts simply have recommended it to neutralize the cold food and environment.
Also a culinary history of any country is impossible without salt - basic spice for cooking and food preservation. It is not definitely known when people learned to use salt to food, but feature to improve the flavor and prevent from spoiling is proved to be very popular.
If we talk about the methods of extraction of salt it is considered to be the most natural one that is obtained by a method of sun evaporation from seawater - a natural source of salt. No chemical additives and cleanings. In such a salt all minerals are saved. To obtain 1 kg of salt needed from 30 to 50 liters of seawater. And as strange as it may sound, but sea salt has flavors. Moreover, the composition of sea salt turns it into a delicious and useful for human product.
The most delicious sea salt - salt flowers "Fleur de Sel". These salt crystals are formed on the surface in a very hot day. The structure of these crystals is different. Some look like flowers, some - at the snowflakes, and some - on the gems. If add to a dish such salt crystals in the final part of the preparations, the taste of it sparkle with new colors...

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