Different country various cuisine
Where should I start with that one......There is so many countries and cuisines that I have so far experienced...Let me start with the cuisine that is so amazingly underestimated and unknown...I am talking about polish cuisine!!!! That's right!!!! It's tasty, it's full of surprises and it's definitely noteworthy....The only turn off that I can think off is how time consuming it is to do the magic....uuuffffff...................
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Polish kitchen is a mixture of Slavic and foreign culinary traditions. Born as a mixture of various culinary traditions, both of various regions of Poland and surrounding cultures, it uses a large variety of ingredients. It is rich in meat of all kinds and with spices, as well as in different kinds of noodles and dumplings.
Entering a Polish home, whether you are an old friend or a stranger, you will be greeted with warm hospitality and a sumptuous meal. “Guest in the home, God in the home”, as the old Polish saying goes.
For centuries the Polish cuisine has been the arena for competing influences from France and Italy, while it also borrowed extensively from more exotic tables: Tartar, Armenian, Lithuanian, Cossack, Hungarian and Jewish.
The traditional Polish cuisine combines the refined and elegant tastes introduced to Poland centuries ago by the French court of Henri de Valois – the first elected Polish king, with the wild, mysterious flavours of the Lithuanian forests, the sweet aroma of the dishes served for the Jewish Sabbath supper, and the fierce, rare taste of the steak Tartare – originally made by the horse riders of Genghis Khan who used to place a slice of raw beef under the saddle for extra tenderness.
Locally made dishes specific to different parts of Poland will also spoil you for choice. Fresh water fish is the favourite dish in the north of Poland where lakes are in abundance; from the sandy plains of Mazowsze in central Poland comes Żurek – a sour rye soup, and the Eastern belt is know for the world famous Pierogi. Wielkopolska in Western Poland will treat you to aromatic duck dishes; Suwalszczyzna in the north-east tip of Poland offers the best potato dishes and Podhale at the foot of the Tatra Mountains is famous for kwaśnica – sauerkraut soup and oscypek – a sheep's milk smoked cheese. Wherever you go, you can enjoy delicacies that for centuries have been made of produce harvested in the forests, fields, meadows, lakes and rivers of Poland.
Any experienced Polish chef will tell you the real Polish cuisine is incomplete without cereals, fish, crayfish, venison, good bread and fruits of the forest. To better understand why Polish delicacies taste so good you should also know that they are typically made of organic products prepared by natural methods, cooked in the traditional home-made style without artificial ingredients. The traditional Polish cookery books are full of recipes using ingredients that strangers will find most exotic. Sour cabbage and cucumber, cereals, dried mushroom, curdled milk and sour rye are but a few unusual ingredients to be savoured. But above all, cooking the Polish way also means putting your heart into it.
Entering a Polish home, whether you are an old friend or a stranger, you will be greeted with warm hospitality and a sumptuous meal. “Guest in the home, God in the home”, as the old Polish saying goes.
For centuries the Polish cuisine has been the arena for competing influences from France and Italy, while it also borrowed extensively from more exotic tables: Tartar, Armenian, Lithuanian, Cossack, Hungarian and Jewish.
The traditional Polish cuisine combines the refined and elegant tastes introduced to Poland centuries ago by the French court of Henri de Valois – the first elected Polish king, with the wild, mysterious flavours of the Lithuanian forests, the sweet aroma of the dishes served for the Jewish Sabbath supper, and the fierce, rare taste of the steak Tartare – originally made by the horse riders of Genghis Khan who used to place a slice of raw beef under the saddle for extra tenderness.
Locally made dishes specific to different parts of Poland will also spoil you for choice. Fresh water fish is the favourite dish in the north of Poland where lakes are in abundance; from the sandy plains of Mazowsze in central Poland comes Żurek – a sour rye soup, and the Eastern belt is know for the world famous Pierogi. Wielkopolska in Western Poland will treat you to aromatic duck dishes; Suwalszczyzna in the north-east tip of Poland offers the best potato dishes and Podhale at the foot of the Tatra Mountains is famous for kwaśnica – sauerkraut soup and oscypek – a sheep's milk smoked cheese. Wherever you go, you can enjoy delicacies that for centuries have been made of produce harvested in the forests, fields, meadows, lakes and rivers of Poland.
Any experienced Polish chef will tell you the real Polish cuisine is incomplete without cereals, fish, crayfish, venison, good bread and fruits of the forest. To better understand why Polish delicacies taste so good you should also know that they are typically made of organic products prepared by natural methods, cooked in the traditional home-made style without artificial ingredients. The traditional Polish cookery books are full of recipes using ingredients that strangers will find most exotic. Sour cabbage and cucumber, cereals, dried mushroom, curdled milk and sour rye are but a few unusual ingredients to be savoured. But above all, cooking the Polish way also means putting your heart into it.
The next cuisine in line would be the cuisine of the country, that I have chosen to live in at this very moment and that would be a Belgian cuisine, which is surely worth mentioning for several reasons............
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Belgium is a nation of Gourmands rather than Gourmets which, in my opinion, means that along with big portions, you get pretty good quality and a kind of unpretentiousness. Through history, the country has been invaded and ruled by many other people-the Romans, Vikings, French, Spanish, Austrians, Dutch, English, and Germans-and many great and famous battles have been fought on Belgium soil. This land has become a meeting point for the Germanic cultures of northern Europe and the Latin cultures of the south, and this has influenced their cuisine.
Cooking techniques and ingredients of the invaders were acquired by the natives, who by the Middle Ages developed a cuisine of their own. Today Belgians proudly say their food is cooked with French finesse and served with German generosity.
The country is famous for its mussels and frites (French-fried potatoes), waffles, and endive, which has a place of honour in dining and a unique style of cultivation. This vegetable was accidentally discovered by a Belgian farmer, Jan Lammers, in 1830. Fine chocolates are a passion and exquisite chocolatiers dot the marketplace of every city.
Another Belgian speciality is beer. Although a comparatively small country, there are a large number of beers available in a range of different styles. Almost every different beer has its own unique drinking vessel, usually a glass of some description. Many beers are crafted by small brewers whose family recipes and techniques go back generations.
Belgians love potatoes and are fond of game and meat. Charcuterie, a basket of bread, and beer often make a meal. Fish and seafood are important. Hearty soups play a big role, and the so called waterzooies are the most typical.
Medieval cookery still influences the cuisine with today's prevalence of condiments, mustards, vinegars, and dried fruits that lend a sweet-sour and sweet-salty flavor to dishes. Almonds and spices are used in abundance, and fresh herbs lace appetizers, salads, meats, and even desserts.
Cooking techniques and ingredients of the invaders were acquired by the natives, who by the Middle Ages developed a cuisine of their own. Today Belgians proudly say their food is cooked with French finesse and served with German generosity.
The country is famous for its mussels and frites (French-fried potatoes), waffles, and endive, which has a place of honour in dining and a unique style of cultivation. This vegetable was accidentally discovered by a Belgian farmer, Jan Lammers, in 1830. Fine chocolates are a passion and exquisite chocolatiers dot the marketplace of every city.
Another Belgian speciality is beer. Although a comparatively small country, there are a large number of beers available in a range of different styles. Almost every different beer has its own unique drinking vessel, usually a glass of some description. Many beers are crafted by small brewers whose family recipes and techniques go back generations.
Belgians love potatoes and are fond of game and meat. Charcuterie, a basket of bread, and beer often make a meal. Fish and seafood are important. Hearty soups play a big role, and the so called waterzooies are the most typical.
Medieval cookery still influences the cuisine with today's prevalence of condiments, mustards, vinegars, and dried fruits that lend a sweet-sour and sweet-salty flavor to dishes. Almonds and spices are used in abundance, and fresh herbs lace appetizers, salads, meats, and even desserts.
OK, I presume that now would be a good time to talk about the french cuisine....I appreciate it for its diversity and class....
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French cuisine is considered to be one of the world's most refined and elegant styles of cooking, and is renowned for both its classical ("haute cuisine") and provincial styles. Many of the world's greatest chefs, such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Carême, Escoffier, Fernand Point, and Bocuse, are or were masters of French cuisine. Additionally, French cooking techniques have been a major influence on a lot of Western cuisines.
French cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity, and style. Traditionally, each region of France has its own distinctive cuisine:
Cuisine from northwest France uses butter, cream, and apples;
French cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity, and style. Traditionally, each region of France has its own distinctive cuisine:
Cuisine from northwest France uses butter, cream, and apples;
Cuisine from southwest France uses duck fat, foie gras, porcini mushrooms, and gizzards;
Cuisine from southeast France uses olive oil, herbs, and tomatoes, and shows deep influences from Spanish cuisine, Catalan cuisine and Italian cuisine;
Cuisine from northern France uses potatoes, pork, endives and beer, and shows Flemish cuisine influences;
Cuisine from eastern France uses lard, sausages, beer, and sauerkraut, and shows German cuisine influences.
Besides those five general areas, there are many more local cuisines, such as Loire Valley cuisine, Basque cuisine and the cuisine of Roussillon, which is similar to Catalan cuisine. With the movements of population of contemporary life, such regional differences are less noticeable than they used to be, but they are still clearly marked, and one traveling across France will notice significant changes in the ways of cooking and the dishes served.
French wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine, both as ingredients and accompaniments. France is known for its large ranges of wines and cheeses. Actually France leads the world in wine consumption and production. The French make 25% of the world's wine, about 10 billion bottles a year. Only 5% of that total is exported. The average French person drinks 90 litres of wine a year. France also produces many fine liqueurs such as Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados and Grand Marnier. A French monk called Dom Pérignon is said to have invented champagne in the 17th century.
It’s also France that produces the greatest number of cheeses in the world, including roquefort, brie and camembert. Chèvre is cheese made of goat milk.
France is also noted for escargots (snails served in garlic butter) and truffles (mushrooms that grow underground and are harvested by people using pigs or hounds that can detect the location of the mushrooms). The French make some of the world's best mustard. This industry is centred in the town of Dijon, and the term à la Dijonnaise means served in a mustard sauce. Mayonnaise (first developed in the Mayenne region) is another French invention.
Did you know?
In the 19th century, master chef Marie-Antoine Carême created the term haute cuisine (high cooking) for the best French cooking. He also invented the toque, the high white hat that is part of the chef's uniform.
Ummmmm, I will have some of the French specialities tonight!!!! Cannot wait!!!
French wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine, both as ingredients and accompaniments. France is known for its large ranges of wines and cheeses. Actually France leads the world in wine consumption and production. The French make 25% of the world's wine, about 10 billion bottles a year. Only 5% of that total is exported. The average French person drinks 90 litres of wine a year. France also produces many fine liqueurs such as Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados and Grand Marnier. A French monk called Dom Pérignon is said to have invented champagne in the 17th century.
It’s also France that produces the greatest number of cheeses in the world, including roquefort, brie and camembert. Chèvre is cheese made of goat milk.
France is also noted for escargots (snails served in garlic butter) and truffles (mushrooms that grow underground and are harvested by people using pigs or hounds that can detect the location of the mushrooms). The French make some of the world's best mustard. This industry is centred in the town of Dijon, and the term à la Dijonnaise means served in a mustard sauce. Mayonnaise (first developed in the Mayenne region) is another French invention.
Did you know?
In the 19th century, master chef Marie-Antoine Carême created the term haute cuisine (high cooking) for the best French cooking. He also invented the toque, the high white hat that is part of the chef's uniform.
Ummmmm, I will have some of the French specialities tonight!!!! Cannot wait!!!
Although there is a lot of other European cuisines that I should write about (and I will, I promise!), I will move to those ones that are a bit distanced, which doesn't absolutely mean, less popular......the cuisine I am talking about is South East Asia cuisine....During my visit to South East Asia this spring I have realised that tasting the food of Southeast Asia is one of the most enjoyable and rewording way of experiencing this beautiful part of the world.....Let me share my experience with you.....
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Across Southeast Asia one finds distinctive and common ingredients: coconut milk, lemon grass, laos (a root in the ginger family), palm sugar, local fruits, Asian basil, mint, shrimp paste or fish sauce, the varied spices of the Spice Islands--and liberal amounts of that import from the Americas: chillies. But the ways these ingredients are combined, and the cooking techniques used, vary greatly and give the different cuisines their distinctiveness.
A standard Southeast Asian meal has no courses. All the parts of a meal are presented at once and eaten together. As in Chinese cuisine, the cook (who is, in most homes, a woman) strives for a harmonious balance of textures, temperatures and flavours: sweet, sour, salty, bitter. In Thailand, people eat with a spoon, knife, and fork; in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, people eat with their (right) hands, and spoons are used for serving (unless we are in fancier restaurant, then people tend to use either knife and fork or chopsticks, which I personally find the best way to eat this kind of food). Vietnam is the country, that is famous for eating with chopsticks.
Except in the Philippines and Singapore, desserts, as they are known in the West, are rare. Meals are followed, perhaps, by fresh fruit, which are great, juicy and very tasty in this part of the world.
A Southeast Asian kitchen is built around five main items: a coal or wood fire, a wok, a mortar and pestle, a cleaver, and something in which to cook rice -- these days it is usually an electric rice steamer.
Southeast Asian food is cooked primarily in a well-seasoned wok, an all-purpose pan in which you can stir-fry, deep-fry, pan-fry, boil, blanche, and even steam foods. Some foods, like satay, are grilled directly over the fire. In wok cooking, food is usually cut into uniform small pieces in order to speed cooking time, save precious fuel, and expose the maximum surface area to sauces and marinades.
Did you know?
The wok is the southern Chinese invention that is so appreciated in Asian cooking because of the fact that it reaches a very high temperature rapidly, and distributes the heat evenly, which allows for quick cooking of virtually anything. The faster you cook vegetables, fish or meat, the more fuel you have left to cook large quantities of rice. That way you can safe plenty of so needed energy.
Mortars and pestles are used to create the many marinades and spice mixtures. These vary in form from area to area. Thai cooks, for example, use deep, bowl-shaped mortars, while Indonesians use flat mortars or grinding stones, crushing and blending ingredients with a rolling, rather than a pounding, motion. The work of grinding chillies and other spices into powder or paste with mortar and pestle can be replicated by a food processor or coffee grinder, but nothing can match the satisfaction of using your muscles to release and blend multiple flavours into one new, sublime taste and smell.
I would like to write a bit more about Bali and its life and the Balinese people. While being there I have experienced nothing but the hospitality and kindness. It’s the best to try the local restaurants rather than the touristy ones; the food is better and cheaper. Be sure to try the ubiquitous Indonesian dishes nasi goreng (fried rice) and mie goreng (fried noodles). Not being Muslim, the Balinese have nothing against a drink and alcohol is widely available. The most popular and worth trying is Bintang. Great for the sunny days.
To understand the Balinese cuisine better I followed the cooking class. During this class I have discovered the secrets of Balinese cuisine and enjoyed its wonderful flavours. Together with the chef we visited the local markets in order to purchase the ingredients for the dishes we were preparing. Thanks to those visits I have learned plenty about the authentic Balinese delicacies.
Really great and memorable experience!!
I have written already about Greek cheese and now it's the time to describe the great food that comes from that country...Some time ago I had the chance to try Greek cuisine at the source...in GREECE!!!! It was very good!!!... no doubt about it, the tourist restaurants are to be avoided at any price; the taverns (Taverna) are a much better bet...
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