European cuisine

European cuisine(also known asContinental cuisine) comprises thecuisinesoriginating from the various countries ofEurope.
The cuisines of European countries are diverse, although some common characteristics distinguish them from those of other regions.Compared totraditional cooking of East Asia, meat holds a more prominent and substantial role in serving size.Many dairy products are utilised in cooking.There are hundreds of varieties ofcheeseand otherfermented milk products. Whitewheat-flour bread has long been the prestigestarch, but historically, most people ate bread, flatcakes, orporridgemade fromrye,spelt,barley, andoats.Those better-off would also makepasta,dumplingsandpastries. Thepotatohas become a major starch plant in the diet of Europeans and their diaspora since theEuropean colonisation of the Americas.Maizeis much less common in most European diets than it is in theAmericas; however, corn meal (polentaormămăligă) is a major part of the cuisine ofItalyand theBalkans. Although flatbreads (especially with toppings such aspizzaortarte flambée) and rice are eaten in Europe, they are only staple foods in limited areas, particularly in Southern Europe.Salads(cold dishes with uncooked or cooked vegetables, sometimes with a dressing) are an integral part of European cuisine.
Formal European dinners are served in distinct courses. European presentation evolved fromservice à la française, or bringing multiple dishes to the table at once, intoservice à la russe, where dishes are presented sequentially. Usually, cold, hot and savoury, and sweet dishes are served strictly separately in this order, ashors d'oeuvre(appetizer) or soup, asentréeandmain course, and asdessert. Dishes that are both sweet and savoury were common earlier in Ancient Roman cuisine, but are today uncommon, with sweet dishes being served only as dessert. A service where the guests are free to take food by themselves is termed abuffet, and is usually restricted to parties or holidays. Nevertheless, guests are expected to follow the same pattern.
Historically, European cuisine has been developed in the European royal and noble courts. European nobility was usually arms-bearing and lived in separate manors in the countryside. The knife was the primary eating implement (cutlery), and eating steaks and other foods that require cutting followed. This contrasted with East Asian cuisine, where the ruling class were the court officials, who had their food prepared ready to eat in the kitchen, to be eaten withchopsticks. The knife was supplanted by thespoonfor soups, while theforkwas introduced later in theearly modern period, ca. 16th century. Today, most dishes are intended to be eaten with cutlery and only a fewfinger foodscan be eaten with the hands in polite company.
In medieval times, a person's diet varied depending on theirsocial class. However, cereal grains made up a lot of a medieval person's diet, regardless of social class.Breadwas common to both classes; it was taken as alunchfor the working man, and thick slices of it were used as plates called trenchers.People of the noble class had access to finely ground flours for their breads and other baked goods. Noblemen were allowed to hunt for deer, boar, rabbits, birds, and other animals, giving them access to fresh meat and fish for their meals.Dishes for people of these classes were often heavily spiced.Spicesat that time were very expensive, and the more spices used in dishes, the more wealth the person needed to purchase such ingredients. Common spices used werecinnamon,ginger,nutmeg, pepper,cumin,cloves,turmeric,anise, andsaffron.Other ingredients used in dishes for the nobility and clergy includedsugar,almondsand dried fruits likeraisins.These imported ingredients would have been very expensive and nearly impossible for commoners to obtain. When banquets were held, the dishes served would be very spectacular: another way for the noblemen to show how rich they were. Sugar sculptures would be placed on the tables as decoration and to eat, and foods would be dyed vibrant colors with imported spices.
The diet of a commoner would have been much simpler. Strictpoachinglaws prevented them from hunting, and if they did hunt and were caught, they could have parts of their limbs cut off or they could be killed.Much of the commoners' food would have been preserved in some way, such as throughpicklingor by being salted.Breads would have been made usingryeorbarley, and any vegetables would likely have been grown by the commoners themselves.Peasants would have likely been able to keep cows, and so would have access to milk, which then allowed them to make butter or cheese.When meat was eaten, it would have been beef, pork, or lamb. Commoners also ate a dish calledpottage, a thick stew of vegetables, grains, and meat.
Thecuisineofearly modern Europe(c. 1500–1800) was a mix of dishes inherited frommedieval cuisinecombined with innovations that would persist in themodern era.
The discovery of theNew World, the establishment of new trade routes withAsiaand increased foreign influences fromsub-Saharan Africaand theMiddle Eastmeant that Europeans became familiarized with a multitude of new foodstuffs.Spicesthat previously had been prohibitively expensive luxuries, such aspepper,cinnamon,cloves,nutmeg, andginger,soon became available to the majority population, and the introduction of new plants coming from the New World and India likemaize,potato,sweet potato,chili pepper,cocoa,vanilla,tomato,coffee, andteatransformed European cuisine forever.
Though there was a great influx of new ideas, an increase in foreign trade and ascientific revolution, preservation of foods remained traditional: preserved by drying, salting, and smoking or pickling invinegar. Fare was naturally dependent on the season: a cookbook by Domenico Romoli called "Panunto" made a virtue of necessity by including a recipe for each day of the year.Everywhere both doctors and chefs continued to characterize foodstuffs by their effects on thefour humours: they were considered to be heating or cooling to the constitution, moistening or drying.
There was a very great increase in prosperity in Europe during this period, which gradually reached all classes and all areas, and considerably changed the patterns of eating.Nationalismwas first conceived in theearly modern period, but it was not until the 19th century that the notion of a national cuisine emerged. Class differences were far more important dividing lines, and it was almost always upper-class food that was described in recipe collections and cookbooks.
All of these countries have their specialities.Among many such specialities, Austria is famous forWiener schnitzel, a breaded veal cutlet served with a slice of lemon; the Czech Republic for world-renowned beers; Germany for world-famous wursts, Hungary forgoulash. Slovakia is famous for gnocchi-likehaluškypasta. Slovenia is known for German- and Italian-influenced cuisine, Poland forpierogiswhich are a cross betweenravioliandempanada. Liechtenstein and German-speaking Switzerland are famous forRöstiand French-speaking Switzerland forfondueandraclettes.