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Overview of Eastern Europe

International O In history, Eastern Europe is a land
that has been torn, redrawn, and
Cuisines torn again.
O Europe has long been one of
overlapping cultures and ethnicities
that have had relatively little time
over the course of history to
develop a “home” of their own.

Major ethnic groups

Where is Europe?
that represented the region
O This is a complex and diverse
region, one that is partially
defined by this complex mix of
ethnicities.

Geography of Eastern Europe

Major ethnic groups

Slavic peoples
that represented the region
O Because many of these groups O who are
have been persecuted and ruled thought to be
by outside forces at some point indigenous to
in history, it should not be a the area of
surprise that their culinary Poland
traditions have been retained
proudly.

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Turkish peoples Romani peoples

O who are O They are the
believed gypsies in the
mostly to United States
be of America
descendan
ts of region.
Ottoman
peoples

Magyars Albanian peoples

O who are O They from
believed to the area of
have migrated present-day
from south- Albania;
western Asia
into present-
day Hungary.

Ashkenazi Jewish peoples Eastern Europe

O They are the O It covers a vast area and includes
ones who many different climatic and
migrated agricultural regions.
following their
persecution in
the Middle
East

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Eastern Europe HISTORIC

O With a temperate climate suited CULINARY
to producing many of the
agricultural products found, the INFLUENCES
other northern European
countries produces potatoes,
cabbage, parsnips, cucumbers,
and beets.

O Historically, Eastern Europe has

been the site of numerous
conflicts, redrawn borders, and Greek
shifting ethnic cultures
O Some cultures have had a more Empire
profound effect than others on
the culinary traditions of this
region.

Greek Empire Influences Stuffed Vegetables

O Some of the Greek practices that
spread into the southern part of
the region, include the
production and use of olive oil,
the inclusion of olives in cooking,
the process of bread making.

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Skewered and
Yogurt-based Sauces
Grilled meats

phyllo dough (also called Honey-soaked sweets and sweet-

pita in some Balkan areas) thickened nuts and grains

Greek Empire Influences

O These influences have given a Italian
strong character to the cuisine of
Eastern Europe, especially in the Influences
more southern areas, where
Turkish rule was longer and more
consistent.

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Italian Influences Italian Influences

O Onions, garlic, stuffed meats,
and an array of sauces were
introduced to Hungary and
spread to other areas from
there.
O In some of the Eastern
European regions closer to
Italy, the Italian influence is
evident in the use of pastas
and gnocchi, and in many of
the dessert preparations.

Austrian and
Austrian Habsburg
German influence
Empire and O Foods such as sauerkraut,
Austro-Hungarian dumplings, and sausages
Empire were brought to the more
eastern portion of Europe as
this empire battled the
Ottoman Empire and others
for control of lands.

Wiener
Sachertorte
schnitzel
O breaded O chocolate
and torte
panfried developed
veal cutlet, in Vienna
fashioned
from Italian
examples

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Austrian and
Strudel
German influence
O thin dough O Rolled-in doughs, such as
wrapped croissants and danishes,
around were also popularized in this
various region at this time and
fillings and eventually made their way to
baked in loaf many other areas of Eastern
form. Europe as well

Unique Components
UNIQUE O The cuisines of Eastern
Europe possess a complex
COMPONENTS set of influential factors,
because this region lies in or
on the border of the gray area
that separates Europe and
Asia

Ethnic and Ethnic and

Culinary Diversity
O Cuisine of this region is that
Eastern European borders have
been drawn and redrawn
numerous times throughout
history, and often not in the
interest of particular ethnic
groups.
Culinary Diversity
O As a result, many ethnic
groups have been mixed,
deported, and forcibly
relocated, or in many cases
have become part of a
country not their own.

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From the Mediterranean to
a Northern Tundra Cuisine
O The cuisine in the north is
composed largely of heartier
dishes, with stews, soups,
and a heavy reliance on grain
products providing the
sustenance needed in this
harsher climate.
From the Mediterranean to
a Northern Tundra Cuisine
O There is a heavier emphasis
on fresh vegetables, herbs,
and the use of olive oil as a
cooking fat
SIGNIFICANT
SUBREGIONS
7/3/2017
From the Mediterranean to
a Northern Tundra Cuisine
O Butter, sour cream,
sausages, and preserved
vegetables are part of the
fabric of the cuisine of the
north.
From the Mediterranean to
a Northern Tundra Cuisine
O The cheeses of the southern
cuisines are often made from
goat’s milk and sheep’s milk,
and yogurt is a common dairy
product, in contrast to the butter
and sour cream that are
common in the north
Significant Sub regions
O Ethnic lines often don’t follow
the pattern of drawn borders,
and, as such, there are
numerous examples of cultures
that exist across borders, living
in lands controlled by a different
culture
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Significant Sub regions

O consider the historical POLAND
context that each of these
sub regions has endured
when considering how the
cuisine has evolved in each
area.

Poland Sub regions Poland Sub regions

O Poland contains a vast O Typical food crops include
agricultural basin throughout wheat, rye, buckwheat,
much of the heartland of the barley, cabbage, potatoes,
country, which is broken by beets, kohlrabi, and
mushrooms; all make regular
mountainous terrain along appearances on the Polish
the southern borders table

Sauerkraut (fermented and

kielbasa (Polish sausage)
preserved cabbage)

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pierogi (filled pasta) golabki (stuffed cabbage)

mazurkas (flat cakes topped

serniks (cheesecakes)
with various ingredients)

Romania Sub regions

ROMANIA O Traditional Slavic foods are part
of the cuisine of Romania, with
bread, filled pastries, stuffed
cabbage dishes, soups
(especially sour soups called
ciorbas), and stews serving as
frequent components

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Hungry Sub regions

HUNGARY O One of the more varied cuisines
found throughout the sub-
regions in this chapter and also
one of the more unique. With
their tradition of drying foods
and slow-cooking stews and
soups, along with their uses of
seasoning

Hungry Sub regions rétes (strudels)

O Hungarians have developed a
highly respected cuisine
despite being subjected to
many periods of suffering at
the hands of others

tortáks (tortes) tésztáks (dumplings)

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káposzta (cabbage or
paprika
sauerkraut)

Balkan Sub regions

BALKAN O One of the other
distinguishing features of the
PENINSULA Balkan region is the diversity
of peoples, religions, and
languages that exist

Balkan Sub regions Balkan Sub regions

O This decidedly eastern- O Common dishes on a meze
leaning cuisine undoubtedly table include olives,
connects this region to the hummus, roasted peppers,
Middle Eastern-influenced eggplant purée, and
Turkish and Greek cuisines. marinated vegetables

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sarmas (stuffed grape

Brinza cheese
leaves)

pitas (another type of filled,

boreks or boeregs (stuffed
thin phyllolike dough that
phyllo with savory fillings)
may be sweet or savory),

gnocchi (small dumplings)

END
OF DISCUSSION

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