European

Cuisine

(Central)
 European or western cuisine
European or western cuisine is the cuisines of Europe and
other Western countries, including the cuisines brought to
other countries by European settlers and colonists.
Sometimes the term "European", or more specifically
"continental" cuisine, is used to refer more strictly to the
cuisine of the western parts of mainland Europe.
Formal European dinners are served in distinct courses.
European presentation evolved from service à la française,
or bringing multiple dishes to the table at once, into service
à la russe, where dishes are presented sequentially. Usually,
cold, hot and savoury, and sweet dishes are served strictly
separately in this order, as hors d'oeuvre (appetizer) or
soup, as entrée and main course, and as dessert. 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 a buffet, 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. In contrast in the Sinosphere, the ruling
class were the court officials, who had their food cut ready
to eat in the kitchen, to be eaten with chopsticks. The knife
was supplanted by the spoon for soups, while the fork was
introduced later in the early modern period, 16th century.
Today, most dishes are intended to be eaten with cutlery
and only a few finger foods can be eaten with the hands in
polite company.
 Central European cuisines

All of these countries have their specialties.

• Austria is famous for their Wiener Schnitzel - a
breaded veal cutlet served with a slice of lemon
• The Czech Republic for their world renowned beers.
• Germany for their world-famous wursts
• Hungary for their goulash
 Central European cuisines

• Slovakia is famous for their gnocchi-like Halusky

pasta
• Slovenia for their German and Italian influenced
cuisine
• Poland for their world-famous Pierogis which are a
cross between a Ravioli and an Empanada
• Switzerland are famous for their Rösti and French
speaking Switzerland for their fondue and Raclettes.
 Austrian cuisine
Austrian cuisine is a style of cuisine native
to Austria and composed of influences from Central
Europe and throughout the former Austro-Hungarian
Empire Austrian cuisine is most often associated
with Viennese cuisine, but there are significant regional
variations.
 Popular dishes of Vienna

• Rindsuppe (beef soup), a clear soup with golden colour

• Tafelspitz ,beef boiled in broth (soup), often served with

apple and horseradish and chives sauce

• Gulasch (goulash), a hotpot similar to Hungarian pörkölt
—
Austrian goulash is often eaten with rolls, bread or
dumplings.
• Beuschel, a ragout containing lungs and heart
• Liptauer, a spicy cheese spread, eaten on a slice of bread
• Selchfleisch, meat that is smoked, then cooked, served
with Sauerkraut and dumplings
• Powidl, a thick sweet jam made from plums
 Czech cuisine
  Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods;
the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its
presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been
reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on
weekends. The body of Czech meals typically consists of
two or more courses; the first course is traditionally soup,
the second course is the main dish, and the third course can
include supplementary courses, such as dessert
or compote (kompot).
In the Czech cuisine, thick soups and many kinds of
sauces, both based on stewed or cooked vegetables and
meats, often with cream, as well as baked meats with
natural sauces (gravies), are popular dishes usually
accompanied with beer, especially Pilsner, that Czechs
consume the most in the world. Czech cuisine is also
very strong in sweet main courses and desserts, a unique
feature in European cuisines.
 Popular dishes of Czech

• Guláš—a stew usually made from beef, pork or game with

onions and spices.
• Ham (šunka) is made from pork or beef, braised, dried or
smoked.
• Smoked meat (uzené) with potato dumplings, fried onion
and cooked spinach.
• Beef with tomato sauce (rajská omáčka or rajská) is served
with dumplings. Dill sauce (koprová omáčka or koprovka)
is
often on menus too.
• Rabbit (králík) is commonly bred in the countryside. Hare
(zajíc) with wild game is also served. Mutton, lamb, kid,
boar, horse or deer are not as common.
 German cuisine
The cuisine of Germany is made up of many different
local or regional cuisines, as is typical for somewhat
larger countries. Germany itself is part of a larger
cultural region, Central Europe, sharing many traditions
with neighboring countries such as Poland and the Czech
Republic. Southern regions, like Bavaria and Swabia,
share dishes with Austrian and parts of Swiss cuisine.
 Popular dishes of German Cuisine

• Baden-Württemberg
• Bavaria
• Saxony
• Thuringia
• Palatinate/Pfalz
• Hessen
• Hamburg
• Marzipan
• Hendl
• Currywurst
• Aachener Printen
• Bratwurst
 Polish cuisine
Polish cuisine is a style of cooking and food preparation
originating in or widely popular in Poland. Polish cuisine
has evolved over the centuries to become very eclectic due
to Poland's history and it shares many similarities with
neighbouring German, Czech, Slovak and Silesian culinary
traditions. It has also been widely influenced by
other Central European cuisines,
namely Austrian and Hungarian as well as Jewish,
French, Italian, and Turkish. Polish-styled cooking in other
cultures is often referred to as à la polonaise.
 Popular dishes of Poland

• Baranina - roasted or grilled mutton

• Bigos - a stew of cabbage and meat ( often times in a
tomato base) mainly kiełbasa'
• Gołąbki - cabbage leaves stuffed with spiced minced
meat
and rice or with mushrooms and rice
• Golonka - stewed pork knuckle or hock
• Gulasz - stew of meat, noodles and vegetables (especially
potato), seasoned with paprika and other spices.
• Kaczka z jabłkami - roast duck with apples
• Karkówka - chuck steak, usually roasted
 Swiss cuisine
Swiss cuisine bears witness to many regional influences,
including from French, German and Italian cuisines and
also features many dishes specific to Switzerland.
Switzerland was historically a country of farmers, so
traditional Swiss dishes tend not to be plain despite being
made from basic ingredients, such as potatoes and cheese.
 Popular dishes of Switzerland

• Carac: A Swiss shortcrust chocolate

• Fondue: Melted cheese served in a communal pot, which
small pieces of bread or potatoes are dipped into.
• Malakoff: Fried cheese balls or sticks from the canton of

Vaud.
• Meringue: Swiss Meringue with double cream
from Gruyère.
• Papet vaudois: The canton of Vaud is home to this filling
dish of leeks and potatoes (hence the name vaudois). It is
usually served with Saucisse au chou (cabbage sausage).
• Raclette: Hot cheese scraped over potatoes, served with
small gherkins, pickled onions etc.
 Hungarian cuisine
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic
of the nation of Hungary and its primary ethnic group,
the Magyars. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily
based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread,
dairy products and cheeses.
 Popular dishes of Hungarian cuisine 

• Meggyleves
• Csontleves
• Húsleves
• Halászlé
• Gulyásleves
• Palacsinta
• Paprikás krumpli
• Krumplileves
• Pacalleves
• Vadgombaleves
• Palócleves
• Gombaleves