Zohor
11-13-2022, 10:00 PM
I would like to know your opinion regarding which southern European cuisine is the best and why is it Italian cuisine :)
By southern Europe I mean Italy, Spain, Portugal and Balkans except chunk of Turkey, so I chose Greek, Italian, Portuguese, rest of Balkans and Spanish cuisines.
I am aware even within same country there are regional differences, as I am not even from southern Europe I decided to pick some most popular dishes and one dessert for each country(according to tasteatlas.com) and some mentions of trademark products. All descriptions and pictures come from this site, so I apologize for my laziness.
There is much text so I added spoilers so you can slowly rethink choices and not get lost in all this text, it's a long ass post
GREEK CUISINE
https://i.imgur.com/uf7YlPI.png
- Gyros - Gyros is one of the most popular Greek street food dishes, consisting of meat such as pork and chicken (in Greece) or lamb and veal (popular in other countries) cooked on a vertical spit. The meat is sliced in thin shavings and is then usually placed in a pita bread along with sauces such as tzatziki and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers.
- Mousaka – it is one of the best known Greek dishes – a baked casserole consisting of ground lamb meat and layers of sliced eggplant, covered with a thick layer of bechamel sauce that gets golden and crusty as it bakes. The lamb is sometimes replaced with beef, while the eggplants might be replaced with zucchini or potatoes.
- Spanakopita - spinach pie consisting of a buttery, flaky phyllo pastry with a filling of cooked spinach, lemon juice, feta cheese, and sometimes dill. It can be served either as a small snack, an appetizer, or a light main course.
- Galaktoboureko - This traditional Greek dessert consists of numerous phyllo sheets that are sprinkled with melted butter and coupled with a light semolina custard. When baked and well-chilled, the pastry is traditionally doused in the orange spiced, sugary syrup, allowing the layers to absorb the flavors and transform galaktoboureko into a soft, velvety treat.
Honorable mention to feta cheese, it’s the trademark of Greek cuisine and tzatziki sauce
ITALIAN CUISINE
One of the most popular cuisine, I think everyone heard of these dishes here so I chosen some specific variations of these
https://i.imgur.com/4zhVdrN.png
- Pizza Napoletana – one and only, made with just a few simple ingredients and prepared in only two variations – marinara, the basic Neapolitan pizza topped with a tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic and oregano, and margherita which is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, a delicious combination whose colors are said to represent the Italian flag.
- Risotto ai funghi porcini – traditional type of risotto prepared with porcini mushrooms as the key ingredient. Apart from fresh or dried porcini, the dish also contains carnaroli or arborio rice, olive oil, butter, shallots, white wine, meat stock, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper.
- Ravioli – various kinds of pasta made by placing a filling between two thin layers of dough, usually served boiled with a sauce as a first course, or boiled and served in broth as a traditional winter dish. Ravioli fillings include diverse varieties of meat, cheese, and vegetables, and they vary from region to region. There are also sweet ravioli, which are usually deep-fried.
- Tiramisu – actually a fairly recent invention, this dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream enjoys an iconic status among Italian desserts. Its name stems from the phrase „tirami sù”, an Italian expression which literally means pick me up, a reference to the uplifting effects of sugar, liquor, and coffee.
Honorable mention for mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, pesto and focaccia.
PORTUGUESE CUISINE
https://i.imgur.com/2W7qtZb.png
- Bacalhau com natas – bacalhau is basically dried fish which is prepared in many ways, and Bacalhau com natas is one of the most famous versions often eaten during Christmas. The dish is a combination of soaked or boiled cod topped with diced fried potatoes, generously doused with cream and baked until golden brown in color. Since it is extremely popular, it appears in numerous versions. The dish often incorporates onions, béchamel sauce instead of cream, cheese, white wine, and a variety of spices.
- Caldo Verde – soup made with a combination of potatoes, collard greens, olive oil, and a dash of salt, although there are some regional variations. Caldo verde is served with boiled and sliced chorizo sausage, although other types of meat can be used instead of it. In the north of Portugal people sometimes use kale instead of collard greens.
- Polvo à Lagareiro - this classic Portuguese dish is made in the style of Lagareiro, hence the name. Lagareiro refers to a cooking style with numerous varieties, but it usually ends in dressing grilled or roasted fish and seafood with extra virgin olive oil. In this case, octopus is boiled, then cut into pieces, grilled, then brushed with olive oil. The dish is often additionally dressed with a combination of garlic, coriander, lemon juice, and salt. It is traditionally served with small, roasted potatoes with their skin intact.
- Pastel de Nata - traditional Portuguese egg custard tart with flaky dough, should be sprinkled with cinnamon and paired with a cup of coffee.
Honorable mention for amazing Porto wine
"REST OF BALKANS" CUISINE
The differences are minor so I decided to put all these cuisines into one category
https://i.imgur.com/urzvThj.png
- Sarma – dish comes from Turkish cuisine, with numerous versions of this dish but the mixture typically combines ingredients such as minced meat, rice or bulgur, various herbs, seasonings, red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, or tomato sauce, while the typical wrapping usually includes vine, cabbage, or sauerkraut leaves, or a variety of leafy vegetables
- Ćevapi – grilled ground meat rolls made from a combination of lamb, pork, beef, and seasonings such as thyme, anise, black pepper, and garlic. Ćevapi can be eaten in many ways for example accompanied by some french fries, a dollop of yellow mustard, and a cold beer on the side in Romania.
- Ajvar which is a relish made of baked peppers, eggplants and garlic, it’s popular across all Yugoslav countries, it can be used itself just on a plain bread or as add to meat dishes.
- Burek – Burek consists of layers of phyllo dough stuffed with various savory fillings. Although some locals claim that only burek with ground beef can be called burek, the same dish also appears with other fillings, and these other varieties are known by different names: sirnica (cottage cheese), zeljanica (spinach), and krompiruša (potatoes).
https://i.imgur.com/m8hMep7.png
- Pljeskavica – it’s a flat, round patty made from minced beef, pork, and veal, or a combination of the three, with the addition of selected seasonings such as paprika, salt and pepper, and in some cases, finely minced onions and garlic. It may be served in many ways for example in pita or with french fries.
- Gibanica - it is a traditional pie-like dish that combines phyllo dough (occasionally replaced with yeast dough) with a creamy combination of cheese and eggs.
- Pasulj – it is a bean soup that is traditionally prepared with white beans. The beans are usually simmered with sausage, bacon, or ham, and vegetables such as onions and carrots. Paprika, bay leaves, and garlic are commonly used as seasonings in the soup. It is recommended to serve the dish with some crusty bread or sliced raw onions on the side.
- Mađarica – Mađarica, meaning „Hungarian girl”, is a traditional Croatian layered cake that is usually associated with festive occasions. Soft, thin, and moist cake layers in between extremely delicious chocolate filling, topped with chocolate glaze – showstopper on every cake platter.
Honorable mention – rakija of course
SPANISH CUISINE
https://i.imgur.com/xEmFXxs.png
- Paella – paella is a one-pot specialty that is based on saffron-flavored rice, while the additional ingredients may include meat, seafood, or vegetables. Although paella originated in Valencia, where it was made with seasonal vegetables, poultry, rabbit, and snails, in modern-day Spain, the name is used for all rice dishes prepared in a paellera or paella - the traditional shallow pan that is used both for cooking and serving.
- Tortilla de patata – The key ingredients used in the dish are thinly sliced potatoes and eggs, so it is basically a very thick potato omelette that resembles a frittata when finished. There are some regional variations that include chorizo sausage, zucchini, green bell peppers, or mushrooms, but regardless of the variations, it is often served in tapas bars, sliced or cut into small cubes and wedges, when it's called pincho de tortilla.
- Gazpacho - A perfect remedy for a hot summer day called gazpacho is a cold soup consisting of crushed tomatoes, finely chopped cucumbers, onions, peppers, croutons, vinegar, and olive oil. Throughout Spain, there are a number of gazpacho varieties, such as gazpacho blanco (white gazpacho) or ajo blanco, a Málaga specialty made with garlic, bread, and almonds, with a garnish of green grapes.
- Tarta de Santiago – it is a sponge cake made with eggs, almonds, and sugar, flavored with either lemon zest, grape marc, sweet wine, or brandy. Optionally, the cake can have a base layer made from puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. The imprint of the Cross of Saint James on top of the cake made with powdered sugar appeared first in 1924 in a cake shop in Santiago Compostela and has since become standard practice.
Honorable mentions go to jamon and chorizo
If you want to mention other more iconic dishes for each cuisine or elaborate more why you choose one cuisine over other, feel free.
By southern Europe I mean Italy, Spain, Portugal and Balkans except chunk of Turkey, so I chose Greek, Italian, Portuguese, rest of Balkans and Spanish cuisines.
I am aware even within same country there are regional differences, as I am not even from southern Europe I decided to pick some most popular dishes and one dessert for each country(according to tasteatlas.com) and some mentions of trademark products. All descriptions and pictures come from this site, so I apologize for my laziness.
There is much text so I added spoilers so you can slowly rethink choices and not get lost in all this text, it's a long ass post
GREEK CUISINE
https://i.imgur.com/uf7YlPI.png
- Gyros - Gyros is one of the most popular Greek street food dishes, consisting of meat such as pork and chicken (in Greece) or lamb and veal (popular in other countries) cooked on a vertical spit. The meat is sliced in thin shavings and is then usually placed in a pita bread along with sauces such as tzatziki and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers.
- Mousaka – it is one of the best known Greek dishes – a baked casserole consisting of ground lamb meat and layers of sliced eggplant, covered with a thick layer of bechamel sauce that gets golden and crusty as it bakes. The lamb is sometimes replaced with beef, while the eggplants might be replaced with zucchini or potatoes.
- Spanakopita - spinach pie consisting of a buttery, flaky phyllo pastry with a filling of cooked spinach, lemon juice, feta cheese, and sometimes dill. It can be served either as a small snack, an appetizer, or a light main course.
- Galaktoboureko - This traditional Greek dessert consists of numerous phyllo sheets that are sprinkled with melted butter and coupled with a light semolina custard. When baked and well-chilled, the pastry is traditionally doused in the orange spiced, sugary syrup, allowing the layers to absorb the flavors and transform galaktoboureko into a soft, velvety treat.
Honorable mention to feta cheese, it’s the trademark of Greek cuisine and tzatziki sauce
ITALIAN CUISINE
One of the most popular cuisine, I think everyone heard of these dishes here so I chosen some specific variations of these
https://i.imgur.com/4zhVdrN.png
- Pizza Napoletana – one and only, made with just a few simple ingredients and prepared in only two variations – marinara, the basic Neapolitan pizza topped with a tomato-based sauce flavored with garlic and oregano, and margherita which is topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, a delicious combination whose colors are said to represent the Italian flag.
- Risotto ai funghi porcini – traditional type of risotto prepared with porcini mushrooms as the key ingredient. Apart from fresh or dried porcini, the dish also contains carnaroli or arborio rice, olive oil, butter, shallots, white wine, meat stock, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper.
- Ravioli – various kinds of pasta made by placing a filling between two thin layers of dough, usually served boiled with a sauce as a first course, or boiled and served in broth as a traditional winter dish. Ravioli fillings include diverse varieties of meat, cheese, and vegetables, and they vary from region to region. There are also sweet ravioli, which are usually deep-fried.
- Tiramisu – actually a fairly recent invention, this dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream enjoys an iconic status among Italian desserts. Its name stems from the phrase „tirami sù”, an Italian expression which literally means pick me up, a reference to the uplifting effects of sugar, liquor, and coffee.
Honorable mention for mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, pesto and focaccia.
PORTUGUESE CUISINE
https://i.imgur.com/2W7qtZb.png
- Bacalhau com natas – bacalhau is basically dried fish which is prepared in many ways, and Bacalhau com natas is one of the most famous versions often eaten during Christmas. The dish is a combination of soaked or boiled cod topped with diced fried potatoes, generously doused with cream and baked until golden brown in color. Since it is extremely popular, it appears in numerous versions. The dish often incorporates onions, béchamel sauce instead of cream, cheese, white wine, and a variety of spices.
- Caldo Verde – soup made with a combination of potatoes, collard greens, olive oil, and a dash of salt, although there are some regional variations. Caldo verde is served with boiled and sliced chorizo sausage, although other types of meat can be used instead of it. In the north of Portugal people sometimes use kale instead of collard greens.
- Polvo à Lagareiro - this classic Portuguese dish is made in the style of Lagareiro, hence the name. Lagareiro refers to a cooking style with numerous varieties, but it usually ends in dressing grilled or roasted fish and seafood with extra virgin olive oil. In this case, octopus is boiled, then cut into pieces, grilled, then brushed with olive oil. The dish is often additionally dressed with a combination of garlic, coriander, lemon juice, and salt. It is traditionally served with small, roasted potatoes with their skin intact.
- Pastel de Nata - traditional Portuguese egg custard tart with flaky dough, should be sprinkled with cinnamon and paired with a cup of coffee.
Honorable mention for amazing Porto wine
"REST OF BALKANS" CUISINE
The differences are minor so I decided to put all these cuisines into one category
https://i.imgur.com/urzvThj.png
- Sarma – dish comes from Turkish cuisine, with numerous versions of this dish but the mixture typically combines ingredients such as minced meat, rice or bulgur, various herbs, seasonings, red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, or tomato sauce, while the typical wrapping usually includes vine, cabbage, or sauerkraut leaves, or a variety of leafy vegetables
- Ćevapi – grilled ground meat rolls made from a combination of lamb, pork, beef, and seasonings such as thyme, anise, black pepper, and garlic. Ćevapi can be eaten in many ways for example accompanied by some french fries, a dollop of yellow mustard, and a cold beer on the side in Romania.
- Ajvar which is a relish made of baked peppers, eggplants and garlic, it’s popular across all Yugoslav countries, it can be used itself just on a plain bread or as add to meat dishes.
- Burek – Burek consists of layers of phyllo dough stuffed with various savory fillings. Although some locals claim that only burek with ground beef can be called burek, the same dish also appears with other fillings, and these other varieties are known by different names: sirnica (cottage cheese), zeljanica (spinach), and krompiruša (potatoes).
https://i.imgur.com/m8hMep7.png
- Pljeskavica – it’s a flat, round patty made from minced beef, pork, and veal, or a combination of the three, with the addition of selected seasonings such as paprika, salt and pepper, and in some cases, finely minced onions and garlic. It may be served in many ways for example in pita or with french fries.
- Gibanica - it is a traditional pie-like dish that combines phyllo dough (occasionally replaced with yeast dough) with a creamy combination of cheese and eggs.
- Pasulj – it is a bean soup that is traditionally prepared with white beans. The beans are usually simmered with sausage, bacon, or ham, and vegetables such as onions and carrots. Paprika, bay leaves, and garlic are commonly used as seasonings in the soup. It is recommended to serve the dish with some crusty bread or sliced raw onions on the side.
- Mađarica – Mađarica, meaning „Hungarian girl”, is a traditional Croatian layered cake that is usually associated with festive occasions. Soft, thin, and moist cake layers in between extremely delicious chocolate filling, topped with chocolate glaze – showstopper on every cake platter.
Honorable mention – rakija of course
SPANISH CUISINE
https://i.imgur.com/xEmFXxs.png
- Paella – paella is a one-pot specialty that is based on saffron-flavored rice, while the additional ingredients may include meat, seafood, or vegetables. Although paella originated in Valencia, where it was made with seasonal vegetables, poultry, rabbit, and snails, in modern-day Spain, the name is used for all rice dishes prepared in a paellera or paella - the traditional shallow pan that is used both for cooking and serving.
- Tortilla de patata – The key ingredients used in the dish are thinly sliced potatoes and eggs, so it is basically a very thick potato omelette that resembles a frittata when finished. There are some regional variations that include chorizo sausage, zucchini, green bell peppers, or mushrooms, but regardless of the variations, it is often served in tapas bars, sliced or cut into small cubes and wedges, when it's called pincho de tortilla.
- Gazpacho - A perfect remedy for a hot summer day called gazpacho is a cold soup consisting of crushed tomatoes, finely chopped cucumbers, onions, peppers, croutons, vinegar, and olive oil. Throughout Spain, there are a number of gazpacho varieties, such as gazpacho blanco (white gazpacho) or ajo blanco, a Málaga specialty made with garlic, bread, and almonds, with a garnish of green grapes.
- Tarta de Santiago – it is a sponge cake made with eggs, almonds, and sugar, flavored with either lemon zest, grape marc, sweet wine, or brandy. Optionally, the cake can have a base layer made from puff pastry or shortcrust pastry. The imprint of the Cross of Saint James on top of the cake made with powdered sugar appeared first in 1924 in a cake shop in Santiago Compostela and has since become standard practice.
Honorable mentions go to jamon and chorizo
If you want to mention other more iconic dishes for each cuisine or elaborate more why you choose one cuisine over other, feel free.