food - FoodNerdy Recipes Management System

Chinese cuisine has existed for more than three thousand years, as evidenced by the finds of archaeologists who have unearthed bronze plates, kitchen boards, pots and knives dating back to 770-221. BC. One and a half thousand years ago, the first Chinese cookbook was compiled; since antiquity, there have been many “restaurants” and tea houses in the Middle Kingdom. Cooking was considered an art in China, and cooking was always taken very seriously.

In the traditional requirements for chefs, there are points that food should be not only tasty, but also healthy, and even medicinal. Hence the spread of herbs in Chinese cuisine, which often has medicinal properties. In ancient Chinese cuisine, much attention was paid to the concepts of yin and yang. All foods and dishes were divided into those that give energy, and those that soothe. For example, meat is a pure yang product; water carries yin energy. To maintain health and longevity, you need to build your diet so that yin and yang are in harmony.

The Chinese love to eat together. A holiday, business negotiations, a family dinner, or just a meeting with friends are an excuse to enjoy delicious dishes. The theme of food is reflected in a large number of fixed expressions or sayings. For example, “eating vinegar” means feeling envy or jealousy, and “eating another’s tofu” means fooling, “eating ice cream with your eyes” means looking at a member of the opposite sex.

The Chinese eat slowly, little by little, enjoying the taste. Eating quickly speaks of disrespect for the owner and for the food itself. As a sign of respect and special care, it is customary to put a treat with your chopsticks in the guest’s bowl. In China, there is no concept of “having a bite” – it is believed that food is sent to people from heaven, so every meal is an event. There should be balance in the dishes on the table, but with a predominance of liquid and soft media, which are considered the most useful and easily digestible. For large holiday dinners, up to 40 dishes are served. Green tea is usually drunk before dinner, then cold snacks are served: fish, meat, liver, or vegetables. Then each guest receives a bowl of rice, common dishes and sauces are placed in the center of the table. Warmed wine or matan is served with food. After the meal, the broth is served and again green tea. This order of dishes is very good for digestion, guests get up from the table with ease, they are cheerful and happy.

A very important element of the Chinese table is its appearance, the order of the dishes, and their color combinations. Table setting is usually kept in white and blue tones, bright colors or contrasting combinations are undesirable. Dishes are decorated with herbs, vegetables, fruits or some of their parts are skillfully cut in the form of chrysanthemum flowers, spikelets of wheat or bizarre animals.

Wok – Chinese cuisine, cooking Chinese cuisine is primarily the art of a chef. The variety of dishes and their special flavors are achieved through various methods of processing food and mixing them. There are several basic principles that Chinese chefs have followed for centuries. First and foremost, the components of the dish must be crushed. They break, tear or cut. The tradition of grinding all raw components allows not only to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients, but also to save fuel by reducing the cooking time. China was densely populated for a long time, the tree was highly valued, and the peasants had to save fuel. It is precisely because of the need to save firewood that a convex wok pan appeared, in which food, chopped into small pieces, heats up very quickly. By placing several bamboo baskets in the wok, you can steam several dishes at the same time.

By the way, the custom of finely chopping the ingredients to save fuel explains why in China people eat not with forks, but with chopsticks. But the food was cut into small pieces and chopsticks were also used at the court of the emperor, when there was no need for economy. In this case, this way of serving dishes was explained by the fact that it is not good to force the emperor and his guests to make efforts by cutting meat or vegetables. The pieces were just one bite in size.

Chopping and frying foods correctly is another principle of Chinese cooking. The product is cut into small equal cubes and fried in oil over a high flame for just a couple of minutes. Previously, ginger and allspice are fried in this oil, the aromas of which give the dish a special flavor. Often fish, meat and other foods are fried in batter, which keeps them juicy. Sometimes, although quite rarely, the fish is cooked whole, keeping its shape and removing the bones. The fish, cooked entirely with head and tail, symbolizes the integrity of the world or the completion of the business.

Chinese food Most Chinese food is very multi-component. Each dish uses a large number of parts, each of which is prepared separately, and only in the final everything is mixed together. A huge number of seemingly incompatible aromas and tastes of different products are organically mixed in Chinese cuisine into a single whole. For example, such combinations as “fish-flavored pork”, “fruit flavored beef”, sweet and sour cucumbers. The purpose of the art of cooking, as understood by the Chinese, is to hide the true aroma of the original product so that the guest does not guess what ingredients the dish consists of. The decoration and appearance of the finished dish serves the same purpose.

Chinese cuisine is impossible without spices: red, black, white pepper, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, wild garlic, herbs – basil, parsley, celery, cilantro, peppermint, dill and all types of onions. Soy sauce is very popular in China, with which rice is seasoned, as well as sesame oil, wine vinegar and maotai rice vodka. Another “seasoning” that Chinese chefs love to use is monosodium glutamate, an additive commonly found in packaged foods. It is absolutely harmless and acts primarily on the taste buds of the tongue. As they expand, they perceive more taste. It is important to note that the bad taste from MSG will also increase. This substance neutralizes unpleasant odors such as fish.

Mifeen noodles, Chinese cuisine Since ancient times, rice, wheat and soybeans have been cultivated in China. Rice is the main everyday food in China. Everything is eaten with rice, or rather everything is eaten with rice. This cereal is very rich in starch, that is, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fiber, which makes it very useful. Rice contains B vitamins, vitamin E and PP, as well as minerals: copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium, manganese, selenium and zinc. 100 g of raw cereals contains 4.1 g of protein. A mixture of rice, other cereals, honey and water was eaten by the ancient Olympians before the competition. Rice is easy to digest and can be stored for a long time.

Rice as an agricultural crop appeared about 10 thousand years ago due to the fact that melting glaciers left swampy lands in the area of what is now India, Thailand and China. It was rice that grew best on silty soils. Excavations in the village of Hemudu, Zhejiang province in eastern China, indicate that rice cultivation in China began seven thousand years ago. The first written mention of rice dates back to 771 BC. (Book of Changes). Today rice is the food of three quarters of all inhabitants of the planet. In Asia, rice is a symbol of fertility and prosperity. There are about a thousand varieties of rice in China. Basically it is the so-called “short rice”, while in other Asian countries and India – long grain or “long rice”. In modern cuisine, rice is used as a side dish; rice flour is used to make mifen noodles, sweet cakes and some desserts, as well as vinegar, vodka, and yellow rice wine.

Chinese cuisine, mung beansNo less than rice, soy is used in Chinese cuisine. In general, different beans are used in Chinese cooking, these are mung, azuki beans, horse beans, peas and others. But soy is the main plant among legumes. It is distinguished from its counterparts by the low content of carbohydrates and the high content of proteins, oils, and calcium, which are much more in soy than in meat or milk. Soybeans began to be grown three thousand years ago and by now they have learned to use all the resources in this wonderful bean. Soy is used to make a sauce that is very often used in a wide variety of dishes and, above all, with rice, soy milk, flour, cottage cheese, and other products. Soy contains unique proteins that are superior in some respects to animal proteins. The oil contained in soybeans has components similar to fish lipids, vitamins C, B, and E, trace elements, lecithin, and choline. Soy is free of cholesterol and lactose. Daily consumption of soy sauce provides the body with riboflavin, vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, protein, iron, phosphorus, manganese, and niacin. Soy sauce is very salty, so it can be used in place of salt or with unsalted dishes. Tofu or doufu is bean curd, which is obtained by adding salt to soy milk.

The Chinese prefer pork from meat. This choice is not due to the taste of the meat, but rather to utilitarian and moral reasons. Pigs are easy to raise and feed with what is left after lunch; pigs are not used for work, so it is not a pity to use them for meat. Almost every Chinese family kept pigs in the last century. Even the hieroglyph “house” consists of the parts “pig” and “roof”. In the western regions of China, where the influence of Islam is strong, beef is preferred. Poultry meat is popular in all parts of the Middle Kingdom.

Contrary to popular belief, only a small proportion of Chinese people are vegetarians. Those who adhere to the Buddhist teachings to reduce the suffering of all living things mimic the taste and texture of meat using soy proteins and gluten obtained from wheat. There are even technologies for imitating seafood using plant substances. Chinese vegetarians, contrary to stereotypes, do not eat a lot of tofu, but get their nutrients from mushrooms, corn, beans, and a variety of vegetables.

Tea plays an important role in Chinese cuisine. Tea is good for digestion as it helps to digest fatty foods; it quenches thirst and perfectly complements the vitamin diet. Tea contains up to 500 different vitamins and minerals. However, speaking about tea in China, first of all we are talking about green tea and all kinds of its varieties. The Chinese also drink black tea, but they call it red. Red or, according to the European classification, black teas are rarely drunk in China, since there are fewer useful substances in such teas. Basically, Chinese red tea is prepared for export. What the Chinese consider black tea – pu-erh – has a very dark infusion and is prepared using a complex technology.

Chinese white and yellow teas are considered especially valuable. These are most often tips or the top leaf with a bud. This tea is harvested in the spring – in March-April, when the tea bushes start to sprout. Tea varieties differ in different provinces and parts of the country. So, in the southwest, in the Yunnan province, coarser tea is grown, it is used to prepare pu-erh tea, various varieties of red tea and pressed green teas. A little to the east, in Guangdong, oolongs are grown, a little to the north, in Fujian – the most famous oolong tea in China – Te Guanin or Iron Bodhisattva Guanin. This tea belongs to a special group of teas called oolong or oolong. These are medium fermented teas used in traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Tea – Chinese cuisineDried tea leaves are strongly twisted into balls or spirals, when brewed, they open and withstand up to 15-20 infusions. The aroma of such tea, especially if it is of good quality and fresh, changes from infusion to infusion, the floral notes in the aroma are replaced by spicy and tart, the infusion becomes darker with each subsequent infusion. Such high-grade tea is able to “pass” about three liters of hot water through ten grams of dry brew! However, the price of such tea can be one hundred or more dollars per hundred grams. Of course, this tea is drunk without sugar and sweets.

In the central part of China – in Sichuan, Hunnan, and Anhui – mainly green tea is grown. There are a lot of varieties of green tea and most of them appear due to special methods of drying or processing the leaves. From the northern part of China, tea is practically not grown but pressed tea is very popular in these places, especially on the border with Mongolia, in the steppe regions, where meat and fatty foods prevail. In these places, tea is prepared with milk, salt, and fat. There is a version that a similar method emerged from the need to “wash the dishes”. Indeed, after cooking a meat dish in a boiler, the fat is very difficult to peel off, and there is very little water. Thus, everyday necessity has shaped the tea preferences of the whole region.

Chinese cuisine has spawned a large number of small and large Chinese restaurants around the world. Naturally, scammers also took a closer look at this popularity. The characteristic features of improper preparation of traditional Chinese dishes in some supposedly “Chinese” restaurants are too fatty or too bland dishes. Otherwise, Chinese food is delicious and healthy. However, some dishes may be too spicy for the European stomach, so some adaptation period is required before traveling to China. In a Chinese restaurant, it will not be superfluous to clarify the composition of unfamiliar dishes. It is not worth eating at once and eating unfamiliar dishes a lot, even if you like their taste. Mindful of Chinese traditions, eat slowly, enjoying the skill of the chef and unique flavor combinations.

Food

French Cuisine: Food Aesthetics

French Cuisine: Food Aesthetics : France is a real gastronomic paradise, everyone knows about it. No other country in the world has shown such attention to food as here. Traditional French cuisine is distinguished by a variety of tastes, exquisite combinations of ingredients, and special cooking technologies. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it will always be a gastronomic extravaganza. Along with Chinese and Georgian, French cuisine is called the most diverse, vibrant, and original on the planet.
The French regard cooking as an art and famous chefs are called a kind of poets. They believe that ready-made recipes serve only as a basis for cooking, using which each housewife can bring something of her own and thereby make her dishes special and different from the dishes of the same name served in restaurants or in other families.

French cuisine is conventionally divided into three parts:
cuisine regionale – regional cuisine;
cuisine bourgeoise – widespread French cuisine and haute cuisine – extremely refined cuisine, an example of which was at one time the court cuisine of the French kings.
Simple and homemade cuisine in France is appreciated as much as dinner in a restaurant.
The concept of “haute cuisine” – that is, exquisite, based on complex preparation, unusual products, and a special presentation, appeared right here. The most famous and respected restaurant rating – “Michelin Red Guide”, also has a French origin.

Regional French Cuisine of the Southern Provinces

(Provence, Languedoc, Basque region, Gascony) is sharply distinguished by the pungency of food, great use in its preparation of wines and spices, especially garlic and onions. The regional cuisine is traditional. If in Provence more fragrant herbs are added to the meat, then in Burgundy they will cook it with wine. Alsatian cuisine also has its own characteristic features, characterized by satiety, more significant use of pork and cabbage. Residents of coastal areas use more seafood in their cuisine – fish, crabs, lobsters, lobsters, shrimps.
Compared to other European countries, French cuisine uses fewer dairy products. The exception is the cheeses that are famous all over the world. A platter of cheeses and a green salad must be served before dessert.
Another feature of French cuisine is the wide variety of sauces. The British even joke about this: if in England there are three kinds of sauces and three hundred and sixty kinds of religion, then in France there are three kinds of religion and three hundred and sixty recipes for sauces. In fact, it is believed that there are more than 3000 sauces in French cuisine.

French housewives use sauces to give dishes a certain taste and aroma and, with the same composition of the main products, diversify their food, and if the hostess has a pre-cooked broth in the refrigerator, making the sauce does not take much time.
The arsenal of spices of the French hostess is somewhat different from ours, namely, the widespread use of leeks, tarragon, and rosemary. The use of these aromatic herbs is desirable because they give food a special taste and smell.
Despite the absence of valuable sturgeon fish in France, the hostesses skillfully prepare delicious dishes from inexpensive fish using a wide range of various gravies and sauces. A characteristic feature of French cuisine is also the wide use, especially inside dishes for main courses, of vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, lettuce.

Typical for the French table are omelets and cheese soufflés, which are prepared with various spices and fillings: ham, mushrooms, herbs.
Cooking a good omelet, according to the French, requires special attention. For omelets, choose heavy pans with a very flat bottom. Some experts from the French Academy of Gastronomy recommend: 1) do not cook anything else in the pan that is used to make omelets; 2) never wash this pan. It is enough to wipe the pan while still hot with clean paper with a little coarse salt and lightly oil to prevent rust.

Oysters (Huître)

France is extremely famous for its oysters. From September to April is the oyster season and in every cafe and restaurant, you will see people enjoying this delicacy. Oysters are usually eaten alive, sprinkled with a little lemon juice. Some prefer a natural flavor, while others use a variety of sauces and condiments with them. The most popular oysters are Belon and Maren-Oleron. Wild oysters are also highly valued and are caught at ebb and flow or near river estuaries. According to existing signs, they can be eaten at any time, except in summer, because at this time they multiply and their meat becomes tough. But the French have developed a new breed of oyster that is eaten in the summer months.

Before eating an oyster, you must first open the shell that contains this delicacy. To do this, you will be given a special knife, with which you can easily cope with this seemingly difficult problem. To prevent the mollusk from slipping, take it in a napkin, turn the sharp end towards you, and with a light movement insert the tip of the knife between the narrow slit of the shutters, gently push them apart and remove the surface protective film, cutting it in a circle, then pour the mussel with lemon juice and use it inside, citrus aroma will perfectly complement its piquant taste. By the way, you can understand that you can see fresh seafood when you shrink it, which is a characteristic reaction when an acidic environment is exposed to a living organism.

Snails

Snails are no less famous French food. They are eaten in two types: burgundy and smaller dark ones. Seasoned with onions, garlic, parsley, and other herbs, Burgundy snails are usually served in their own shells with garlic oil and herbs. Sauces and stews are made from the second type of shellfish. But you still need to be able to cook dishes from them. Also in France, grape snails (escargot) and mussels (moule) are highly prized.
Snails are served ready-made on hot iron utensils and eaten whole, just like raw oysters. You can take them with the help of special metal tongs, which are always applicable to the dish. Armed with them in your left hand (if you are right-handed) and a special oyster fork (usually with one prong) in the right, holding the cornea of the snail with the first device, pull out its contents with the second. In this case, garlic oil will become an excellent component that gives the snails a harmoniously finished taste.

Foie gras

Foie gras is a fatty goose or duck liver, one of the favorite French delicacies. The delicate taste of foie gras can be appreciated in both cold and hot dishes. It is also very popular pickled. Foie gras is currently banned in many countries of the world, since the method of its production is considered rather cruel, but France is not yet ready to deprive itself of such a gustatory joy. This food, one might say new, is only about two hundred years old. However, during this time, the fame of him managed to visit all corners of the globe. Spices, pepper, and salt are added to the bird’s liver, then poured with cognac and left to spend the night on the ice. The next morning, truffles and Madeira mushrooms are mixed into it, and everything is ground into a uniform mass. In a water bath, the dish is kept for about one hour in the oven. Watering the goose with fat, the product is served cold. There are other foie gras recipes. To do this, the liver of geese is artificially enlarged.

Frog legs (cuisses de grenouille)

Frog legs are a famous French delicacy that is now served in a rare restaurant. This is due to the difficulties in cooking and many prohibitions designed to protect frogs from complete destruction. Boneless meaty frog legs are served stewed or fried with various sauces and seasonings. Frog legs taste like chicken meat.
They are usually eaten with their hands, grabbing a limb with their fingers and tearing off a small amount of meat with their teeth, but if the legs are large in size, it is customary to separate the pulp from the bone with a knife, and only then bring the slices of the delicacy to your mouth using a fork.

As the story goes, this exotic dish was not considered a delicacy at all during the Middle Ages and was the food of poor peasants. Due to the famine that reigned then and, accordingly, a meager diet, this food first took root among the common people, and only then, having already acquired a certain national cult, was it introduced into the culinary pantheon of France.
A characteristic feature of the French diet is the abundance of vegetables on the dinner table. Potatoes, various varieties of onions, green beans, spinach, cabbage of different varieties, tomatoes, eggplants, celery, salads are not a complete list of vegetables from which salads, snacks, side dishes are prepared.

First dishes – soups from leeks with potatoes, onion soup, seasoned with cheese, clear beef broth soups, filling soup, kasha, Provencal fish soup, fish soup.

Onion soup (soupe à l’oignon gratinée)

The famous French broth onion soup with cheese and croutons was once considered a soup for the poor because of its simple and inexpensive ingredients, it is now one of the most beloved in Europe. In fact, onion soup is a wonderful dish in every respect: tasty, aromatic, satisfying, warming, and empowering. According to Hemingway, this is a wonderful breakfast for those who have not slept. A plate of hot onion soup is instantly sobering after a long stormy evening and gives strength for a new workday. This property of onion soup was often used by the movers and traders of the Parisian markets, who started their work in the dark. Not for nothing, since time immemorial, when onions were the main ingredient in soup for Roman soldiers, the low cost and excellent bactericidal properties of this vegetable made it indispensable for a great army. In addition, it was then believed that raw onions caused headaches, and the stew was the main way of eating onions.
For centuries, onion soup has been a common dish on the table of the European poor. And only in the xviii century, it became a royal delicacy. According to legend, the inventor of the modern version of the onion soup was Louis XV. Finding himself on the hunt without supper, he made a soup of onions, butter, and champagne himself.

The recipe was extremely simple: fry a lot of onions in oil, pour champagne, bring to a boil and eat, however, his recipe was very far from what is called French onion soup today.
Another interesting property of French onion soup is that it is an excellent aphrodisiac. It does not have the harsh taste and smell of fresh onions, but most of its beneficial properties are retained. Onions contain vitamins A, C, B6, many minerals: from calcium to rare selenium. Onions even contain protein. And in combination with other ingredients of French onion soup: broth, cheese, croutons, and sometimes with cream and wine, you get a complete tasty dish that inspires romantic feats. And given the very low-calorie content of onions, we can say that this dish is ideal for both ardent men and graceful women.
In fact, the extraordinary taste and aroma of the soup are achieved thanks to a special recipe for caramelizing onions with the addition of wine, cognac, vermouth, or sherry.
When cooking many dishes, the French put a small bunch of herbs in the pan, the so-called composite bouquet, bouquet garni, – a small bunch of parsley, dill, bay leaves. Before serving, the bouquet is removed from the food.

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is also known as Marseille fish soup or Marseille fish soup. This is a true legend and pride of Provence. Bouillabaisse is an invention of the Marseilles fishermen, having sold their daily catch, in the evening they cooked soup from the remnants of this catch. And there were fish, and squid, and shrimp – everything that got into the net during the day. In addition to seafood, vegetables and herbs that were at hand were added to the soup.
The fame of the delicious soup spread throughout Europe, and it became a culinary attraction in Marseille. According to the cooking technology, it can be called an ordinary Russian triple ear: first, all small things are cooked that even a cat will not eat, then larger fish is cooked in the resulting broth, and so on. The difference between bouillabaisse and triple fish soup is in serving, that is, in its sequence – along with mustard-colored broth, pieces of baguette, thick garlic sauce, and grated cheese are served.

Pour broth into a plate (a pan of broth is served on the table), smear a piece of baguette with garlic rui sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and put in a plate with broth. So, drinking white wine, we do it until we cover the entire surface of the broth on the plate with these sandwiches. The baguette is dry, like a toast. He absorbs the broth. As soon as the plate is filled – without hesitation, we take a spoon and taste the croutons soaked in soup, because now they will bring a dish of fish that was last cooked in this soup.

Among the many recipes for bouillabaisse, two dominate: Norman and Marseille. The main difference between them is that potatoes are put in the Norman bouillabaisse, and the Marseille bouillabaisse is a rich soup made only from seafood. In restaurants that are located far from Marseille, such fish are delivered by plane specifically for the preparation of this soup.

The main types of fish used to prepare bouillabaisse in restaurants are sea rooster, sunflower, sea scorpion. They give the soup a true Marseilles flavor and aroma. Other fish are added to them – only about 7-10 species. Of course, the more different types of fish and other marine life are put into the soup, the richer and tastier it becomes. This is how various recipes for the famous bouillabaisse soup appeared, and it is not surprising that there simply cannot be a single “most correct” bouillabaisse.
In regional varieties, they add calvados, walnuts (Normandy) to bouillabaisse, acidify with vinegar (Brittany), use a bouquet of garni as spices, add potatoes to Toulon bouillabaisse.

Quiche

Traditional French open pie quiche made from chopped (puff) dough with various fillings is used in France as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or in addition to them. The most famous quiche – Lauren – with smoked brisket and Gruyere cheese. Anything can be used as a filling: vegetables, fish, meat, but always in combination with eggs, cream, and any kind of cheese. Quiche is eaten cold or hot.

Main dishes beef steak with deep-fried potatoes and steak with blood with a slightly toasted crust and almost raw inside. These two dishes are the epitome of French cuisine. The French love that the meat is not overcooked; pink juice should be preserved in it.
Widespread white meat stew with white sauce. Second courses include sea and freshwater fish (cod, flounder, halibut, mackerel, pike, carp), seafood shrimps, lobsters, scallops. After the second course, cheese is served on the table, with several varieties at once. You can drink cheese only with white or red wine, and in no case with juice or tea.

Cock in wine (Coq au vin)

Rooster in wine is a classic French dish. In France, fresh or frozen game is used to prepare this dish. Dishes are also prepared from seasoned game. The game is kept in the air (at home outside the window) for several days. The traditional Burgundy recipe uses a whole year-old rooster and red Burgundy wine, and it is very important to drink the same wine while eating the dish that was used in the preparation. The name of the dish can change depending on the name of the wine in which the chicken was stewed, it can turn out: coq au Chambertin, coq au Romanee-Conti or any other coq au. Of course, each wine-growing region has its own recipe for rooster in wine.

Croissants

Croissant, along with a baguette, is the most popular type of baked goods in France. It is baked from puff or yeast dough and can be with all kinds of sweet and savory fillings. In fact, Croissants is not a French “invention” at all, and we must give credit to the French, they do not deny this. There are many legends about the origin and shape of this unusual bun. In 1863, the Ottoman army laid siege to Vienna, and then, during the retreat, the Turks left a large number of sacks of coffee. A Viennese pastry chef found these bags and decided to serve fresh, fragrant crescent-shaped buns (a symbol of victory over the Turks) with oriental coffee in his bakery.
In the 19th century, the French radically changed the baking recipe, they began to bake it from puff yeast dough with butter, which changed the taste of baking beyond recognition. So it turns out that Viennese and French croissants are similar only in shape, and the recipe for a modern croissant belongs to the French. Its success became so incredible that soon the croissant was called a French bun.

The traditional French breakfast is coffee and croissants, most often of natural flavor, so that you can cut it in half, spread with Norman butter and homemade jam. Croissants with chocolate are also very popular.
If you have tried French sweets and desserts, then you will forever remain connoisseurs of French cuisine, and the desire to enjoy French desserts will arise again and again. Like everything in France, desserts have their own unique history. We all know that dessert is something sweet, tasty, and unusual, but in France, dessert is a broader concept.
After all, the word dessert itself comes from the Old French word “desservir”, which meant “to clear the table”. Thus, a dessert is a dish that is served after the main one, and it can be sweet, and nuts, and fruits, and berries, and juices, baked goods.

Mille Feuille

A famous French pastry or cake, consisting of three layers of puff pastry, greased with cream. The fact that in Russia, the countries of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia is proudly called “Napoleon”, in France it is poetically called “millefeuille” (mille-feuille in translation “yarrow”) – a divine dessert made of almond cream with berries and fruits between layers of puff pastry …
An important component of Mille Feuille is puff pastry. It, like a setting for a good diamond, should not interfere with the enjoyment of the dessert but is intended to slightly complement the unique taste of the filling.
The origin of puff pastry has its own mysterious history. The Assyrians invented it. Apparently, it was not easy without a refrigerator: to make the dough, it had to be rolled out thinly, greased with butter, sprinkled with flour, folded into an envelope, put in the cold – and so several times!

When baking, the oiled layers are separated from each other, and a puff pastry is obtained. The country of Assyria has long disappeared from the world map, and the dough invented by its inhabitants still forms the basis of many famous oriental sweets. So, the famous baklava is the same Mille Feuille! Real baklava for the sultan should have at least 40 layers – according to the number of beloved wives from the harem. Each wife had to roll out the dough once, put a filling of nuts and spices on it, and the sultan could already try all this and choose: whose layer is tastier, that is the beloved wife.
Now there are various variations of the Mille Feuille recipe: sometimes seasonal fruits or jam, whipped cream, chocolate, powdered sugar, and more are added to it. Traditionally, Mille Feuille is a dessert, but now it is found in a savory form.

Macaron

One of the most famous French delicacies is a delicate but crunchy pastry. Traditionally, two round cookies are baked, between which cream is placed, but there are also variations with jam or jam. French pasta comes in a variety of flavors, and you can usually guess by its color. The most common are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and pistachio. Born in Italy, macaroni (macaroon) quickly gained fame in the French court. Marie Antoinette, for example, adored macarons since childhood and even named her cat after them. At culinary sites, macarons are made like macaroons, but this recipe is somewhat “outdated”: this is how macarons were made in the 18th century.

Now the recipe for this cake is based on egg whites, almond powder, sugar, sweet ice, and salt … but there is a little trick in its preparation: before baking, the baking sheet is left in the air for about half an hour or an hour, depending on the humidity of the air – then it forms on macaroons a film that protects them from cracking, and a characteristic “skirt” around the edges – croûtage, as the French say.
Each French confectionery has its own trademark: for example, the famous Laduree every year invents a new aroma and color of macarons for true gourmets. Multicolored crispy round pieces, fastened with a delicate cream, are happy to give for Valentine’s Day and Christmas, lovingly wrapping them in holiday wrappers with ribbon bows.

Cheese (Fromage) – occupy the main place in the cuisine of France.
Several decades ago, French President Charles de Gaulle exclaimed: “How to govern a country that produces 325 types of cheese?” In our time, these data are very outdated: the number of varieties of French cheeses has long exceeded five hundred. What are the reasons for this wealth and diversity? Of course, this is a variety of landscapes, from lush and rich pastures near the sea coast to the multi glass mountain meadows of Auvergne, Jura, and the Vosges, where cows of various breeds graze. These are the fertile valleys of the Loire and Rhone, where goats find their food at the edge of the vineyards, and the karst highlands of Provence, Languedoc, and the Pyrenees, where the only sheep can successfully survive.

But first of all, these are the people themselves, many generations of cheesemakers, who carefully, diligently, and skillfully learned to extract the best from the milk of their animals. And, finally, these are all the French in general: they know how to appreciate the individual taste of their “cheese platter”, consider this wealth as part of the famous ability to live (savoir vivre), and enjoy it.
There are a huge number of types of cheeses here: salty, sweet, soft, hard, spicy, homemade, moldy, in wine, in a salad, on a piece of bread, in a soup, and in thousands of different ways.
In France, more than 500 types of cheese are produced from cow, goat, sheep, and even buffalo milk, different in hardness and all kinds of fat content. Blue cheeses are very popular in France, some of the most famous: Roquefort and Brie. Camembert, Reblochon, Banon, Mimolet, Pont-l’Eveque, Temple and others are also produced here. Cheese can be served as an appetizer, dessert, or fondue.

Wine (vin)

France is a country of wine-growing regions, each of which grows its own grape varieties and, accordingly, produces its own wine. Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat are the most famous varieties of wine based on grapes growing in France. Real champagne is one of the favorite women’s wines, produced only in the French Champagne region. True wine aficionados often prefer fine French wines.
There is no hard and fast rule about when to use white and when to use red. Red wine, however, is more commonly used for cooking dishes from domestic and wild animals, and white wine for fish dishes. In the home kitchen, housewives often do the opposite and experiment. However, some dishes, such as edible shells – moule mariniere or fish and white meat dishes, are prepared only with white wine, because red wine gives them an unpleasant blue tint.

In French cuisine, only dry and semi-dry (unfortified) grape wines are used. White wine should not be very sour. In many of the now classic French recipes, some non-French wines such as port or sherry are recommended. But the French themselves often replace these wines with their own sweet wines such as Muscat. In Normandy, cider, which is widespread in this area, is actively used for the preparation of fish dishes. Cognac in the north of France is often replaced by calvados (apple vodka), and in Gascony – by Armagnac. Our cognacs can be successfully used instead of French ones as additives to wines or for burning directly on food, for example, on meat. To do this, before serving, the finished hot dish is poured with brandy and set on fire. This gives the food a specific flavor and flavor.
An important role in Haute French cuisine is played by the compatibility of drinks and dishes. For this, a special science has been created. Wine, chosen correctly and a little bit of luck, emphasizes the taste of the created dish. Poor choice of them only kills the experience of food. Many people know that red wine does not go well with white fish, but not everyone realizes that any wine does not match nuts, boiled eggs, chocolate, mayonnaise.
You can’t drink wine after coffee. Apples enhance their taste, cheese emphasizes their disadvantages and advantages. All this comes with experience and the study of special rules. The French recommend drinking white before red wine, young before old, and dry before sweet. And there are many such rules.

In France, the housewife’s ability to cook well is a matter of pride for herself and her family members. The French always talk about this with pleasure, and there is a special expression that characterizes a woman who knows how to cook food well – cordon bleu (blue ribbon).
We have had the French word “gourmet” for a long time. According to our dictionaries, he is a lover and connoisseur of delicious dishes.
The French have two words that differently characterize people who love delicious food. One of them is the same word gourmet, which is used to refer to people who love to be satiated with delicious food. Another word is gourmet. A gourmet is a person who understands the intricacies of gourmet food. This is a connoisseur in cooking. A Frenchman is pleased when he is considered a gourmet.

The French meal plan provides for two breakfasts.
The first breakfast – fruit and vegetable juices, eggs, cheese, butter, omelets (with jam, ham, cheese, mushrooms, herbs, stuffed tomatoes, and other side dishes).
Second breakfast – cold seafood and fish snacks, poultry meat, stuffed or stewed vegetables, hot dishes of simple preparation.
Lunch – any snacks of European cuisine, soups, main courses.

No more than one snack a day (and not an hour before meals). Clarifications are needed to understand this rule. French children, like their parents, always eat at the same time. Although children in France do not have snacks between meals, this does not mean that they are starving.
In France, parents don’t worry if kids get hungry between meals. They think it’s best to wait, but eat a normal healthy lunch at the right time. The French have a saying that perfectly reflects their attitude towards hunger: “bon repas doit commencer par la faim”, literally translated – “A good dinner begins with hunger,” or something like: “Hunger is the best seasoning.”

Etiquette is generally a separate chapter when it comes to the French nation, and even more so if during a meal.
The meal must be accompanied by an interesting conversation. The French at the table prefers to talk about culture, art, and French cuisine – the national pride of every Frenchman. It is not customary for the French to make lengthy toasts at the table. It is not accepted to clink glasses.

France is an amazing country, famous not only for fashion shows, but also for a variety of “delicious” holidays. Fans of tasting new dishes should definitely visit this country in October when the Week of Taste takes place. It ends with a grand festival of chestnuts, which has long been considered national.
The holiday dedicated to chestnuts is never forgotten either in big cities or in small settlements. These days, France can be called a gastronomic paradise, there are so many different kinds of food here. The only condition that must be met is the presence of chestnuts in every dish. For this, special varieties of this plant are grown. French restaurants offer visitors to try soups, cakes, mousses, liqueurs, and other chestnut dishes and drinks.

For those who, for various reasons, cannot visit a cafe or restaurant to enjoy something tasty, fried chestnuts in special bags are sold on the streets.
Not only people are not indifferent to the holiday of chestnuts, but the weather also loves it. The proof of this is the warm and sunny days that delight everyone throughout the holiday. These days, in addition to tasting all kinds of chestnut dishes, sports competitions, various contests for readers and theatrical performances are held annually, thanks to which you can find out how the chestnut got to France.
The smell of roasted chestnuts that is in the air for a whole week, delicious and original dishes, interesting and gambling contests simply will not allow anyone not to get into the festive spirit.

Food

Nigerian Cuisine: Food Aesthetics

Nigeria is considered a country where you can not only relax and unwind but also taste unusual, very tasty dishes.

What is the Cuisine of Nigeria?

Nigerian cuisine, however, like West African cuisine in general, is known for its richness and enormous variety. Typical foods include beef, poultry, fish, vegetables, rice, and potatoes. The country’s cuisine uses many different herbs, spices, and seasonings.

Dishes of local cuisine The main dish of local cuisine is considered to be a side dish. He plays the main role. As a side dish, usually boiled rice or yams, fried with vegetables, or two varieties of potatoes (a little sweet and sweet) are served. Richly seasoned fish or meat dishes are served on a separate plate.

Moya-moya is a traditional Nigerian dish. This is a ripe bean casserole with egg and smoked fish, baked in palm leaves.

Suya – Very thin strips of beef that are well sautéed over an open fire with nut butter and sprinkled with cayenne pepper. Fresh Nigerian pineapple and fried bananas are also worth trying. They taste different from those that are familiar to us.

Local residents do not eat salty food and fruits. Nigeria’s cuisine is quite high in calories, however, this should not prevent travelers from enjoying its great taste.

The cuisine of Nigeria is the national cuisine of the state of Nigeria, located in West Africa. Nigerian cuisine is very similar to other West African cuisines. It consists of dishes or foods from the hundreds of ethnic groups that inhabit Nigeria.

Typical Foods

Vegetable Food

There are a lot of dishes in Nigerian cuisine based on rice, beans, yams, and cassava.

Meat and Fish

Meat in Nigeria is used in the preparation of most dishes.

Dairy

Wara is a soft country cheese made from cow’s milk.

Spice

Today, Nigerian cuisine, like most West African cuisines, uses many spices, herbs, combined with different types of oils to create deep-flavored sauces and soups, which are often spiced with chili peppers.

Traditional Dishes

Bread

Akara – Deep-fried pea flour cakes.

Alkubus is steamed bread made with wheat, flour, yeast, and water. Served with Miyan Taushe. Typical of the Hausa and Fulani Nigerian peoples.

Soups

Miyan Kuka is a thick Nigerian soup made with crushed baobab leaves and dried okra. Very common in Hausa cuisine.

Gbegiri is a thick bean soup popular in northwestern Nigeria.

Okro soup is a thick soup made from okra, spinach, crayfish or shrimp, meat, and pumpkin seeds. Served hot with ugali or fufu.

Egusi soup is a popular leafy vegetable soup thickened with ground pumpkin seeds (egusi), which is popular in Nigerian cuisine.

Banga soup is a popular palm nut soup in southern and mid-western Nigeria.

Edikaikong is a nutritious vegetable soup typical of the Ibibio and Efik people of southeastern Nigeria. It is prepared from beef, game, dried fish, crayfish, beef offal, pumpkin leaves, onions, palm oil. Because the soup contains expensive ingredients, it is considered a delicacy and is served on special occasions or to wealthy families in Nigeria.

Afang is another nutritious vegetable soup that originated among the Efik, Ibibio, and Ananng peoples of southeastern Nigeria. It is served at home and also sometimes at ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, festivals.

Pepper soup is light meat and fish soup with herbs and spices. This is one of the few soups in Nigerian cuisine that can be eaten on its own, rather than as a sauce for fufu or crushed yam. Pepper soup is often an appetizer at formal events and is also consumed in the evening at pubs and social gatherings.

Omi ukpoka is a corn soup made from chopped dry corn mixed with smoked fish.

Draw soup is the name for thick, viscous soups from southeastern and southwestern Nigeria. They are boiled with okra, ogono seeds, and jute leaves. This soup is usually eaten by dipping pieces of fufu into it.

Main Dishes

Fufu is a thick, dense porridge made from cassava and green plantains. It is the basis of many African cuisines, including Nigerian cuisine.

Coconut rice – rice cooked in coconut milk.

Jollof rice is a traditional African rice dish with tomatoes and peppers.

Pate – pate made from ground dry corn, rice, or achi (millet). Mainly served with spinach, tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggs, beans, peanuts, sugar seeds, and minced meat. Especially popular in northwest Nigeria.

Maafe is a stew made with peanuts, tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients.

Tuwo masara is a cornmeal dish eaten in northern Nigeria.

Tuwo shinkafa is a thick rice pudding commonly eaten with miyan kuk soup, goat stew, or miyan taushe. Tuvo shinkafa is most common in the northern part of the country.

Miyan taushe is a stew of pumpkin leaves with peanuts, often also spinach, meat (usually goat or lamb), and smoked fish.

Moin-Moin / Moimoi is a traditional protein-rich Nigerian pudding steamed in banana leaves. The pudding is made from a mixture of black-eyed peas with onions and freshly ground pepper (usually a combination of bell pepper and chili or Scotch Bonnet).

Ekuru is a traditional food of the Nigerian Yoruba people living in southwestern Nigeria. This is another bean pudding similar to moin moin. Ekuru is also made with black-eyed peas, but no pepper is added. Served with roasted peppers.

Suya – meat with chili powder, peanut powder, and other local spices, grilled on skewers. It is one of the most famous Nigerian cuisine and can be found easily throughout the country.

Tsire is a meat generously topped with a mixture of ground peanuts and chili. Prepare with or without skewers.

Kilishi – Meat cut into very thin slices is dried, brushed on both sides with a paste of chili, spices and local herbs, and then quickly grilled.

Balangu – meat (beef, goat or lamb) cooked on coals without spices so as not to spoil the taste of the meat. Salt and spices can be added later to taste.

Nkwobi – Cow’s legs stewed in a spicy thick sauce, a traditional dish of southeastern Nigeria.

Ofe akwu – palm nut stew served with rice.

Ayamase is a stew made from green or red Scotch Bonet peppers.

Gbegiri is a bean stew typical of the people of southwestern Nigeria.

Ofada stew is a palm oil-based stew widely known in western Nigeria. It is made from palm oil with unripe peppers, tomatoes, beef and nere seeds.

Iyan – yam puree.

Asaro, a thick yam porridge, is a popular Nigerian dish common in the western region. Asaro is made by boiling and lightly mashed yams in a tomato, chili, and chili sauce with palm or vegetable oil. It can be garnished with fish, meat, or crayfish as desired.

Salads and Snacks

Ewa Agoyin / Ewa Aganyin is a popular street food in Nigeria and is commonly eaten in Lagos and other southern states of Nigeria. It is a soft bean puree. It is usually eaten with crushed pepper and a hot tomato sauce. The local name for the dish is “Ewa G”. Additional ingredients may include palm oil, onions, and crayfish. It is usually served with bread.

Ogi / Eko is a fermented grain pudding from Nigeria, usually made with corn, sorghum, or millet. Traditionally, the grains are crushed and soaked in water for fermentation for three days until they become sour. Then this mass is boiled until the consistency of a creamy pudding. Usually served with moin moin or akara.

Dodo is a garnish of ripe bananas fried in vegetable or palm oil.

Desserts

Funkaso – millet pancakes.

Mosa – fermented corn, ground into a thick paste, toasted and dusted with sugar. There is also a variant of moza made from a very soft plantain, which is ground into a paste, mixed with dried black pepper, fried, and sprinkled with sugar.

Chin Chin – fried biscuits made from flour, eggs, and butter.

Puff Puff – fried balls of sweet dough.

Alkaki – deep-fried sugar dough products.

Drinks

Kunu is a popular drink made from millet, sorghum, or corn in Nigeria.

Fura da nono is a popular drink, especially in northern Nigeria, made from boiled millet or sorghum, ground with a little cow’s milk.

Zobo is a drink made from rosella juice.

Soy milk is a drink made from soaked, crushed, and strained soybeans.

Alcohol

Palm wine is popular in African cuisines, including Nigeria, a palm tree sap drink that can be distilled in ogogoro.

Ogogoro is a strong alcoholic beverage made from the raffia palm tree. The alcohol content in ogogoro usually ranges between 30 and 60 degrees. Ogogoro has a large social component – it is an integral part of numerous religious and social ceremonies.

Burukutu is an alcoholic beverage made from sorghum and millet.

Food

Japanese Cuisine: Food Aesthetics

There are not so many cuisines of the world classified as the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. The highlight of this collection is Japanese cuisine. Small plates of various shapes on the table, small pieces of food that are convenient to grab with chopsticks and send into your mouth, a clear appearance of the ingredients that make up the meal – this expresses the Japanese desire for elegance and aesthetics. Japanese attention to detail can be traced in their attitude to food: young people are served larger portions than older people due to different metabolism, food recipes in the winter season are different from summer, the design of dishes turns into real art.

Simplicity, ease of preparation, the freshness of products are the foundations of Japanese cuisine. A regular corner grocery store or a high-end restaurant in the city center will offer their customers equally fresh food. In Japan, prepackaged and offered food has a shelf life of no more than a day. It is hard to believe that the ubiquitous and well-known Japanese cuisine was once closed to the world due to the policy of national seclusion that was pursued until 1868.

History of Japanese Cuisine

The earliest evidence of Japanese cuisine dates back to the Mesolithic and Neolithic times when the main diet of the Japanese of that time was fish, various types of millet, and shellfish. Even then, the Japanese used pots in which all kinds of stews were cooked. The famous Japanese dish shabu-shabu, which is also called “a dish from one pot”, dates from just that period. Archaeologists who carried out excavations in Japan noted that even then people used natural refrigerators in the form of deep pits and preserved food with salt.

The main product of the cuisine – rice – began to be cultivated in Japan in the 3rd century BC. BC and rice was not only a food product but also a monetary unit, a measure of remuneration for samurai until the end of the 19th century. Rice stocks spoke about the material wealth of the family. In the 6th century, China influenced Japanese cuisine, and the foundations of the tea ceremony were laid.

During the same period, Buddhism penetrated the country, and therefore, already in 675, a law appeared prohibiting the use of meat. Violation of the ban was punishable by death. True, the ban itself did not apply to all types of meat. For example, the meat of wild pigs and deer could continue to be eaten with impunity. Fishing was also banned in 752. The fishermen were left without a job and a source of food. But to prevent the fishermen from starving to death, the imperial house dated them with a certain amount of rice annually. Chopsticks are not a Japanese invention. The Japanese borrowed them from the Chinese, just like the recipe for soy sauce and udon noodles.

“Rice was not only a food product but also a currency”

With the beginning of the aristocratic era, which began in 710 after the founding of the permanent capital in Nara, Japanese cuisine takes on its inherent features. The dishes at the imperial court are elegant and understated, the finesse and external aesthetics of the dishes are appreciated, not their abundance. Everything on the plates acquires a certain symbolism, the color of the dishes is determined by the season and the events taking place.

Until the arrival of the first Portuguese in Japan in 1543, sweets, as such, were absent from the diet of the population. Although sugar was discovered by the Japanese in the 8th century, it was considered a cure for lung disease and was not eaten. Most often, fruits, chestnuts, honey were sweet for tea. Everything changed with the arrival of Europeans in Japan. Sweet candies, caramel, cookies, and lollipops – “sweets of the southern barbarians”, which tried to persuade the Japanese to Christianity. Japan closes itself off from the world again in 1639 and opens to the West only after 1868. Bakeries, steak houses, breweries, ice cream, and chocolate shops, coffee shops, and liquor stalls have all come to Japan and have become cosmically popular among young foodies and intellectuals. Cheeses, milk, and butter did not emerge from the popularity of the cheesecake dessert until the 1970s.

But American hamburgers were not destined to flood the market. Back in 1958, Ando Momofuku invented the revolutionary instant noodles in plastic cups that the whole of Japan fell in love with, and not only it. Japanese food traditions are losing their relevance in their own country, but suddenly the Japanese discover that it is their cuisine that inspires the entire modern world. People from all over the world flocked to an internship with Japanese chefs. After all, the line in your resume that you were trained by a Japanese chef increases your competitiveness.

Japanese Food

Eating outside the home gained its popularity in the Edo period in the early 18th century, when the city (which will be renamed Tokyo in the future) was twice the population of the then Paris and the bulk of the inhabitants were unmarried men and visiting provincials. Many of them huddled in small rooms and there was simply nowhere to cook. This gave a powerful boost to the fast-food industry. In 1751, the world’s first restaurant opened in Edo. The ability to understand the quality of food has become a matter of honor. Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto began printing the first restaurant appraisal booklets.

In modern Japan, the main feature of catering that distinguishes it from the rest of the world is the tradition of displaying display cases at the entrance with dummies of main dishes and their prices. Green tea will be served with food, and a tip will be considered an insult – it is not customary to leave it here. You can often see a picture of a Japanese waiter catching up on the street to a European in order to tip him, which he left out of habit.

“You can often see a picture of a Japanese waiter catching up on the street to a European in order to give him a tip, which he left out of habit.”

All active life in big cities takes place around metro stations and train stations, so most cafes and restaurants are concentrated there. Food prices can be either quite reasonable or obscenely high. It all depends on the level of the restaurant, the range of dishes and the quality of service.

An inexpensive and tasty option for a tourist to have a snack will be sushi establishments, organized on the principle of a conveyor belt, where small plates pass you and you can take whatever you like right from the belt. The cost of meals is determined by the color of the plate. After the end of the meal, the waiter counts the number and color of the plates, fixes them in the check, which you pay at the checkout when you leave the establishment. The order is usually made using an electronic display installed near each table.

It happens that a cafe offers only options for complex meals and it is impossible to change anything in the stated combinations. For example, if you want a bowl of soup with meat and vegetables, but without a bowl of rice, do not even hope that they will understand you and fulfill your wish or adjust the price. There is a menu and that’s it, no other items are provided.

Superstitions & Habits

There are a number of rules associated with chopsticks in Japan. For example, women can only eat food with chopsticks, while it is acceptable for men to eat some food with their hands. Sticks should not be inserted vertically into food, especially rice, this is done only at funerals. Chopsticks do not move plates, do not point, do not clamp them in a fist, and do not place them across the bowl. The chopsticks should be placed on the table before asking for additional rice.

Before a meal, always say “Bon appetit” and a damp warm, and sometimes hot oshibori towel to rub your hands before eating. Getting up from the table with half-eaten rice in a bowl is impolite, they eat rice to the last grain.

Dishes

Japanese cuisine can be roughly divided into three groups: rice dishes, noodle dishes, and fish and meat dishes. The degree of heat treatment varies from completely raw meat and fish to products fried in batter over high heat.

There are three types of Japanese noodles: ramen, udon, and soba.

Ramen was brought to Japan from China. Basically, they are noodles in the broth. Most often, in chicken, but also in pork or seafood broth. Vegetarian ramen is also gaining popularity in recent years. Ramen noodles are made from wheat flour and eggs.

Udon noodles are made from wheat flour but without the addition of eggs. Due to its composition, it takes a little longer to cook than ramen noodles, but it is also more nutritious. Unlike ramen, udon noodles are consumed both as an independent dish with soy sauce and as part of a soup.

Soba is made from buckwheat flour, sometimes with the addition of wheat. It is a famous dish since the Nara era when it was served at tea ceremonies. Soba is usually eaten cold with seasonings and soy sauce but sometimes added to the hot broth.

Eating noodles of any kind, it is customary in Japan to smack their lips, thus showing that the dish is delicious.

Tempura – Shrimp, fish, and seasonal vegetables fried in batter. It is consumed with soy sauce broth. This crispy dish was brought to Japan by Christian missionaries.

Sukiyaki – “dish from the cauldron”, like shabu-shabu, is cooked in a saucepan right on the table. Thin slices of beef, noodles, tofu, and vegetables. Nothing complicated, but the taste is very exquisite.

Syabu-shabu – the principle of cooking is close to sukiyaki, although here a thin piece of meat is dipped into a pot of boiling water, due to which excess fat is removed from the meat and the calorie content of the dish is reduced. The broth with meat is traditionally seasoned with onions, cabbage, and vegetables.

Sushi, known and loved by everyone, initially looked quite different. Previously, rice and fish were carefully marinated and left for at least a year, and more often for three, before eating. The modern look of sushi was given by samurai who appreciated the taste of raw fresh fish. It was thanks to their taste preferences that sushi became a bun of rice and a piece of fish. As a rule, sushi is dipped in soy sauce and seasoned with “Japanese horseradish” wasabi. We are used to seeing wasabi on the table in a separate bowl, but in Japan, wasabi is put right inside the sushi. It is believed that different types of sushi should be eaten with pickled ginger in order to fully experience different tastes.

Sashimi is a sliced fillet of raw fish of various types, which is eaten dipped in soy sauce. Often sashimi is served with daikon – a Japanese radish that helps to fully reveal the taste of fish.

Japanese curry is the only rice dish eaten with spoons. The dish came to Japan from India and was positioned as English (at that time India was a British colony). Later, the Japanese transformed the curry sauce to suit their taste, and now this dish cannot be called a fusion version of the Indian, the taste of the sauce is completely different.

Yakitori is Japan’s favorite alcoholic snack. Chicken meat, vegetables and mushrooms on bamboo skewers, grilled with coals. Mini barbecues are offered at numerous izakaya pubs.

Tonkatsu is a super popular dish in Japanese cafes. Just like tempura, it is deep-fried, but it is a pork chop and is served not with soy, but with another, slightly sweetish in taste, sauce.

It is impossible to ignore the delicacy – pufferfish, which is considered food for extreme lovers. After all, only a drop of poison, contained mainly in the liver of a fish, can lead a gourmet to complete paralysis and death. All the chefs who prepare pufferfish have a special license to prepare it. According to the Japanese tradition, the chef who has poisoned the client is obliged to make himself hara-kiri, however, is this still relevant today? That is the question.

The second famous Japanese delicacy is marbled meat. The meat of the bulls turns out to be especially tender and soft due to the fact that they are almost never let out of the stall and are generously watered with beer.

And of course, wagashi – all kinds of Japanese desserts based on rice, legumes, agar-agar. It is difficult to call them sweet in the usual sense, but having got used to and have discovered the taste of wagashi for yourself, it is already difficult to refuse them.

Alcohol

The technology of making the most famous alcoholic drink – sake – is similar to brewing beer, but the amount of alcohol in Japanese vodka sake is three times higher than the “degree” of beer. Sake is also called rice wine because of the rice and water in it. Sake is drunk warm – to achieve a quick intoxication, or chilled, which is more familiar to Europeans. Sake is considered a drink for the smart, as research by Tokyo scientists suggests that the IQ of those who drink it daily is higher than that of those who abstain from it.

No less popular alcohol in Japan is beer, which is usually adorned with pretty, smiling Japanese women in short skirts. The whiskey that came from outside also won favor. Low alcohol fruit drinks are popular with young people. Fruit and berry wines, which we contemptuously call “ink”, are made in Japan from plums – unlike ours, they have their own sophisticated interesting taste.

Fast Food

The most popular Japanese snack is bought onigiri. This is a triangular-shaped rice cake with a filling (salmon, chicken, caviar, egg, vegetables, and so on). Once peasants took onigiri with them to the field, but now children take them with them to school and for a walk.

Okonomiyaki – “Japanese pizza”. Only her base is not made from dough, but from chopped cabbage, fastened with raw eggs. In the form of a filling, noodles, seafood, vegetables are used. Fast and economical meal, complemented by the sweet sauce and sprinkled with dried fish.

Takoyaki is small balls of flour with pieces of octopus meat inside. The sauce and dried fish are the same as in okonomiyaki. Usually, takoyaki is sold in 6 or 9 pieces. It seems that this snack can only “freeze the worm”, but despite its size, takoyaki is a very satisfying meal.

Bento is a variant of a camping lunch. It is a box divided into sections, each of which contains different ingredients. Bento was originally sold at train station stations for travelers with a long journey ahead of them. The basis of bento is rice and various mini-dishes (meat, fish, vegetables). Previously, caring wives and mothers were engaged in their preparation, now they can be bought in any supermarket. However, it will not work to take out a wooden bento box from Japan as a souvenir. They are considered national treasures and are prohibited for export.

In addition, Japanese street food includes fried squid, popcorn, crepe-type pancakes, fried chestnuts, steamed buns with nikuman meat filling, chicken on a stick kushiyaki, kebabs made from various meats, and quirky forms of tofu. You definitely won’t stay hungry in Japan!

Food

Indian Cuisine: Food Aesthetics

Indian cuisine is expressive that has found fans all over the world. For those who do not know anything about it, it makes sense to try to figure out what is so special about Indian culinary traditions.

In this kitchen, spices set the tone. The taste and appearance of dishes depend on the professionalism of the chef, his ability to choose the right ingredients, and – what is important! – the temperature at which the food is cooked.

As a rule, Indians eat with their hands – more precisely, with the fingers of their right hand. Sometimes, during the meal, “devices” are used – cakes. It is not acceptable to take food with the left hand – it is for washing the body. A collective feast is a rarity: food is a serious and individual matter, according to India.

However, new trends, including in table etiquette, began to actively penetrate Indian life – today in local restaurants, especially in large cities, forks and spoons are increasingly used, although very often the waiters bring a knife only at the request of the client. At lunchtime, inexpensive eateries lure visitors with “set meals”. In the Indian sense, this process looks something like this: quickly and quickly serve a round tray, in the center of which rises a pile of rice, around – everything else. Rice for an Indian is perhaps the most important component of food.

Curry is the Head of Everything

In Indian cuisine, freshly prepared herbs and spices play an important role, and there are more than two hundred of them at the disposal of chefs. They give well-known products an unusual taste, color, and aroma. For a European who is not very familiar with traditional Indian food, it is sometimes difficult to grasp all these subtleties.

Indians try to cure various ailments with spices. For example, a mixture of pepper, ginger, and turmeric, which is fried in oil, is trying to treat colds. They say it helps. The technique of roasting spices is different: before seasoning this or that dish, they grind various ingredients into powder or put them whole, sometimes they do both at the same time. When the cook sees that the spices have reached the desired condition, he is poured along with the oil into the food being cooked. Some Indian chefs do not use oil at all – they fry directly in a dry frying pan – according to them, this is tastier, since the oil does not clog the natural taste of the product.

One of the most favorite Indian dishes is Rice and Curry. It comes in countless varieties: white, brown or red, thick, thin or dry, spicy or tender, with chicken or fish, meat, eggs, or vegetables. Several types of curries are necessarily served with each meal in small bowls (spicy thick liquid dishes, not to be confused with a mixture of seasonings, which is also called that). Sometimes it is served on a tortilla – chapatis, certainly with a monstrously spicy sauce (a natural precaution against gastrointestinal infections). Today curry is a food that has gone from a national league to an international one, spreading all over the world. Outside of India, curry on flatbread is rarely served, more and more in cardboard or plastic boxes with disposable forks.

The curry mixture contains several main ingredients: boiled and dried turmeric root powder, coriander seeds and hot chili and cayenne pepper powder, and fenugreek seeds. Sometimes they also add ajgon (or Indian cumin), black pepper, garlic, ginger, Indian saffron, asafoetida, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Previously, mixes were made just before food was prepared, but now you can buy them in the store. This mixture of curry has given its name to many dishes – meat, vegetable, and fish.

In different regions of India, culinary traditions can vary greatly.

Nutrition Philosophy

In Ayurveda, in one of the four Vedas, great attention is paid to nutrition. The principles of food consumption have been developed meticulously – depending on the constitution of a person and his psychophysiological state, on the season of the year, locality, etc.

In the north of India, Muslim influence is very strong – as a rule, the Islamic culinary style is more widespread, in which the emphasis is on various types of grains and meats. They eat more lamb and buffalo meat. The cuisine of this region is well-fed and spicy, but in sharpness, it is much inferior to the cuisine of the south.

In the mountainous northeastern regions of the country, the menu is less diverse – to some extent, it reflects the character of the harsh nature. Vegetables grow best in carrots, cabbage, and onions. Barley also ripens well here, from which the famous chang is brewed – a low-alcohol drink that is a distant relative of beer.

The inhabitants of northern India bake nan – bread cakes from grain. Without them, the meal is considered incomplete. Cakes are baked in a special clay oven, somewhat reminiscent of a huge jug – in tandoor. Meat, poultry, and fish are cooked in it. In tandoor – on a spit – a lamb leg can be baked. Without all sorts of spices, of course, and in this case is not complete. Before baking, the lamb is marinated in nutmeg vinegar with the addition of ginger and garlic paste, chili pepper, and vegetable oil. Before putting it into the oven, be sure to grease the meat with yogurt mixed with herbs and spices. Lamb is also cooked in chunks – often in mustard oil, adding turnips, spinach, onions, and dill.

The author of these lines liked the kyufta in tomato sauce – meatballs, very similar to our meatballs. This dish can be found in many countries of the Middle East and South Asia, but it tastes different everywhere. And the “fault” is precisely the spices. The Indian gestaba, a large meat ball soaked in hot and aromatic juice, also left a good impression.

Bengali cuisine is more varied. This is not surprising: West Bengal is the only Indian state stretching from the Himalayas to the ocean, and it also captures the fertile valleys of the sacred Ganges. Bengali chefs are renowned for their fish and crab curries and vegetarian daal puree soup. A typical spice in Bengali cuisine is calvanji, onion seeds.

There is a fairly large coastal zone in the west of India, so fish and seafood dishes are preferred here. The visiting culinary card of this region can be safely called the dishes called “Indian salmon” and “Bombay duck”, which turns out to be not a duck at all, but a fish. It is cooked either as a curry or deep-fried.

In the south of India, meat is practically not eaten – in states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, meat dishes are unpopular. Mainly they eat seafood, fish, rice, and vegetables. Every morning from the fishing villages scattered along the coast, boats leave for tuna, sardines, barracudas, sharks, shells, shrimps, cuttlefish, and lobster. Southerners, not stingy, season all their dishes with hot chili, so you can often see yogurt on the table – it is believed that it neutralizes pepper heat in the mouth well.

Indian cuisine cannot be imagined without rice. It must be served with races, pickles and papads. Rasam is an infusion of pepper on tomato, lemon and other vegetables and fruits. Pickles is a salad of lemon and mango slices marinated with hot pepper. Frankly speaking, the substance is very peculiar, you need to get used to it. Papad – unleavened cakes made from rice flour, it is customary to eat spicy food with them.

In Punjab, preference is still given to meat food. Anduri-chiken, a chicken stuffed with chili pepper, is very popular. It is fried in tandoor. Many dishes are made from chickens: for example, paoru-chiken – chicken baked in dough, tiku-chiken – fried pieces of chicken meat marinated in spices.

Drinking Traditions

Usually, the Hindus quench their thirst with lime juice, a drink made from tamarind and caraway seeds and, of course, tea – they usually drink it with milk and sugar, as well as with spices. By the way, there is an interesting story connected with tea in India.

It happened not so long ago – in 1971, when the Indo-Pakistani conflict broke out. Then the Indian army occupied East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Soldiers and officers were so accustomed to drinking tea with milk at home that they could not deny themselves this pleasure during a military campaign. But the problem was that the milk had to be transported from India. While it was getting to its destination in tank trucks, it managed to turn sour. The soldiers did not want to delve into the essence of the problem, so bad gossip began, which greatly alarmed the government.

The exit was found unexpectedly. A certain merchant Gurbash Singh took up the supply of milk to the army. For some reason, it didn’t turn sour. The enterprising businessman then made a good fortune. He told his secret only a few years later, when he was no longer afraid of competitors. It turns out that he threw frogs into milk tanks. By the way, this method of preserving the product is familiar for a long time and in Russia. With the funds received on credit, the successful entrepreneur bought several dozen milk tanks, into each of which he shoved a dozen live frogs. Nobody began to go into the details of why this merchant’s milk does not turn sour, so he got a monopoly on the supply of the product to the army, very quickly becoming the “milk king” of the whole country.

It is not customary to regale guests in an Indian house with strong alcoholic drinks. They are often treated to palm wine – toddy. It has been made in India for a long time. They also drive the national schnapps out of Toddy – Arrak. However, most of the locals prefer to drink soft drinks, which, like tea, quench their thirst well. For example, lassi is a refreshing yoghurt drink that Hindus sometimes mix with a little mineral water. This drink is a kind of “fire extinguisher” that quenches the heat in the mouth.

Food in India is more than food: it has to do with the soul, mind, and body. According to the Indians, properly selected and prepared, it can become the best medicine not only for the body, but also for the soul, and improperly prepared it can be poison.

The complexity of the story about the culinary traditions that exist in India lies in the fact that in this country there is still a very confusing system of caste status replete with corrosive trifles. She meticulously defines the rules: who can eat with whom, and who can’t eat with whom; who has the right to cook food and who does not; from whose hands it is allowed to take food; what utensils to use … But this is a completely different story, which we will definitely tell you about. Of course, when it comes to Indian cuisine, one cannot fail to mention that very many residents of the country do not eat meat at all – they are vegetarians. However, it makes sense to talk about this separately.

Bangladesh

Are there any famous food festivals or events in Bangladesh?

Introduction: Food Culture in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a rich and diverse culinary heritage, with a variety of unique and flavorful dishes influenced by its geography and history. The country’s food culture is known for its use of spices, herbs, and aromatics, as well as its emphasis on rice, lentils, fish, and vegetables. From traditional home-cooked meals to street food stalls and fine dining restaurants, there is something for every food lover in Bangladesh.

Dhaka International Food Festival

The Dhaka International Food Festival is one of the most popular food events in Bangladesh, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The festival features a wide range of local and international cuisines, as well as cooking competitions, live music performances, and cultural activities. Visitors can sample a variety of dishes from different parts of the country, including biryani, kebabs, curries, and desserts.

Chittagong Street Food Festival

The Chittagong Street Food Festival is a celebration of the city’s vibrant street food scene, showcasing the best of local snacks and delicacies. The festival features a variety of vendors selling everything from fuchka and jhal muri to samosas and kebabs. Visitors can also enjoy live music and cultural performances while sampling the delicious food.

Sylhet Food Festival

The Sylhet Food Festival is a three-day event that celebrates the culinary heritage of the Sylhet region. The festival features traditional dishes from the area, including pitha, shatkora, and hilsa fish. Visitors can also enjoy cultural activities such as folk music and dance performances.

Pohela Boishakh Food Festival

Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Bangladesh. As part of the celebrations, many food festivals are held across the country. The Pohela Boishakh Food Festival in Dhaka is one of the most popular, featuring traditional Bengali dishes such as panta bhat, doi fuchka, and chitol maach.

Bangladesh International Food Expo

The Bangladesh International Food Expo is a four-day event that showcases the best of local and international food products. The expo features exhibitors from around the world, including food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Visitors can sample a variety of products, attend cooking demonstrations, and participate in seminars and workshops.

Comilla Food Festival

The Comilla Food Festival is a celebration of the food and culture of the Comilla district. The festival features traditional dishes from the area, including shutki maach, morog pulao, and doi rui. Visitors can also enjoy cultural activities such as traditional music and dance performances.

Cox’s Bazar Seafood Festival

Cox’s Bazar, the longest sea beach in the world, is famous for its seafood. The Cox’s Bazar Seafood Festival is a celebration of the area’s rich seafood heritage, featuring a variety of dishes made with fresh fish and seafood. Visitors can enjoy traditional dishes like fish curry and grilled shrimp, as well as more modern takes on seafood cuisine.

Conclusion: Culinary Delights of Bangladesh

In conclusion, Bangladesh has a rich and diverse food culture, and there are many food festivals and events throughout the country that celebrate this heritage. From street food festivals to international expos, there is something for every food lover in Bangladesh. Whether you are a fan of traditional home-cooked meals or innovative contemporary cuisine, you are sure to find something delicious to sample in this vibrant and flavorful country.

Barbados

Are there any famous food festivals or events in Barbados?

Introduction: The Culinary Scene in Barbados

Barbados, known as the “culinary capital of the Caribbean”, has a rich history of food culture. The island nation is known for its fusion of African, European, and Indian flavors, which have been influenced by the diverse cultural backgrounds of its people. The cuisine of Barbados is a delightful mix of sweet and spicy flavors, which is sure to tantalize the taste buds of any food lover. Moreover, there are several food festivals held throughout the year where visitors can experience the island’s delicious cuisine.

Crop Over Festival: A Celebration of Food and Culture

Crop Over Festival is a two-month celebration of the end of the sugar cane harvest season, which takes place from June to August in Barbados. This festival is known for its vibrant colors, music, and of course, food. The festival features several street food vendors, where visitors can taste the island’s local delicacies, such as fish cakes, macaroni pie, and sweet bread. The festival also features a competition for the best rum punch, a staple drink of the island.

Oistins Fish Festival: A Seafood Lover’s Paradise

The Oistins Fish Festival is a three-day event that takes place over the Easter weekend in the fishing village of Oistins. This festival is a seafood lover’s paradise, where visitors can enjoy freshly caught fish, lobster, and shrimp. The festival features several food stalls where visitors can taste the local delicacies, such as fried fish, fish cakes, and cou-cou. In addition to the food, the festival also features live music, dancing, and other entertainment.

Barbados Food and Wine and Rum Festival: A Gourmet Experience

The Barbados Food and Wine and Rum Festival is a four-day event that takes place in November. This festival is a gourmet experience where visitors can taste some of the island’s best dishes, which are paired with wine and rum. The festival features several celebrity chefs who showcase their culinary skills and offer cooking demonstrations. The festival also features several events, such as a beach party, a rum shop crawl, and a fine dining experience.

Holetown Festival: A Foodie’s Delight

The Holetown Festival is a weeklong event that takes place in February. This festival is a foodie’s delight, where visitors can taste some of the island’s best dishes, such as flying fish, macaroni pie, and pudding and souse. The festival also features several street food vendors, where visitors can taste local delicacies. In addition to the food, the festival also features live music, dancing, and other entertainment.

Agrofest: A Showcase of Local Produce and Cuisine

Agrofest is a three-day event that takes place in February. This festival is a showcase of the island’s local produce and cuisine. The festival features several food stalls where visitors can taste the local delicacies, such as sweet potato pudding, cassava bread, and pickled sea eggs. In addition to the food, the festival also features agricultural displays, animal shows, and other entertainment.

Barbados Chocolate and Pastry Festival: Sweet Treats Galore

The Barbados Chocolate and Pastry Festival is a two-day event that takes place in November. This festival is a sweet treat lover’s paradise, where visitors can taste some of the island’s best chocolate and pastry dishes. The festival features several demonstrations by local pastry chefs, as well as workshops for visitors to learn about chocolate and pastry making. In addition to the food, the festival also features several entertainment events, such as live music and dance performances.

Barbados Rum Punch Crawl: A Boozy Adventure

The Barbados Rum Punch Crawl is a fun and boozy adventure that takes place throughout the year. This event features several stops at local rum shops, where visitors can taste different variations of the island’s famous rum punch. The crawl also includes stops at several restaurants and bars, where visitors can taste some of the island’s best dishes, which are paired with rum punches. The crawl is a great way to experience the island’s food and drink culture.

Belarus

Are there any famous food festivals or events in Belarus?

Introduction: Exploring Belarusian Cuisine

Belarus is a country located in Eastern Europe, known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes, and delicious cuisine. Belarusian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity, hearty flavors, and the use of local ingredients such as potatoes, meat, and dairy products. Belarusian cuisine has been influenced by its neighboring countries, including Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, but it also has its own unique dishes and traditions.

The Growing Food Culture in Belarus

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in local and regional food in Belarus, with a focus on traditional recipes and cooking methods. This has led to the development of a vibrant food culture, with food festivals, markets, and events popping up all over the country. The Belarusian government has also been supportive of this trend, promoting local food producers and encouraging the development of food tourism in the country.

Traditional Belarusian Dishes

When it comes to traditional Belarusian cuisine, one of the most famous dishes is draniki, or Belarusian potato pancakes. These are made from grated potatoes, onions, and eggs, and are usually served with sour cream or applesauce. Another popular dish is machanka, a hearty stew made with pork, onions, and sour cream. Other traditional dishes include kolduny (meat-stuffed dumplings), kletski (potato dumplings), and salo (cured pork fat).

Belarusian Food Festivals and Events

Belarus is home to a number of food festivals and events throughout the year, celebrating everything from potatoes to wine. These festivals are a great way to experience the local food culture and taste some of the country’s most delicious dishes.

Minsk Food Fest: A Celebration of Gastronomy

The Minsk Food Fest is one of the biggest food festivals in Belarus, taking place in the capital city every summer. The festival brings together local food producers, chefs, and foodies from all over the country to celebrate Belarusian cuisine. Visitors can sample traditional dishes, attend cooking demonstrations, and participate in food-related workshops.

Gastrofest in Grodno: A Feast for the Senses

The Gastrofest in Grodno is another popular food festival in Belarus, taking place in the historic city of Grodno every autumn. The festival features a wide variety of food stalls, offering everything from traditional Belarusian dishes to international cuisine. There are also cooking competitions, live music, and other cultural events.

Kalyady Tsars in Vitebsk: A Winter Food Festival

The Kalyady Tsars festival takes place in Vitebsk every winter, celebrating the traditional Belarusian holiday of Kalyady with food, drink, and song. The festival features a variety of winter delicacies, such as pickled vegetables, smoked meats, and hot mulled wine.

Potato Festivals in Belarus: Celebrating the Humble Spud

Potatoes are a staple food in Belarus, and the country is home to a number of potato festivals throughout the year. These festivals celebrate the humble spud in all its forms, from potato pancakes to potato vodka. Some of the most popular potato festivals include the Potato Day Festival in Nesvizh and the Potato Festival in Brest.

In conclusion, Belarus is a country with a rich and varied food culture, and there are many festivals and events throughout the year where visitors can experience the best of Belarusian cuisine. From potato festivals to winter food festivals, there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you’re a foodie looking to explore a new cuisine, Belarus is definitely worth a visit.

Belgium

Are there any famous food festivals or events in Belgium?

Introduction: Belgium’s Rich Culinary Culture

Belgium is known for its rich culinary culture that spans from savory dishes to sweet delicacies. The country is home to world-renowned chocolates, waffles, beers, and fries. In addition to its famous dishes, Belgium also hosts a variety of food festivals and events throughout the year that attract locals and tourists alike. These festivals provide an opportunity to experience the country’s diverse cuisine and vibrant culture.

The Famous Belgian Beer Weekend

Belgian Beer is renowned worldwide for its quality and unique taste. The Belgian Beer Weekend is an annual event that brings together beer enthusiasts from across the globe to sample over 400 types of Belgian beers. The festival takes place in Brussels and is held over a long weekend in September. Visitors can enjoy live music, food stalls, and of course, plenty of beer tastings.

Discovering Belgian Chocolate at the Chocolate Festival

Belgium is home to some of the best chocolate makers in the world. The Chocolate Festival, held in Brussels each February, celebrates this delicious treat and showcases the country’s chocolate-making heritage. Visitors can join chocolate-making workshops, watch demonstrations, and sample an array of chocolate creations. The festival also features a chocolate fashion show and a giant chocolate sculpture that is sure to impress.

The Ghent Festivities: A Celebration of Local Food and Music

The Ghent Festivities, held annually in July, is Belgium’s largest city festival. The event celebrates local food, music, and culture. Visitors can taste traditional Flemish dishes, such as waterzooi and stoofvlees, as well as international cuisine from food trucks and stalls. The festival also features live music performances, street theater, and a spectacular fireworks display.

Seafood Lovers Unite at the Oostende Fish Festival

Belgium is known for its seafood, and the Oostende Fish Festival is the perfect place to indulge in fresh seafood dishes. The festival takes place in August and offers a variety of seafood delicacies, from oysters to lobster. Visitors can also enjoy fishing demonstrations, live music, and a lively atmosphere.

The Brussels Food Truck Festival: A New Twist on Street Food

The Brussels Food Truck Festival is a new addition to Belgium’s culinary scene, offering a modern twist on street food. The festival takes place in May and features a diverse range of food trucks offering innovative dishes from around the world. Visitors can enjoy a variety of cuisines, including Mexican, Asian, and American, as well as craft beers and cocktails.

The International Gourmet Weekend in Antwerp

The International Gourmet Weekend in Antwerp is a foodie’s dream come true. The festival takes place in November and brings together some of the best chefs from around the world to showcase their culinary skills. Visitors can enjoy live cooking demonstrations, tastings, and workshops, as well as sample gourmet dishes from local and international chefs.

Flanders Fields: A Unique Food Festival Experience

Flanders Fields is a food festival that takes place in September and offers a unique culinary experience. The festival celebrates the region’s rich food and drink heritage, with a particular focus on local beers, cheeses, and meats. Visitors can enjoy tasting sessions, farm visits, and guided tours of the region. The festival also features live music and entertainment, making it a great day out for all the family.

Benin

Are there any famous food festivals or events in Benin?

Introduction: Discovering Benin’s Culinary Culture

Benin is a small country located in West Africa, known for its rich cultural heritage and vibrant culinary scene. The country’s cuisine is influenced by its diverse ethnic groups, and it is characterized by a mix of spices, herbs, and vegetables. Benin is also home to various food festivals and events that showcase the country’s culinary culture and traditions.

Exploring Benin’s Food Festivals and Events

Benin has a rich food festival culture that celebrates various local crops and dishes. These festivals are a great way to sample Benin’s cuisine and learn about the country’s traditional dishes. Here are some of the most famous food festivals and events in Benin:

The Annual National Corn Festival

The National Corn Festival is a celebration of maize, one of the most important crops in Benin. The festival takes place in Dassa-Zoumé, a city in central Benin, and it attracts thousands of visitors every year. The festival features various corn-based dishes such as akassa, a cornmeal pancake, and fufu, a doughy paste made from cassava and corn. The festival also includes traditional dances, music performances, and a corn-eating contest.

The Mouthwatering Allada Yam Festival

Allada is a small town located in southern Benin, known for its delicious yams. The Allada Yam Festival is an annual event that celebrates the town’s most famous crop. The festival features various yam-based dishes, such as yam porridge, yam fufu, and yam chips. Visitors can also witness traditional ceremonies and cultural displays, such as the “gun dance” and the “dance of the seven masks.”

The Colorful Abomey Calavi Tomato Festival

Abomey Calavi is a town located in southern Benin, known for its juicy and flavorful tomatoes. The Abomey Calavi Tomato Festival is a celebration of this important crop and a way to promote local agriculture. The festival features various tomato-based dishes, such as tomato soup, tomato sauce, and tomato salad. Visitors can also participate in cultural activities, such as the “tomato dance,” and witness traditional performances.

The Fascinating Ganvié Fish Festival

Ganvié is a unique village located on a stilt settlement in the middle of a lake in southern Benin. The village is known for its fishing culture, and the Ganvié Fish Festival celebrates the importance of fishing in the community. The festival features various fish-based dishes, such as grilled fish, fish stew, and fish kebabs. Visitors can also participate in boat rides, cultural displays, and traditional dances.

The Vibrant Porto-Novo Street Food Festival

Porto-Novo is the capital city of Benin, and it is known for its vibrant street food culture. The Porto-Novo Street Food Festival is an annual event that celebrates the city’s diverse culinary scene. The festival features various street food vendors selling local dishes such as grilled meat, fried plantains, and akara (bean cakes). Visitors can also enjoy live music performances and cultural displays.

The Traditional Dishes of Benin

Apart from the food festivals and events, Benin has a rich culinary culture that is worth exploring. Some of the most popular traditional dishes in Benin include fufu (a doughy paste made from cassava or yam), akassa (a cornmeal pancake), and jollof rice (a spicy rice dish). Other famous dishes include gari foto (a cassava-based dish with meat or fish), kedjenou (a slow-cooked chicken stew), and amgba (a spicy sauce made from tomato, onion, and chili).

Conclusion: Savoring the Flavors of Benin’s Festivals and Food

Benin’s food festivals and events are a great way to discover the country’s culinary culture and traditions. From the National Corn Festival to the Ganvié Fish Festival, these events showcase the diversity and richness of Benin’s cuisine. Whether you are a food lover or a cultural enthusiast, Benin’s food festivals and traditional dishes are sure to tantalize your taste buds and enrich your cultural experience.