Continental cuisine and its cultural differences

European cuisine is a collective term referring to foods commonly eaten in European countries; it is also known as Western cuisine or Continental (i.e. the continent of Europe) cuisine.

While it actually entails a culturally diverse grouping of foods, it is very distinguishable from, say, Asian cuisine or Middle-Eastern cuisine. Europe itself, as a continent of over 50 nations with peoples speaking scores of different languages and practising different religions, is a culturally diverse grouping of countries that differ greatly one from the other in many ways; they also share much in common.

European cuisine can be divided into four sub-groups: Western European – of which Belgian, French, German, and Swiss are a part; Central and Eastern European cuisines – including Hungarian, Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian; Northern European cuisines – of which Danish, Irish, and British, are a part; and Southern European cuisines – including Greek, Italian, and Spanish.

In general, beef or other red meats are a common food across Europe. Wheat-flour is a common base for starchy foods, as is the humble potato. In addition, dairy products are used in abundance in European countries. Apart from these similarities, European cuisine ranges in style, depending on the country, region, or nationality. In France, they prefer “nouvelle cuisine,” which entails brief cooking times for meat, fish, and green vegetables, as well as short, uncomplicated menus with dishes being presented in an artistic format. This is in contrast to the lavish banquets so common to France of yesteryear. In Hungary, they favour meat stews or goulash, as well as soups and pastries. In Denmark, traditional fare entails barley, potatoes, rye, and beetroot, while in Turkey, common foods would include kebabs and corn.