European cuisine
Historic kitchens from the Mediterranean to the cold north.
🇮🇹 Italy
Italian cuisine is the world's most famous, built on a few top-quality ingredients — olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and fresh pasta — with every region guarding its own dishes and traditions.
Pizza Margherita
The classic Neapolitan pizza in the colours of the Italian flag: red tomato, white mozzarella and green basil on a thin base with puffy edges.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
A Roman pasta with a creamy sauce of egg yolks, pecorino and black pepper with crisp guanciale — and absolutely no cream.
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Layers of pasta sheets with slow-cooked Bolognese ragù, béchamel and Parmesan, baked until golden.
Risotto alla Milanese
Creamy arborio rice coloured gold with saffron, cooked gradually in stock and finished with butter and Parmesan — Milan's pride.
Cacio e Pepe
Rome's simplest pasta — just pecorino, black pepper and starchy pasta water, emulsified into a stunning creamy sauce.
Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
Pasta with tomato, guanciale, chili and pecorino, from the town of Amatrice near Rome.
Trofie al Pesto Genovese
Genoa's green sauce of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and olive oil, tossed with trofie, potatoes and green beans.
Ossobuco alla Milanese
Cross-cut veal shanks with marrow braised slowly in stock and vegetables until meltingly tender, finished with gremolata (lemon, garlic, parsley).
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
A huge T-bone of Tuscan beef, seared over embers and left rare inside, served with only olive oil and salt.
Arancini
Sicilian rice balls stuffed with meat ragù, peas and mozzarella, crumbed and fried until golden like little oranges.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Layers of fried aubergine, basil tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan, baked until bubbling.
Minestrone
A hearty Italian vegetable soup with beans, small pasta and tomato, changing with the season's vegetables.
Potato Gnocchi
Soft dumplings of potato and flour, boiled until they float and served with butter and sage or tomato sauce.
Saltimbocca alla Romana
Thin veal escalopes topped with prosciutto and a sage leaf, pan-fried in butter with a light sauce — the name means "jumps in the mouth".
Focaccia Genovese
A soft flatbread from Genoa rich with olive oil, its surface covered in golden dimples, coarse salt and rosemary.
Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and olive oil — a simple, fresh Italian starter.
Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli
Fresh pasta parcels filled with ricotta, spinach and Parmesan, served with butter and sage.
Tiramisù
An Italian dessert of savoiardi biscuits dipped in coffee, layered with mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa.
Panna Cotta
A silky vanilla cooked cream set with gelatine, served with berry sauce.
Cannoli Siciliani
Crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta cream, chocolate chips and pistachios — Sicily's famous sweet.
🇫🇷 France
French cuisine is the world's school of classical cooking, the source of sauce and pastry techniques, ranging from simple country food to haute cuisine.
Croissant
France's flaky butter crescent, crisp outside with many soft layers inside — the symbol of the French breakfast.
Ratatouille
A Provençal vegetable stew of aubergine, courgette, peppers and tomato in olive oil and herbs.
Bœuf Bourguignon
Burgundy's classic beef stew with mushrooms, pearl onions and carrots, simmered for hours until meltingly tender.
Coq au Vin
Chicken braised slowly in a dark sauce with mushrooms, onions and herbs — one of France's best-known country dishes.
Quiche Lorraine
A savoury tart from Lorraine with crisp pastry and a creamy filling of eggs, cream, bacon pieces and cheese.
Bouillabaisse
Marseille's famous fish stew with saffron, fennel and tomato, served with toast and rouille sauce.
Crêpes
Wafer-thin pancakes from Brittany, filled with sugar and lemon, chocolate or jam.
French Onion Soup
Slowly caramelised onions in beef stock, topped with toasted bread and melted, browned Gruyère.
Croque Monsieur
A hot Parisian café sandwich with cheese and béchamel, grilled until golden.
Cassoulet
A casserole of white beans with duck, sausage and lamb, baked for hours under a golden crust — the dish of Toulouse and Languedoc.
Confit de Canard
Salted duck legs cooked slowly in their own fat until meltingly soft, then the skin is crisped — from south-west France.
Steak Frites
Seared steak with crisp fries and herb butter or pepper sauce — France's quintessential bistro dish.
Gratin Dauphinois
Thin potato slices baked slowly in cream, milk and garlic until tender with a golden top.
Salade Niçoise
Nice's Mediterranean salad of tuna, eggs, tomatoes, green beans, olives and anchovies.
Blanquette de Veau
A white veal stew in a cream, butter and mushroom sauce — one of France's best-loved home dishes.
Tarte Tatin
An upside-down apple tart: apples caramelised in butter and sugar, covered with pastry, baked and turned out.
Crème Brûlée
Silky baked vanilla custard under a crackly shell of caramelised sugar you break with a spoon.
Macarons
Small coloured almond meringues, crisp outside and chewy inside, filled with ganache or buttercream — the icon of Parisian pâtisserie.
Éclair au Chocolat
Fingers of choux pastry filled with pastry cream and glazed with shiny chocolate.
Baguette
France's long loaf with a crackling golden crust and open, airy crumb — inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
🇪🇸 Spain
Spanish cooking is sunny and Mediterranean, rich in olive oil, rice, seafood and paprika, its dishes still carrying traces of Al-Andalus in saffron, almonds and citrus.
Paella Valenciana
Valencia's famous saffron rice cooked in a wide pan with chicken, rabbit and beans, forming a crisp crust (socarrat) on the bottom.
Tortilla Española
A thick omelette of eggs and potatoes slow-cooked in olive oil with onion, flipped like a cake — Spain's most popular dish.
Gazpacho Andaluz
A cold Andalusian soup of tomato, cucumber, pepper, garlic and olive oil — refreshing in summer heat.
Salmorejo Cordobés
A thick, cold Cordoban purée of tomato, bread, garlic and olive oil, topped with boiled egg.
Patatas Bravas
Crisp fried potato cubes with spicy paprika sauce and garlic aioli — a tapas favourite.
Churros con Chocolate
Crisp, ridged fried dough sticks dusted with sugar and dipped in thick hot chocolate — Madrid's famous breakfast.
Pulpo a la Gallega
Boiled octopus sliced over potatoes and sprinkled with paprika, coarse salt and olive oil — the dish of Galicia.
Gambas al Ajillo
Prawns sizzled in bubbling olive oil with garlic and chili, served in the clay dish with bread for dipping.
Croquetas
Ultra-creamy béchamel croquettes with chicken or ham, crumbed and fried, melting in the mouth.
Cocido Madrileño
Madrid's winter stew of chickpeas, meats and vegetables, served in three courses: noodle soup, then chickpeas and vegetables, then the meats.
Pisto Manchego
A La Mancha vegetable stew of tomato, peppers, courgette and onion, served with a fried egg.
Albóndigas en Salsa
Tender Spanish meatballs in tomato or saffron-almond sauce — a recipe with Andalusian roots.
Crema Catalana
Catalonia's custard flavoured with lemon zest and cinnamon under a crackly burnt-sugar top — crème brûlée's cousin.
Pan con Tomate
Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, drizzled with olive oil and salt — Catalonia's daily breakfast.
Empanada Gallega
A large Galician pie filled with tuna or chicken with onions and peppers cooked with paprika.
Calamares a la Romana
Squid rings in a light batter fried until crisp, served with lemon — in Madrid they're eaten in a bread roll.
Arroz Negro
Catalan and Valencian rice cooked with squid ink until glossy black, served with aioli.
Fideuà
Paella's cousin made with short noodles instead of rice, with seafood and fish stock.
Leche Frita
Thick milk custard with cinnamon and lemon, chilled, cut into squares, fried and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
Fabada Asturiana
A stew of large white beans from Asturias with smoked sausage and paprika — warming and filling.
🇬🇷 Greece
Greek cooking is the heart of the Mediterranean diet — olive oil, vegetables, herbs, feta and yoghurt — with grilled meats and sweets of honey and nuts.
Moussaka
Layers of fried aubergine and minced meat in tomato and cinnamon, topped with thick béchamel and baked golden.
Souvlaki
Skewers of meat cubes marinated in lemon and oregano, grilled and served in pita with tzatziki.
Gyros
Slices of spiced meat roasted on a vertical spit, wrapped in pita with tzatziki and fries — shawarma's cousin.
Spanakopita
A crisp filo pie filled with spinach, feta and herbs.
Tzatziki
A dip of thick Greek yoghurt with grated cucumber, garlic, dill and olive oil.
Horiatiki (Greek Salad)
The Greek village salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, olives and a big slab of feta.
Dolmades
Vine leaves rolled around rice with herbs, lemon and olive oil, served cold with yoghurt.
Pastitsio
Greek "lasagne": tube pasta with cinnamon-spiced minced meat and a thick layer of béchamel.
Avgolemono Soup
Chicken and rice soup thickened with an egg-lemon mixture into a silky, tangy broth.
Gemista (Stuffed Tomatoes & Peppers)
Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with herbed rice and olive oil, baked with potatoes until golden.
Fasolada
White bean soup with tomato, carrot, celery and olive oil, often called Greece's national dish.
Keftedes
Greek meatballs with mint, oregano and onion, fried golden and served with tzatziki.
Tiropita
Filo triangles or a tray pie filled with a feta and egg mixture.
Kleftiko
Lamb slow-baked in parcels with garlic, lemon, oregano and potatoes until it falls apart — the name means "stolen".
Stifado
A beef stew with lots of pearl onions in a tomato sauce with cinnamon and cloves.
Greek Baklava
Buttery filo layers with walnuts and cinnamon, drenched in honey-lemon syrup after baking.
Galaktoboureko
Creamy semolina custard between crisp filo layers, soaked in lemon syrup.
Loukoumades
Light fried dough balls drenched in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts — like Arab luqaimat.
Taramasalata
A creamy pink dip of fish roe, bread, olive oil and lemon — a famous Greek meze.
Spanakorizo
Rice with spinach, dill, lemon and olive oil — a simple vegetarian dish served with feta.
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Turkish cuisine is heir to the Ottoman kitchen that stretched from the Balkans to the Levant, famous for kebabs, pastries and pistachio sweets, blending Central Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours.
Döner Kebab
Slices of seasoned meat roasted on a vertical rotating spit, served in bread or on a plate with rice and salad — one of the world's most famous foods.
İskender Kebap
Döner slices over cubed pide bread, drenched with tomato sauce and sizzling browned butter, served with yoghurt — from Bursa.
Adana Kebab
Hand-minced lamb with tail fat and hot red pepper, shaped onto wide skewers and grilled over charcoal.
Lahmacun
A very thin, crisp flatbread spread with minced meat, tomato and peppers, rolled up with parsley and lemon.
Pide
Boat-shaped bread filled with minced meat, cheese or egg, baked and brushed with butter — Turkey's pizza.
Mantı
Tiny meat-filled dumplings served with garlic yoghurt and red butter with chili and mint — from Kayseri.
İnegöl Köfte
Small fingers of beef and lamb mince with onion, grilled and served with onion-parsley salad.
Menemen
Eggs softly cooked with tomatoes, green peppers and butter — a beloved Turkish breakfast eaten with bread.
Mercimek Çorbası
Smooth red lentil soup with mint and chili, served with lemon in every Turkish restaurant.
İmam Bayıldı
Aubergines stuffed with onion, tomato and garlic, cooked in olive oil and served cold — the name means "the imam fainted" from delight.
Karnıyarık
Fried, split aubergines stuffed with minced meat, tomato and pepper, baked and served with rice.
Hünkâr Beğendi
Lamb stew in tomato over a smoky aubergine-cheese cream — "the sultan was pleased", from the Ottoman palace kitchen.
Kuru Fasulye
White bean stew with tomato, pepper and meat or sucuk, served with pilaf and pickles — Turkey's everyday national dish.
Simit
Bread rings dipped in grape molasses and coated in toasted sesame, sold from carts on the streets of Istanbul.
Su Böreği
Layers of boiled pastry sheets with butter and a white cheese and parsley filling, baked until golden — the queen of börek.
Gaziantep Baklava
Gaziantep's famous baklava: forty paper-thin layers with clarified butter and green pistachios, soaked in syrup — a protected EU geographical indication.
Künefe
Hatay's künefe: shredded kadayıf browned in butter around stretchy melted cheese, soaked in syrup and topped with pistachios.
Lokum (Turkish Delight)
Soft, chewy cubes of starch and sugar flavoured with rose water, lemon or pistachio and dusted with icing sugar.
Fırın Sütlaç
Rice pudding baked until a browned skin forms on top, served cold with cinnamon.
Testi Kebabı
Meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot that is cracked open at the table — a Cappadocian tradition.
🇩🇪 Germany
German cooking is hearty northern food, famous for sausages, bread, roast meats, potatoes and cabbage, and sweets like Black Forest cake and apple strudel.
Schnitzel
Thin pounded cutlets coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden and puffy, served with lemon and potato salad.
Bratwurst
Grilled German sausage served with mustard and sauerkraut or in a bread roll — the emblem of German street food.
Sauerbraten
Beef marinated for days in vinegar and spices then braised slowly, its sauce thickened with gingerbread — one of Germany's oldest dishes.
Currywurst
Sliced grilled sausage covered in curry-spiced tomato sauce with fries — Berlin's most famous street food.
Sauerkraut
Sour fermented cabbage cooked with onion, apple and caraway, served alongside meats and sausages.
Kartoffelsalat
Warm southern-style potato salad dressed with vinegar, stock and onion — or cold with mayonnaise in the north.
Käsespätzle
Soft little German egg noodles layered with melted cheese and crisp onions — Swabian mac and cheese.
Brezel (Bavarian Pretzel)
Knot-shaped bread dipped in an alkaline bath before baking for its shiny brown crust, sprinkled with coarse salt.
Rinderrouladen
Thin beef slices spread with mustard, rolled around onion and pickle, and braised in a rich brown gravy.
Kartoffelpuffer
Crisp fried grated-potato pancakes, served with apple sauce or sour cream.
Eisbein (Pork Knuckle)
Boiled or roasted knuckle with crackling skin, served with sauerkraut and mustard — a Berlin classic. For a halal version use veal or lamb shank.
Kartoffelklöße
Potato dumplings boiled and served with roasts and gravy, sometimes filled with toasted croutons.
Rotkohl
Red cabbage braised slowly with apple, vinegar, sugar and cinnamon — sweet and sour, served with holiday roasts.
Maultaschen
Large Swabian pasta pockets filled with meat, spinach and bread, served in broth or pan-fried with onions.
Leberkäse
A smooth Bavarian meatloaf baked with a brown crust, cut into thick slices and eaten in a roll with mustard.
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Chocolate sponge layered with whipped cream and cherries, decorated with chocolate shavings — from the Black Forest in southern Germany.
Apfelstrudel
Paper-thin dough rolled around apples, raisins, cinnamon and toasted crumbs, baked and served with vanilla sauce.
Lebkuchen
Soft Christmas biscuits from Nuremberg made with honey, spices and nuts, glazed with chocolate or sugar.
Kartoffelsuppe
A thick potato soup with leek, carrot and marjoram, served with sliced sausage.
Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
A yeasted cake filled with vanilla cream and topped with honey-caramelised almonds.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
British cooking brings together England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Sunday roasts, pies, fish and chips, a strong Indian influence, and a culture of afternoon tea and puddings.
Fish and Chips
Cod or haddock fillets in crisp batter with thick-cut chips, served with mushy peas and vinegar — Britain's national takeaway.
Full English Breakfast
A big morning plate of eggs, sausages, baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and toast.
Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding
Roast beef served on Sundays with puffy Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy.
Shepherd's Pie
Minced lamb with vegetables and gravy under a golden crust of mashed potato.
Beef Wellington
Beef fillet coated in mushroom duxelles and mustard, wrapped in puff pastry and baked golden — a showpiece for special occasions.
Bangers and Mash
Grilled sausages on creamy mashed potatoes with onion gravy — a traditional British pub dish.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Yoghurt-marinated grilled chicken in a creamy spiced tomato sauce — born in Britain's curry houses and now a national favourite.
Cornish Pasty
A half-moon pie with a crimped edge filled with beef, potato, swede and onion — the Cornish tin miners' lunch.
Scotch Egg
A boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, crumbed and fried — a British picnic favourite.
Haggis, Neeps & Tatties
Scotland's national dish of sheep's offal with oats, onion and spices, served with mashed swede and potatoes on Burns Night.
Welsh Rarebit
Toast topped with a mustardy Cheddar sauce and grilled until bubbling — from Wales.
Lancashire Hotpot
Lamb and onion stew in a casserole topped with overlapping potato slices that crisp in the oven.
Toad in the Hole
Sausages baked in puffy Yorkshire pudding batter, served with onion gravy — a funny name for a simple dish.
Scones with Clotted Cream
Light, crumbly small cakes served with clotted cream and strawberry jam — the heart of English afternoon tea.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
A moist date sponge drenched in hot toffee sauce and served with custard or ice cream.
Victoria Sponge
Two layers of buttery sponge sandwiched with raspberry jam and cream, named after Queen Victoria.
Eton Mess
A jumble of crushed meringue, strawberries and whipped cream — a summer dessert from Eton College.
English Trifle
Layers of sponge, fruit, jelly, custard and whipped cream in a glass bowl.
Crumpets
Spongy pancakes full of holes cooked in metal rings, toasted and spread with melting butter.
Steak and Kidney Pie
A classic pie of beef and kidney in rich gravy under a golden pastry crust.
🇵🇹 Portugal
Portuguese cooking is a sailor's cuisine, ruled by salt cod (bacalhau) said to have 365 recipes, alongside grilled sardines, seafood and famous egg-based sweets.
Bacalhau à Brás
Shredded salt cod with matchstick fries, onion and soft-scrambled egg, garnished with olives and parsley — from Lisbon.
Bacalhau com Natas
Salt cod, potatoes and onion in a cream-and-béchamel sauce, baked until golden.
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá
Salt cod with boiled potatoes, onion, hard-boiled eggs and olives, baked in olive oil — from Porto.
Pastel de Nata
Egg custard tarts in crisp puff pastry with tops scorched in a blazing oven, dusted with cinnamon — the symbol of Lisbon.
Caldo Verde
Green soup of potatoes and finely shredded kale with slices of chouriço, served at festivals.
Francesinha
Porto's mighty sandwich of layered meats, smothered in melted cheese and a spicy tomato sauce, served with fries.
Sardinhas Assadas
Fresh salted sardines grilled over charcoal and served on bread with roasted peppers — the food of Lisbon's June festivals.
Cozido à Portuguesa
A Portuguese boiled dinner of mixed meats and sausages with vegetables, cabbage and potatoes, served with rice cooked in the broth.
Arroz de Marisco
Soupy rice with tomato and coriander, prawns, mussels and clams, served in its pot.
Frango Piri-Piri
Spatchcocked chicken grilled over charcoal and basted with fiery piri-piri sauce with garlic and lemon.
Bifana
Thin slices of meat marinated with garlic and paprika in a soft roll — a popular snack. Use chicken or beef for a halal version.
Polvo à Lagareiro
Boiled then roasted octopus with smashed baby potatoes and lots of olive oil and garlic.
Cataplana de Marisco
Seafood cooked in a clam-shaped sealed copper pan with tomato, peppers and coriander — the dish of the Algarve.
Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
Clams cooked in olive oil, garlic, coriander and lemon, served with bread to mop up the juices.
Açorda Alentejana
Alentejo bread soup: stale bread in a broth with garlic, coriander and olive oil, topped with a poached egg.
Arroz Doce
Rice pudding with lemon peel, cinnamon and egg yolks, decorated with cinnamon patterns on top.
Bolo de Bolacha
A no-bake cake of Maria biscuits dipped in coffee layered with buttercream.
Pão de Ló
A very light Portuguese sponge of eggs, sugar and a little flour, served at Easter.
Prego no Pão
A thin garlic steak sandwich in a Portuguese roll, often eaten at the end of a restaurant meal.
Feijoada Transmontana
A red or white bean stew with mixed meats, sausages and cabbage from northern Portugal (use beef and beef sausage for halal).
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Dutch cooking is simple and warming, built on potatoes, vegetables, cheese and fish, with famous street sweets like stroopwafels and a clear Indonesian influence from colonial times.
Boerenkool Stamppot
Mashed potatoes with kale, served with smoked sausage and gravy — the national winter dish.
Hutspot
Potatoes, carrots and onions mashed together, served with braised beef — linked to the 1574 Relief of Leiden.
Erwtensoep
Split-pea soup so thick a spoon stands up in it, with vegetables and smoked sausage — the winter soup.
Hollandse Nieuwe Haring
New-season lightly salted herring, eaten raw by holding the tail, with chopped onion and pickles.
Kroket
Crisp logs filled with creamy meat ragout, eaten in a roll with mustard.
Bitterballen
Small crisp balls with ragout filling — the favourite Dutch snack with mustard.
Poffertjes
Tiny puffy pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan, served with butter and icing sugar.
Stroopwafel
Two thin crisp waffle wafers sandwiching cinnamon caramel syrup — from the city of Gouda.
Pannenkoeken
Large, thin plate-sized pancakes eaten with cheese, apple or sweet beet syrup.
Kibbeling
Battered fried chunks of cod, sold at fish markets with garlic or tartare sauce.
Frikandel Speciaal
A skinless minced-meat sausage, deep-fried and served split with mayo, curry ketchup and onion.
Appeltaart
A deep apple pie with crumbly butter pastry, cinnamon and raisins, served with whipped cream.
Oliebollen
Fried dough balls with raisins and apple dusted with icing sugar, eaten on New Year's Eve.
Brood met Hagelslag
Buttered bread covered in chocolate sprinkles — the daily breakfast of millions of Dutch people.
Bami Goreng
Fried noodles with chicken, vegetables and sweet soy sauce — a staple of Indo-Dutch cooking.
Patatje Oorlog
Fries topped with mayonnaise, peanut satay sauce and raw onion — the name means "war fries".
Speculaas
Crisp spiced biscuits pressed in carved wooden moulds, baked for St Nicholas.
Uitsmijter
Slices of bread with cold cuts and cheese topped with two fried eggs — the Dutch café lunch.
Draadjesvlees
Beef braised for hours with onion and bay until it falls into threads, served with potatoes and red cabbage.
Tompouce
Two layers of crisp puff pastry with vanilla custard between, topped with pink icing (orange on King's Day).
🇧🇪 Belgium
Belgian cooking combines French finesse with Flemish generosity; Belgium is world-famous for its fries, waffles, chocolate and mussels.
Moules-Frites
Mussels steamed with celery, onion and butter, served with fries — Belgium's national dish.
Carbonade Flamande
Flemish beef stew with caramelised onions, mustard-spread bread and brown sugar, slightly sweet.
Gentse Waterzooi
A creamy chicken stew from Ghent with vegetables, cream and egg yolks.
Liège Waffle
A dense yeasted waffle studded with pearl sugar that caramelises as it bakes — eaten hot on the street.
Brussels Waffle
A light rectangular waffle with deep pockets, served with icing sugar or cream and strawberries.
Belgian Frites
Fries cooked twice for a crisp outside and fluffy inside, served in a paper cone with mayonnaise — Belgians consider them their invention.
Chicons au Gratin
Braised Belgian endives wrapped in sliced meat in a cheesy béchamel, baked until golden.
Boulets Liégeois
Large meatballs in a sweet-sour sauce of Liège syrup (apple-pear) and onions, served with fries.
Stoemp
Potatoes mashed with vegetables like carrots, spinach or leeks, served with sausages or meat.
Tomate aux Crevettes
Hollowed tomatoes filled with tiny North Sea grey shrimp in mayonnaise — a classic Belgian starter.
Croquettes aux Crevettes
Creamy croquettes filled with grey shrimp, crisp outside, served with lemon and fried parsley.
Vol-au-Vent
Puff pastry cases filled with creamy chicken, mushroom and meatball sauce.
Mitraillette
Half a baguette stuffed with fried meat, fries and sauce — Brussels's giant fast food.
Paling in 't Groen
River eel cooked in a green sauce of many herbs — sorrel, spinach, parsley and tarragon.
Filet Américain
Very finely minced raw beef with mayonnaise and seasoning, spread on bread or served with fries.
Belgian Pralines
Filled chocolates with ganache or praline, invented by Jean Neuhaus in Brussels in 1912.
Cuberdon
Purple cone-shaped sweets from Ghent, firm outside and filled with thick raspberry syrup inside.
Tarte au Sucre
A soft yeasted tart topped with brown sugar, butter and cream — a sweet of Wallonia.
Asperges à la Flamande
Boiled white asparagus topped with melted butter, chopped boiled egg, parsley and nutmeg — a spring dish.
Belgian Speculoos
Thin, crisp biscuits of caramelised brown sugar and cinnamon, served with coffee in every Belgian café — the origin of the famous biscuit spread.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Swiss cooking is the food of mountains and cheese, blending German, French and Italian influences, famous for fondue, raclette, rösti and fine chocolate.
Cheese Fondue
Gruyère and Vacherin melted in a ceramic pot at the table, with bread cubes dipped on long forks — Switzerland's national emblem.
Raclette
A half-wheel of raclette cheese melted on its face and scraped over boiled potatoes, with pickles and baby onions.
Rösti
A cake of grated potato fried in butter until golden and crisp on both sides — a Bernese farmer's breakfast turned national icon.
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Thin strips of veal in a creamy mushroom sauce, served with rösti — from Zurich.
Älplermagronen
Alpine pasta with potatoes, cheese, cream and crisp onions, served with apple sauce — herders' food.
Birchermüesli
Soaked oats with grated apple, yoghurt and nuts, created by Swiss doctor Bircher-Benner around 1900.
Capuns
Chard leaves wrapped around spätzle dough with herbs and dried meat, cooked in broth and milk — from Graubünden.
Malakoff
Fried Gruyère cheese fritters on bread slices — a Vaud dish since the 19th century.
Papet Vaudois
Leeks and potatoes cooked with cream, served with cabbage sausage — the popular dish of the canton of Vaud.
Basler Läckerli
Basel's firm honey biscuits with almonds, candied peel and spices, glazed with sugar.
Engadiner Nusstorte
A closed butter-pastry tart filled with walnuts in caramel and cream, from the Engadine valley.
Cholera (Valais Pie)
A Valais pie of potatoes, apple, leek and cheese — its name links to the 19th-century epidemic when people cooked with what was at home.
Bündner Gerstensuppe
A creamy barley soup from Graubünden with vegetables, beans and air-dried beef.
Polenta Ticinese
Slow-cooked cornmeal porridge from Ticino with butter and cheese, served with meat stew or mushrooms.
Meringues à la Double Crème
Crisp white Gruyère meringues served with ultra-thick Alpine double cream and berries.
Zopf
A soft plaited bread made with butter and milk, baked on Sunday mornings in Swiss homes and eaten with jam and honey.
Bündner Birnbrot
Bread filled with dried pears, figs, walnuts and spices, eaten at Christmas.
Rüeblitorte
Aargau carrot cake made mostly with ground almonds instead of flour, glazed with icing and topped with marzipan carrots.
Cervelat
Switzerland's national sausage, grilled over a campfire with slits at both ends that open like a flower.
Croûte au Fromage
Bread slices covered in melted, browned cheese, sometimes with a fried egg — a warming mountain meal.
🇦🇹 Austria
Austrian cooking is heir to Vienna's imperial court, gathering flavours from Hungary, Bohemia and the Balkans; it is famous for schnitzel and the cakes and pastries of Vienna's grand cafés.
Wiener Schnitzel
A very thin pounded veal escalope, breaded and fried in clarified butter until its crust billows — Austria's national dish.
Tafelspitz
Beef simmered slowly in clear broth with vegetables, served with apple-horseradish and chive sauces — Emperor Franz Joseph's favourite.
Kaiserschmarrn
A fluffy raisin pancake torn into pieces and caramelised in butter and sugar, served with plum compote — "the emperor's mess".
Sachertorte
Vienna's famous chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam and a glossy chocolate glaze, served with unsweetened cream.
Topfenstrudel
Thin strudel pastry filled with soft quark cheese, lemon and raisins, baked and dusted with sugar.
Wiener Saftgulasch
Viennese beef goulash with as much onion as meat and sweet paprika, its sauce thick and glossy, served with bread or dumplings.
Semmelknödel
Dumplings of stale bread soaked in milk with egg, onion and parsley, simmered to go with goulash and roasts.
Kasnocken
Small dumplings with strong Alpine cheese and crisp onions — a warming Tyrolean dish.
Germknödel
Large soft yeast dumplings filled with plum jam, steamed and topped with melted butter, poppy seeds and sugar.
Palatschinken
Thin Austrian crêpes filled with apricot jam, rolled and dusted with icing sugar.
Linzer Torte
One of the oldest known cakes in the world: almond-cinnamon pastry filled with redcurrant or raspberry jam under a lattice.
Frittatensuppe
Clear beef broth with thin ribbons of crêpe floating in it, finished with chives.
Wiener Backhendl
Viennese breaded fried chicken, served with potato and cucumber salad.
Salzburger Nockerl
A sweet meringue soufflé baked in three peaks representing Salzburg's snow-capped mountains.
Marillenknödel
Whole apricots wrapped in quark dough, boiled and rolled in buttery toasted crumbs and sugar.
Liptauer
A soft cheese spread with paprika, caraway, onion and capers, eaten on dark bread in Viennese wine taverns.
Vanillekipferl
Crumbly almond crescents coated in vanilla sugar — among Austria's best-loved Christmas biscuits.
Krautfleckerl
Small square pasta with cabbage caramelised with onion and caraway — a simple dish from Bohemian times.
Kärntner Kasnudeln
Half-moon dumplings from Carinthia filled with quark, potato and mint, with a hand-crimped edge.
Esterházy Torte
Layers of almond meringue and vanilla buttercream topped with a chocolate web on white fondant — an aristocratic cake from Budapest and Vienna.
🇵🇱 Poland
Polish cooking is warm country food built on potatoes, cabbage, beetroot, mushrooms and grains, led by pierogi, sour soups and baked sweets.
Pierogi Ruskie
Half-moon dumplings filled with potato, twaróg cheese and onion, boiled then fried in butter — the symbol of Poland.
Bigos (Hunter's Stew)
Poland's hunter's stew of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage with mixed meats, sausage, dried mushrooms and prunes — better every time it's reheated.
Żurek
A sour soup of fermented rye with white sausage, boiled egg and potatoes, sometimes served in a bread bowl at Easter.
Gołąbki
Cabbage leaves rolled around minced meat and rice, cooked in tomato sauce — "little pigeons".
Barszcz Czerwony
A clear, slightly sour beetroot broth served on Christmas Eve with tiny mushroom dumplings (uszka).
Kotlet Schabowy
A pounded, breaded and fried cutlet served with potatoes and cabbage — Poland's Sunday lunch. For halal, use veal or chicken.
Placki Ziemniaczane
Crisp grated-potato pancakes, eaten with sour cream, sugar or goulash.
Grilled Kiełbasa
Polish smoked sausage with garlic and marjoram, grilled and served with mustard, bread and onions (beef or chicken for halal).
Rosół
A clear golden chicken broth simmered for hours with vegetables, served with fine noodles — Poland's Sunday soup.
Pączki
Polish doughnuts filled with rose or plum jam and glazed — eaten by the thousand on Fat Thursday.
Sernik
Polish cheesecake made with smooth twaróg cheese, vanilla and raisins, with or without a pastry base.
Makowiec
A sweet yeast roll with a thick filling of ground poppy seeds with honey, walnuts and raisins — a Christmas cake.
Kopytka
Little potato dumplings shaped like "hooves", served with butter and onions or with goulash.
Zapiekanka
A half baguette baked with mushrooms and melted cheese and drizzled with ketchup — Kraków's famous street snack.
Flaki
Polish tripe soup in broth with vegetables, marjoram and paprika — thick and warming.
Grilled Oscypek
Smoked sheep's cheese from the Tatra mountains in a decorated spindle shape, grilled and served with cranberry jam.
Mizeria
Thinly sliced cucumber salad in sour cream with dill, the classic partner of schabowy.
Naleśniki z Serem
Thin crêpes filled with sweet vanilla twaróg cheese, folded and browned in butter.
Pierniki Toruńskie
Gingerbread from Toruń, made since the Middle Ages with honey and spices and coated in chocolate.
Chłodnik
A cold, pink summer soup of beetroot, kefir, cucumber and dill, served with boiled eggs.
🇷🇺 Russia
Russian cooking is the food of long winters — warming soups, dumplings, pies and buckwheat — with touches from the tsars' court and from the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Pelmeni
Small dumplings of Siberian origin filled with minced meat and onion, boiled and served with butter and sour cream.
Blini
Thin pancakes cooked during Maslenitsa week to welcome spring, served with sour cream, caviar or honey.
Beef Stroganoff
Strips of beef in a sour cream, mushroom and onion sauce, served with potatoes or noodles — from the aristocratic Stroganov kitchen.
Olivier Salad
Russian potato salad with peas, carrots, pickles, eggs, chicken and mayonnaise — never missing on New Year's Eve.
Shchi
Traditional Russian cabbage soup with beef and vegetables, served with sour cream and black bread.
Solyanka
A rich sour-salty soup with mixed meats, pickles, olives and lemon, served hot with sour cream.
Pirozhki
Small baked or fried buns filled with meat, cabbage or potato — street and home food across Russia.
Syrniki
Small tvorog cheese pancakes fried golden, served for breakfast with sour cream and honey or jam.
Kulebyaka
A grand fish pie with layers of salmon, rice, egg and mushrooms inside golden pastry.
Grechka with Mushrooms
Toasted buckwheat kasha with mushrooms, onion and butter — Russia's most popular side dish.
Shashlik
Big skewers of meat marinated in onion, vinegar and spices, grilled over charcoal on spring outings.
Vinegret
A colourful vegetarian salad of beetroot, potato, carrot, pickles and sauerkraut dressed with sunflower oil.
Okroshka
A cold summer soup of chopped vegetables, egg and meat, topped up with kefir or kvass.
Ukha
Clear fish soup with potatoes, carrots, onion and dill — fishermen's food by the riverbank.
Medovik (Honey Cake)
Russian honey cake of many thin honey-biscuit layers with sour cream frosting, rested overnight to soften.
Paskha
An Easter dessert of tvorog, butter, cream and dried fruit, moulded into a pyramid.
Shuba (Herring Under a Fur Coat)
A layered salad of salted herring, potato, carrot, egg, beetroot and mayonnaise in a striking purple.
Kotlety
Tender minced-meat patties with onion and soaked bread, fried and served with mashed potatoes — everyday home food.
Ptichye Moloko
An ultra-light soufflé cake between sponge layers under a chocolate glaze — one of the most famous Soviet-era cakes.
Rassolnik
A sour soup with pickles, pearl barley, potatoes and kidneys or meat.
🇺🇦 Ukraine
Ukrainian cooking is the food of "Europe's breadbasket" — wheat, beetroot, potatoes, cabbage and mushrooms — led by UNESCO-listed borscht and filled varenyky.
Ukrainian Borscht
A rich red beetroot soup with beef, cabbage, potatoes and beans, served with sour cream and garlic buns (pampushky) — inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
Varenyky
Ukrainian half-moon dumplings filled with potato, cheese or cherries, served with butter and fried onion or sour cream.
Holubtsi
Cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and meat, cooked in tomato and sour cream sauce.
Chicken Kyiv
Chicken breast rolled around herb butter, breaded and fried, releasing a gush of butter when cut.
Deruny
Crisp grated-potato pancakes served with sour cream — a Ukrainian favourite.
Pampushky
Soft little buns brushed with garlic, oil and dill sauce — borscht's companion.
Banosh
Cornmeal porridge cooked in sour cream from the Carpathians, served with sheep's cheese and mushrooms.
Kulish
The Cossacks' soupy porridge of millet, potatoes and onion, once cooked over campfires.
Nalysnyky
Thin crêpes filled with soft cheese or meat, baked in sour cream.
Kapusniak
A sauerkraut soup with potatoes, carrots and millet — sour and warming.
Uzvar
A traditional drink of smoked dried fruit — apples, pears and prunes — with honey, served on Christmas Eve.
Kutia
Boiled wheat with poppy seeds, honey, walnuts and raisins — the first dish of the Christmas Eve supper.
Verguny
Thin strips of dough knotted, fried and dusted with sugar — very crisp.
Kyiv Cake
Two crisp hazelnut meringue layers with buttercream and chocolate — a symbol of Kyiv since 1956.
Zrazy
Potato or meat patties stuffed with mushrooms or egg and onion, fried until golden.
Kruchenyky
Thin beef rolls stuffed with mushrooms and onion or prunes, braised in sour cream.
Halushky
Small soft wheat dumplings served with butter and fried onion or sour cream — the food of Poltava.
Green Borscht
A spring soup of tangy green sorrel, potatoes and boiled egg, served with sour cream.
Hrechanyky
Patties of cooked buckwheat and minced meat, fried and served with gravy.
Ukrainian Paska
Tall sweet Easter bread with white glaze, blessed in church on Easter morning.
🇸🇪 Sweden
Swedish cooking is clean, simple Scandinavian food — cured and smoked fish, meatballs, crispbread and cinnamon-cardamom bakes served at "fika" coffee breaks.
Köttbullar
Small tender meatballs in brown cream gravy, served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.
Gravlax
Raw salmon cured with salt, sugar and dill for two days, sliced thin and served with sweet mustard sauce.
Janssons Frestelse
A gratin of potato matchsticks with onion, Swedish sprats and cream, served at Christmas.
Kanelbulle
Cardamom-scented sweet buns filled with butter, cinnamon and sugar and topped with pearl sugar — the star of Swedish fika.
Prinsesstårta
Sponge cake layered with jam and custard under a dome of whipped cream, covered in green marzipan with a pink rose.
Raggmunk
Thin crisp grated-potato pancakes served with fried pork belly (or beef bacon) and lingonberry jam.
Ärtsoppa och Pannkakor
Yellow pea soup Swedes have eaten every Thursday for centuries, followed by thin pancakes with jam.
Pyttipanna
Diced potatoes, meat and onion fried together, served with a fried egg and pickled beetroot — "small pieces in a pan".
Inlagd Sill
Salted herring steeped in sweet vinegar with onion and spices — the basis of Midsummer and Christmas tables.
Toast Skagen
Butter-fried toast topped with prawns in mayonnaise, dill and lemon and a spoon of fish roe — an elegant Swedish starter.
Kroppkakor
Large potato dumplings filled with onion, meat and allspice, from Öland, served with melted butter and lingonberries.
Kladdkaka
A Swedish chocolate cake, gooey inside and crisp outside, served with whipped cream.
Semla
Cardamom buns filled with almond paste and whipped cream, eaten before Lent on Fat Tuesday.
Pepparkakor
Thin crisp gingerbread biscuits with cinnamon and cloves, baked in December as hearts and stars.
Lussekatter
Golden saffron buns in an S shape with raisins, baked for St Lucia's Day on 13 December.
Falukorv i Ugn
Large Falun sausage slit and filled with mustard and cheese, baked and served with mashed potatoes.
Kalops
Swedish beef stew with onion, allspice and bay, served with boiled potatoes and pickled beetroot.
Wallenbergare
Very smooth creamy veal patties coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter, served with peas and mash.
Räkmacka
An open sandwich piled high with prawns over lettuce, egg and mayonnaise, garnished with lemon and dill.
Knäckebröd
Thin, crisp rye crispbread pricked with holes, eaten for 500 years with butter and cheese.
🇭🇺 Hungary
Hungarian cooking revolves around paprika, onion and rich cooking fat, famous for goulash, fisherman's soup and paprika stews, and for Budapest's grand pastries.
Gulyásleves
The Hungarian herdsmen's soup of beef, potatoes, carrots and lots of sweet paprika, traditionally cooked in a kettle over an open fire.
Marhapörkölt
A thick beef stew of onion and paprika with little liquid, served with tiny nokedli dumplings.
Paprikás Csirke
Chicken in a creamy red paprika and sour cream sauce, served with nokedli dumplings.
Lángos
Puffy fried flatbread brushed with garlic and topped with sour cream and grated cheese — Hungary's top street food.
Halászlé
A fiery river-fish soup with hot paprika, cooked on the banks of the Danube and Tisza — a Christmas Eve dish.
Töltött Káposzta
Sour cabbage leaves stuffed with meat and rice, cooked over sauerkraut with paprika and sour cream.
Lecsó
A stew of yellow peppers, tomatoes and onion with paprika, eaten alone or with eggs or sausage.
Rakott Krumpli
Layers of boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sausage and sour cream, baked until golden.
Dobos Torta
Six thin sponge layers with chocolate buttercream, crowned with a hard glossy caramel top — from Budapest, 1884.
Kürtőskalács
Sweet dough wrapped around a wooden spit, roasted over embers and coated in caramelised sugar with cinnamon or walnuts.
Somlói Galuska
A trifle-like dessert of vanilla, walnut and chocolate sponge with custard, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
Túrós Csusza
Wide noodles with soft túró cheese, sour cream and crisp bacon pieces.
Gundel Palacsinta
Thin crêpes filled with walnuts, raisins and orange zest under chocolate sauce — from Budapest's famous Gundel restaurant.
Hortobágyi Palacsinta
Savoury crêpes filled with paprika-stewed chicken or veal, baked in a paprika sour cream sauce.
Rétes
Hungarian strudel with hand-stretched see-through pastry filled with apple, sour cherry, poppy seed or cheese.
Pogácsa
Small, flaky savoury scones with cheese or caraway, served with drinks and at gatherings.
Hideg Meggyleves
A cold summer soup of sour cherries, cream and cinnamon, served as a starter or dessert.
Töltött Paprika
Yellow peppers stuffed with meat and rice in a sweet-sour tomato sauce, served with mashed potatoes.
Zserbó
A layered slice with walnuts and apricot jam topped with chocolate — always on Hungarian Christmas platters.
Főzelék
A thick vegetable stew (peas, lentils, marrow or potato) thickened with roux and sour cream, served with fried egg or meatballs.
🇮🇪 Ireland
Irish cooking is honest country food built on potatoes, lamb, superb dairy and Atlantic seafood, with the famous soda bread.
Irish Stew
Ireland's national lamb stew with potatoes, onions, carrots and thyme — simple and comforting.
Irish Soda Bread
A quick yeast-free bread raised with baking soda and buttermilk, with a crunchy crust and a cross cut on top.
Colcannon
Creamy mashed potato with cabbage or kale, spring onions and butter, traditionally served at Halloween.
Boxty
Potato pancakes made from a mix of raw grated and cooked mashed potato, fried in butter.
Dublin Coddle
Dublin's working-class stew of sausages, potatoes and onions in a light broth, cooked slowly. Use beef sausages for halal.
Full Irish Breakfast
A big breakfast of eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and soda bread (and traditionally black and white pudding).
Champ
Mashed potato with hot milk infused with spring onions, served with a pool of melted butter in the middle.
Barmbrack
A sweet fruit bread with dried fruit soaked in tea, baked for Halloween with a ring hidden inside for luck in love.
Irish Seafood Chowder
A rich creamy soup of white fish, smoked salmon, mussels and potatoes, served with brown soda bread.
Smoked Salmon & Brown Bread
Slow-smoked Irish salmon served on buttered brown soda bread with lemon and capers.
Irish Apple Cake
A simple butter cake packed with tart apples under a crunchy crumble, served with custard.
Bacon and Cabbage
A traditional Irish dish of a boiled cured joint with cabbage, potatoes and parsley sauce. For halal use corned beef.
Potato Farls
Triangles of potato bread cooked on a griddle — an essential part of the Ulster fry.
Irish Beef Stew
A dark, rich beef stew with carrots, onions and brown gravy, slow-cooked until the meat melts (traditionally with stout, here with stock).
Irish Porridge
Steel-cut oats cooked slowly until creamy, served with honey and cream.
Irish Fish Pie
White fish and smoked salmon in a creamy sauce under a golden mashed potato top.
Carrageen Moss Pudding
A traditional pudding set with carrageen seaweed from the Atlantic coast, vanilla-flavoured and silky.
Rhubarb Crumble
Tart rhubarb cooked with sugar under a crunchy butter-and-oat crumble, served with custard.
Galway Oysters
Fresh Galway oysters served raw on ice with lemon, celebrated at the September oyster festival.
Irish Brown Bread
Brown soda bread of coarse wholemeal flour and oats, served with soup and salmon.
🇨🇿 Czechia
Czech cooking is rich Bohemian food, led by creamy sauces, dumplings (knedlíky), cabbage and roast meats, with famous yeasted pastries.
Svíčková na Smetaně
Beef braised slowly with root vegetables in a blended cream sauce, served with dumplings, cranberries and whipped cream — the Czech festive dish.
Pečená Kachna
Duck roasted with caraway until the skin crackles, served with red cabbage and dumplings.
Hovězí Guláš
Thick Czech beef goulash with onion, paprika and marjoram, served with bread dumplings.
Houskové Knedlíky
Czech bread dumplings shaped as a loaf, steamed and sliced — the partner of every Czech sauce.
Smažený Sýr
Thick slices of Edam breaded and fried, served with tartare sauce and chips.
Kulajda
A creamy South Bohemian soup of mushrooms, potatoes, dill and sour cream, topped with a poached egg.
Česnečka
Czech garlic soup with potatoes and caraway, served with croutons and cheese — a folk cold remedy.
Bramboráky
Grated potato pancakes with garlic and marjoram, fried thin and crisp.
Trdelník
Sweet dough wrapped around a metal spit, roasted and rolled in sugar and walnuts — famous on Prague's streets.
Koláče
Round yeast pastries with a filled centre of sweet cheese, poppy seed or plum jam.
Buchty
Yeast buns baked snugly together, filled with jam or curd cheese and dusted with icing sugar.
Ovocné Knedlíky
Curd-cheese dumplings filled with strawberries or plums, served with butter, sugar and grated tvaroh.
Rajská Omáčka
A sweet-sour tomato sauce with cinnamon and allspice, served with boiled beef and dumplings.
Utopenci
Sausages pickled in vinegar with onion, peppers and spices — the name means "drowned men", served in pubs. Use beef sausages for halal.
Chlebíčky
Small open-faced sandwiches decorated with potato salad, meats, cheese, egg and vegetables — party food.
Vánočka
Braided Christmas bread with raisins, almonds and lemon zest, plaited from nine strands in tiers.
Bramboračka
Potato soup with wild mushrooms, marjoram and caraway — warming and rustic.
Tatarák
Finely chopped raw beef with onion, yolk and seasoning, eaten on fried bread rubbed with garlic.
Žemlovka
A baked bread pudding with apples, cinnamon and raisins, sometimes topped with meringue.
Vepřo-Knedlo-Zelo
The Czech national dish: caraway roast meat with dumplings and stewed cabbage. Traditionally pork; for halal use lamb or veal shoulder.
🇳🇴 Norway
Norwegian cooking is the food of fjords and mountains — salmon, cod and lamb, with old traditions of drying and salting, famous brown cheese and waffles.
Fårikål
Norway's national dish: bone-in lamb and cabbage layered with whole black peppercorns and slow-cooked until the meat melts — celebrated each September.
Lutefisk
Dried cod soaked in lye until gelatinous, then baked and served with mushy peas and potatoes — a traditional Christmas dish.
Kjøttkaker i Brun Saus
Large beef patties in brown gravy, served with potatoes, mushy peas and lingonberry jam.
Raspeball
Big grey potato dumplings cooked in broth, served with salted meat, melted butter and mashed swede — Thursday food in western Norway.
Lapskaus
A thick stew of beef, potatoes, carrots and swede — sailors' and workers' food.
Bergensk Fiskesuppe
Bergen's creamy fish soup with root vegetables, cream and a touch of vinegar and sugar, with fish pieces and fish balls.
Grillet Laks
Norwegian salmon fillet grilled skin-side down until crisp, served with cucumber-dill sauce and new potatoes.
Bacalao (Norwegian Style)
Salted dried cod (klippfisk) stewed with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, peppers and olives — a legacy of Norway's trade with Portugal and Spain.
Fiskekaker
Patties of finely blended white fish with milk and nutmeg, fried in butter and served with potatoes and carrots.
Pinnekjøtt
Salted, dried lamb ribs steamed over birch sticks — the Christmas dish of western Norway.
Vafler med Brunost
Thin heart-shaped Norwegian waffles served with slices of sweet, caramel-tasting brown cheese.
Lefse
Thin potato flatbread cooked on a large griddle, spread with butter, cinnamon and sugar and rolled up.
Krumkake
Patterned wafer cookies rolled hot into cones and filled with whipped cream and berries at Christmas.
Kransekake
A tower of graduated almond rings decorated with icing — served at weddings and on Constitution Day.
Skillingsboller
Big cinnamon buns from Bergen, once sold for one "skilling" coin.
Riskrem
Cold rice pudding folded with whipped cream, served with red berry sauce at Christmas.
Multekrem
Rare golden wild cloudberries from the far north folded into whipped cream — a royal Christmas dessert.
Kjøttsuppe
A clear beef soup with root vegetables and cabbage, served with small flour dumplings.
Fiskegrateng
White fish with macaroni in béchamel and cheese, baked until golden — a Norwegian children's favourite.
Sodd
A clear soup of lamb, meatballs, potatoes and carrots — a festive dish from Trøndelag.