How to better understand a country’s culture through its gastronomy.
Southern Europe unquestionably possesses a wide variety of culinary traditions, varying according to resources, climates and trade routes.
Unfortunately, like everywhere else, it's not impervious to junk food.
Here's an example of the gastronomic journey we're proposing.
✈️ Portugal
It's not in Portugal that you'll lose kilos ! and it's in the north of Portugal that you'll eat most often « local ». And don't forget Lisbon's many excellent restaurants.
The table is a very important social element in Portuguese culture, and entire families can be seen sitting at tables for hours on end enjoying typical dishes
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Not to mention the gargantuan portions served by restaurateurs.
But it's so good!
Cod (Bacalhau) in all its forms : bacalhau com natas, bacalhau a bras, bacalhau a Gomes de Sá,…
Sardines and seafood.
La Francesinha de Porto à cheese and meat base.
La robuste cozido à portuguesa, a combination of meats, sausages and cooked légumes.
Finally, for dessert, Pastel de Nata, that famous Portuguese tartlet à the costarde that’s found everywhere.
✈️Italy
Typical Italian cuisine is present everywhere.
From north to south and from the east to the west of Italy, every town and region can lay claim to delicious local dishes and recipes.
It's impossible to miss the countless varieties of pasta: Sicilian pastas, Bologna tortellini, Roman amatriciana, orecchiette alle cime di rapa in Puglia.
The must-try risotto from Piedmont, fiorentina (from Tuscany), Neapolitan pizzas, veal-based osso-bucco and Milanese escalope.
The delicious tiramisu (translation « tire moi vers le haut », which can mean « remonte moi le moral ») from Trévise, or the Tartuffo from Calabria.
As you will have gathered by now, the culinary arts are omnipresent in Italy, and whatever the region, you're sure to find dishes to suit your taste.
✈️ Croatia
Less well-known, Croatian cuisine is nonetheless considered one of the best in the world.
In Dalmatia and Istria, Greek and Italian influences are visible, and it’s also a festival of fish and seafood.
Inland, there are variations on Ottoman cuisine.
The best-known Croatian speciality is cevapcici: small rolls of barbecued meat, accompanied by ajvar, a cold vegetable purée based on peppers or eggplants.
Croatian cuisine is based on a variety of dishes.
A classic : Punjena à based on peppers stuffed with rice, onions and meat. The secret of this particular flavor lies in the pepper used. The peppers are traditionally served in a tomato sauce.
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You've got to try the Peka dish, cooked the old-fashioned way, made with vegetables and meat cooked in olive oil and herbs.
Another emblematic dish of the Dalmatian coast, pašticada is based on beef fillets marinated in vinegar, then simmered with wine, prunes, figs and spices.
The list of these typical dishes would be long, but remember that Croatia is not limited to its beaches and monuments; the food is really good and the welcome is often excellent.
Zagreb is one of Croatia's gastronomic hotspots, while on the Istrian coast you can enjoy Rovinj and Pulandis
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✈️ Crète
The traditional crétoise (à the origin of Greek cuisine) is à based on herbs, cheeses, fish and the famous olive oil.
It's a healthy, inventive cuisine made with fresh, minimally processed products. It makes little use of milk and butter.
It's a healthy, inventive cuisine.
It is part of what is commonly known as the Mediterranean diet, which is fairly low in protein and high in fiber.
Taste dishes such as mezzes (small plates), the best-known of which are taramasalata (tarama) and tzatziki (yoghurt with cucumber andà garlic), dolmades from Turkey (vine leaves stuffed with rice) and slices of fried zucchini or eggplant, Dakos (hardened, garlic bread, topped with fresh tomatoes, olives and feta), or Cretan salads. All accompanied by the local drink tsikoudia (Raki) made from distilled grape marc.
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Created taverns offer ragouts and dishes prepared early in the morning with Greek-influenced mayirefta;Greek influences, including moussaka, pastitsio (macaroni and minced mutton gratin), yemista (stuffed vegetables) and youvetsi.
You'll have a great meal in towns and villages such as Heraklion, Chania and Ntounias.
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