It’s nice to meet and enjoy local dishes, but it’s always interesting to expand the palate into new and exotic flavors. Discover with us the most typical recipes on the European continent. ¡Join us for a trip through the best dishes in Europe!
Given the great cultural richness of the European continent, these dishes are full of flavor, novel ingredients and surprising culinary techniques.
Learn about the iconic dishes of good gastronomy in Europe and go ahead and expand your options by trying these 27 delicious dishes, one for each country of the European Union:
Germany: Chucrut
German sauerkraut is among the best dishes in Europe for its versatility in the kitchen.
It is a fermented prepared with chopped cabbage and salt. This mixture is kept stored for months to obtain its popular acid flavor.
This dish is ideal as garnish for meat, sausages, fish, hams and knuckles.
Austria: Schnitzel
On the other hand, among the best dishes in Europe you cannot miss schnitzel. It is native to Austria, but we have seen how it has become internationalized.
It is prepared with two beef fillets that are floured, covered with beaten egg and passed through breadcrumbs before frying it.
There are some versions where the fillets are filled with ham and cheese. Also Oil is usually replaced for frying with butter or butter.
Belgium: Mussels with potatoes
Mussels with potatoes or moules et frites It is a traditional dish of typical European gastronomy.
This recipe is a mix of classic fries with steamed mussels.
Mussels are usually served in a saucepan and the fries on a different plate.
Although mussels are steamed in the traditional recipe, they can be made in sauce or served raw.
Bulgaria: Banitsa
The Bulgarian banitsa is a pastries product that can be sweet or salty.
It is prepared using sharp paste. One of its traditional versions is filled with sheep cheese and beaten egg, as well as spinach.
While closing it is given a curious circular shape, similar to the popular ensaimada.
As we mentioned, it is not a recipe that is limited to salty versions, since they are also usually filled with angel hair.
Cyprus: Sheftalia
Cyprus houses one of the best dishes in Europe within its gastronomy.
It consists of grilled sausages. Are made with lamb and pork meat.
The noble meat of these animals is mixed with onion, garlic, sea salt and pepper to add flavor.
Once cooked, the shephthalias they are served on pita bread and lemon juice is used as a dressing.
Croatia: Strukli
Croatian strukli is a dish that It will surprise with its simplicity and exquisite flavor.
They are a kind of cannelloni prepared with a dough made with flour and water. By baking them they acquire a texture similar to puff pastry.
They are filled with a mixture of sour cream with cottage cheese and you can order them baked or boiled.
Denmark: Stegt flæsk
The best and most representative dish in Denmark is the stegt flæsk.
Consists of strips of pork bacon that are fried in butter. There are other versions where it is first packaged before frying.
To achieve a good contrast of flavors, served with cooked potato and a cream sauce with parsley.
Slovakia: Bryndzové Halušky
Although its name is difficult to pronounce, you should do everything to try a plate of bryndzové halušky.
It is a dish made up of a type of pasta similar to gnocchi.
They are covered by one delicious cream and sheep cheese sauce. It is also decorated with fried bacon in small pieces.
Slovenia: Kranjska klobasa
Among the best dishes in Europe, kranjska klobasa is essential.
It is a sausage prepared with few spices and delicious for the smoking process to which it is subjected. Plus, it has the perfect combination of lean and fatty meat.
It is usually served in skewers and you can appreciate the quality of the meat used to make it.
Spain: Paella
Paella is a versatile and delicious dish that is undoubtedly among the best dishes in Europe. And although there are versions in many countries, nothing like a real traditional Valencian paella with firewood: rice, chicken and rabbit meat, green beans and carrot. Simplicity made flavor, ending with a touch of fresh rosemary. Sometimes you can bring snails.
Other Valencian rice such as black rice, band rice or seafood paella are also famous.
Also, it is a dish that is not limited to these ingredients. Exist versions with the exchange of rice for noodles, which is known as fideuà.
Estonia: Kiluvõileib
Estonia also makes a great contribution to the typical gastronomy of Europe with its kiluvõileib.
Are toasts prepared with black bread or seeds.
These slices of bread are smeared with butter and covered with smoked sprat. If you wish, you can order it with sprat and cooked egg.
Decorated with chopped chives to add color to the recipe.
You can eat it at any time of the day, whether it’s breakfast, snack, tapas or dinner.
Finland: Suporonkäristys
Finland joins the list of the best dishes in Europe with the suporonkäristys.
It is reindeer meat cooked in its own fat, marinated with salt and beer. Cook over low heat until crumbling.
This Finnish delicacy served with cooked potato and candied red blueberries.
France: Ratatouille
A classic of French gastronomy is Ratatouille. It is a great exponent of a kitchen full of stews, casseroles and stews.
This recipe is full of flavor, being a mix of delicious and fresh vegetables.
It is prepared with diced aubergines, tomato, peppers and zucchini; although you can also carry the combination of vegetables that the chef prefers.
The Ratatouille served as a garnish or you can eat it as an appetizer.
A curious fact about this dish is that vegetables can be cooked together or separately. Either way, you will get an exquisite and colorful product.
Greece: Souvlakis
Souvlakis in Greece are the best dishes in Europe, too known as skewers or skewers.
They are prepared with chicken, lamb, beef, fish or pork.
The meat has a special marinade that mix lemon juice, parsley, salt, mint, pepper, basil and other spices.
This process of marinating takes several hours for them to absorb all the flavor and be perceived for their excellent seasoning after cooking.
Hungary: Goulash
Goulash is a complete, nutritious and flavorful stew.
Its main ingredient is paprika or paprika, with which a broth full of sweet and smoked nuances is prepared.
To the stew it is added onion, large dice potatoes and cut beef. However, there are places that transform the traditional recipe by adding other vegetables.
Ireland: Colcannon
Another of the best dishes in Europe is part of Irish gastronomy.
It’s about the colcannon, a mashed potatoes with boiled cabbage. It is seasoned with salt, pepper and butter to provide creaminess.
It is usually served as a garnish for main dishes including sausages or roast meats.
If you want to highlight its flavor, you can pour a little gravy sauce over it.
Italy: Pizza
Pizza from Italy you don’t need a great presentation. The recognition and its position among the best dishes in Europe is more than evident.
Its classic recipe is Margarita pizza with mozzarella cheese, basil and tomato.
However, with their expansion throughout the world, they exist countless flavor combinations to raise the flavor of a simple wheat flour dough.
Latvia: Saltibarsciai
Saltibarsciai cannot be missing from the list of the best dishes in Europe, a popular Latvian soup.
Its main ingredient is beets, which gives it its characteristic purple color.
This broth It is accompanied with cucumber, cooked potato, cooked egg and onion. It is also typical to dress it with a little sour cream to taste and decorate with dill or chives.
Although it is a soup, it is important that you know that it is eaten cold.
Lithuania: Cepelinai
Lithuanian cephelinai are a delight that are part of good gastronomy in Europe.
Several potatoes are taken, cooked and grated to form a dough. A portion of dough is served and stuffed with minced or cottage cheese.
The dough is given a long shape and round edges. They are cooked in the oven to make them gratin.
By tradition, they are accompanied with sour cream.
This makes it an ideal and complete dish for any meal, especially when it comes to the main course.
Luxembourg: Judd mat Gaardebounen
Luxembourg is a country with delicious and iconic recipes, where its Judd mat Gaardebounen stands out among them.
This dish is made up of white beans cooked with bacon, chopped onion, meat broth, butter and flour to thicken.
It also has slices of smoked pork loin and delicious rustic potatoes.
It’s a plate ideal for ordering during winter.
Malta: Bragioli
Another dish of good gastronomy in Europe is the bragioli.
This delight of Malta consists of rolls of meat with chopped onion, meat, cheese and bacon.
Once assembled, the meat roll is cooked in a saucepan with a stew containing tomato, basil, garlic, red wine, and onion.
Netherlands: Bitterballen
The bitterballen of the Netherlands are a delight that should not be missing among the best dishes in Europe.
It is an appetizer with a curious elaboration process, which seems to combine the meatballs with the croquettes.
They are prepared with a bechamel sauce prepared with meat broth and pieces of pork, mushrooms or beef.
They can fill with vegetables or add spices as nutmeg or curry to the mix to add flavor.
Little balls are made with bechamel that are then bathed in egg and breadcrumbs. They are fried and ready to enjoy.
Poland: Gołąbki
Gołąbki are a demonstration that the best dishes in Europe often have cabbage and cabbage among their main ingredients.
These are rolls prepared with a cabbage leaf. Su filling can be meat, vegetables, egg or rice.
As for their cooking, gołąbki can be fried, cooked in a saucepan or baked.
Are perfect for eating as snacks.
Portugal: Cod to Brás
This emblematic recipe for Portuguese gastronomy is among the best dishes in Europe.
Prepares with cod crumbs, black olives, potato, eggs and chives.
The potatoes are fried and added to the sauce prepared with the cod and the chives. When unified, the beaten egg is poured so that it fits and is juicy.
If you order it, they will take it to you in a deep fountain with a nice presentation, thanks to olives and chopped parsley.
Czech Republic: Svícková na smetane
If you are in a Czech restaurant, we recommend you try svícková na smetane.
It’s about a delicious cut of marinated beef tenderloin with different spices. Cook over low heat so the meat is soft.
It is served on a sauce prepared with cream and carrot. In addition, they are usually accompany with the popular knedlicky buns.
Romania: Mamaliga
The mamaliga is a garnish that represents good gastronomy in Europe.
It is prepared with corn flour and water until obtaining a texture similar to that of polenta.
This plate served with meat, cheese, sarmas or roasted vegetables.
Sweden: Semlor
Finally, within the good gastronomy of Europe is the semi-flower of Sweden. Unlike its popular smoked fish, one of its best dishes is this dessert.
It’s a bun, similar to Swiss bun. Once baked, it is cut in half and filled with whipped cream.
Sprinkles with icing sugar and served alongside a cup of hot milk.