50 Popular European Dishes: What to Try on Vacation in Europe
Many wealthy people spend their holidays in Europe. Of course, one of the important points of the holiday program is the choice of unusual dishes from various national cuisines.
If you holder of a residence permit in one of the European countries, the main advantage that you get in this case is visa-free travel to all Schengen countries. Thus, you can visit several countries at once and arrange a unique culinary journey.
To save you time and avoid surfing the internet in search of what dishes to try in Europe, we have prepared a short guide for you.
5 Dishes You Must Try in Germany
German cuisine is far from dietary, so get ready for hearty lunches and dinners with meat dishes, delicious pastries and beer.
- Eintopf. A hearty thick soup with meat, various vegetables and spices.
- Eisbein. The famous pork knuckle with a crispy crust, a portion of potatoes and sauerkraut
- Berlin roll. Ruddy bacon with pork loin and prunes, garnished with green peas, potatoes and cracklings
- Sauerbraten: Beef marinated in wine and vinegar, fried in butter with vegetables, ginger, apples, raisins and beetroot syrup
- Rote Grütze. A dessert made from fresh berries with added starch under whipped cream or vanilla sauce.
5 Dishes You Must Try in Finland
The Finns are proud of their baked goods, of which they have an unimaginable amount. And all of it literally melts in your mouth…
- Karelian pies (Karjalanpiirakka). Rye dough pies with rice, barley, potatoes, carrots and a butter sauce with chopped egg
- Kalakukko. Pie with fish and lard filling.
- Venison stew. Low-calorie and healthy meat with mashed potatoes and lingonberry or cranberry sauce
- Lapland cheese (Leipäjuusto). A soft and sweet "bread cheese" with reindeer and goat milk, eaten with cloudberry jam
- Korvapuusti. Traditional cinnamon bun – the perfect dessert with coffee
5 Dishes You Must Try in Italy
Italians are used to treating cuisine as an art. Each region has many traditional dishes that can only be tried here.
- Frittata. Italian omelette with cheese, vegetable, sausage, meat filling
- Cacciucco. Thick soup made from various seafood with tomato paste and red wine.
- Minestrone. Vegetable soup with beans, vegetables, pasta, rice
- Osso Buco. The most famous dish of Milanese cuisine. Veal shank fried in olive oil with various garnishes
- Cannoli. Sicilian wafer crispy tube with mascarpone, cottage cheese, ricotta and syrup
5 Dishes You Must Try in Spain
Spanish cuisine freely handles vegetables, fish, meat, combining them in one dish or separately.
- Salmorejo. Cold tomato soup with white bread, finely chopped ham, boiled egg
- Croquetas. Fried balls of béchamel sauce with chicken, sheep's cheese, broccoli and a million other different fillings.
- Cod (Bacalao). The Spanish treat this fish with almost worship and cook it amazingly. Try, for example, cod in pil-pil sauce
- Madrid stew. Has a complex composition: chickpeas, chicken, smoked sausage, ham, blood sausage, meatballs, cabbage, onions, green beans, rice, bacon, garlic
- Tarta de Santiago. Traditional Galician dessert with almonds and lemons
5 Dishes You Must Try in France
You can spend months getting to know French cuisine! But if you only have a few days, pay attention to the following dishes.
- Confit of duck legs (Confit de canard). A classic dish - stewed duck meat with a vegetable garnish
- Rooster in wine (Coq au Vin). Rooster meat stewed in wine with bacon and vegetables
- Foie Gras. The famous goose liver, which is served both separately and as part of hot dishes, escalopes, medallions
- Onion soup (Soupe à l'oignon). A dish of national significance! A masterpiece of onions, beef broth and bread crusts
- Parfait. A delicate dessert made from whipped cream with sugar and vanilla.
5 Dishes You Must Try in Portugal
Before tasting the dishes, try a few varieties of Portuguese coffee. This is a topic for a separate article…
- Bochechas. Meat of black Iberian pig, stewed in red wine or grilled
- Octopus with rice (Arroz de polvo). Juicy octopus meat with rice, onions, tomatoes, peppers, bay leaves, parsley and spices
- Caldo verde. National soup of green cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic with olive oil and chorizo – a spicy pork sausage seasoned with paprika
- Chicken "Piri-Piri" (Frango Piri-Piri). Specially prepared poultry in a spicy sauce is a hit of Portuguese cuisine
- Pastel de Belém. Pastry tarts filled with custard, powdered sugar and cinnamon
5 Dishes You Must Try in Greece
Greek cuisine begins with… aroma. Unimaginable combinations of spices are used to prepare meat and fish dishes.
- Soutzoukakia (σουτζουκάκια). Tender cutlets in a sauce with the addition of wine, garlic and cumin (ground cumin)
- Achinosalata (αχινοσαλατα). A delicacy salad of sea urchins, dressed with olive oil and lemon
- Moussaka (μουσακάς). The most popular Greek dish - vegetable casserole with minced meat, aromatic spices, olive oil and béchamel cream
- Lamb ribs (παἶδάκἰα). Grilled lamb loin marinated in wine and spices.
- Milk pie (Γαλακτομπούρεκο). A traditional delicacy made with semolina, cream, and lemon zest.
5 Dishes You Must Try in Norway
If you are looking for seafood delicacies and unusual dishes, go to Norway!
- Fårikål. One of the most famous dishes of Norwegian cuisine. Braised lamb on the bone with pieces of cabbage, black pepper, wheat flour
- Lutefisk. Smoked cod boiled with spices, served with potatoes, pork cracklings, pea pudding, goat cheese and mustard
- Fiskebopllar. Fish dumplings with a sauce made from sour milk, starch, wine, broth and lemon juice.
- Bergen fish soup. Fish soup made from fresh salmon and cod
- Krumkake. Crispy wafer cookies made from flour, butter, eggs, sugar and cream.
5 Dishes You Must Try in Belgium
Belgium is famous for its own culinary traditions and dishes that cannot be tried anywhere else.
- Witloof. Potato casserole with chicory, béchamel sauce and melted cheese. Each potato is wrapped in a thin slice of bacon.
- Boudin blanc. Special white sausages with milk, which are fried on the grill or in butter, served with mashed potatoes or apple compote
- Stoemp. The most delicate mashed potatoes and other root vegetables with cream, bacon, herbs and spices
- Waterzooi. Traditional soup (sometimes stew) of fish or chicken with vegetables and cream.
- Liege waffles. They are made from buttery brioche dough and granulated sugar, which turns into a caramelized crust.
5 Dishes You Must Try in the Netherlands
It was from here that Peter I “brought” the famous lightly salted herring (Haring) with potatoes, which for some reason is now considered a Russian dish.
- Pickled herring (Gibbing). A kind of symbol of the Netherlands. A classic dish of freshly pickled herring with onions and gherkins
- Stamppot. Mashed potatoes with kale, carrots, chicory, sauerkraut. Served with sausages.
- Hutspot. Meat stew with boiled potatoes, carrots, onions
- Pea soup (Snert). Thick traditional soup with celery, leeks, carrots, pork. Served with smoked sausages and rye bread
- Poffertjes. Dutch pancakes made from buckwheat flour and yeast.
With our guide, you can confidently set off on a New Year's journey through the countries of Europe and taste the most famous national dishes. To help you, we also offer our article, dedicated to seven European countries with the best Michelin restaurants. Have a successful and delicious travel!
