Italian Regional Cuisines

North Italian Cuisines | Central Italian Cuisines

South Italian Cuisines | Italian Island Cuisines
Italian cuisine is regional. Extremely; though you may think about, say, Tuscan,
or Friulano, or Piemontese cooking, the variations are actually much more local.
A couple of examples:

To celebrate Christmas, the residents of the Tuscan city of Siena

enjoy Panforte, a nutty fruitcake sweetened with honey that dates back to the
middle ages, and Ricciarelli, chewy orange-laced amaretti. Come the season,
every bar and pastry shop makes them and proudly puts them on display. In
Florence, which is just a half hour's drive from Siena, you wouldn't have
found either, at least not freshly made, until quite recently, and
Florentines who buy Panforte (much is bought by tourists) say it's a Sienese
thing.
Friuli Venzia Giulia has many ties with central Europe, and as a result
the cuisine includes ingredients one simply doesn't find in much of the rest
of Italy. Sauerkraut, for example, which the inhabitants of the highlands

above Trieste combine with beans to make Jota(pronounced Yota), an unusual

but tasty bean soup that's one of the area's signature dishes. Jota is made
with sauerkraut as far inland as Gorizia, about 40 miles, where they also add
barley, but if you continue on to Cormons, another 9 miles, you'll find
it made with brovada, pickled turnips, rather than sauerkraut. And if you
continue on to Udine, another 15 miles, people consider it to be foreign and
don't make it.
The reason for this culinary fragmentation is simple: With the exception of
the nobility and the clergy, before WWII most Italians simply didn't travel, and
as a result every town and every valley has something unique. Neighboring towns
and valleys will also share techniques, or recipes, albeit with individualistic
twists, but from one end of a region to the other the picture can change
completely. Therefore, when speaking of regional cuisines, it's a good idea to
keep in mind that we are really dealing with a series of local cuisines, each of
which is related to those around it.
Having said this, one can make some broad distinctions from North to South.
The Use of Fats
Though now extravirgin olive oil is popular throughout Italy, this has
not always been true. With the exception of a few areas near lakes that exert a
moderating influence, Northern Italy is too cold for olive trees to grow, and as
a result much of the population used butter for cooking. In much of Central and
Southern Italy, and the Islands, on the other hand, people cooked with olive
oil. Much but not all; rendered lard was used in Campania, Basilicata, the
Abruzzo, and Calabria until recently.
The Kinds of Pasta Used
In the days before industrialization, dry pasta made from durum wheat, water,
and a pinch of salt (spaghetti, rigatoni, and so on), was easier to make, and
therefore more popular, in the South, where warmer temperatures and increased
sunlight hastened the drying of the pasta. And indeed, though there are now dry
pasta factories everywhere, modern Italians generally feel that southerners
still make the best dry pasta.
Central and parts of Northern Italy (especially Emilia Romagna and Piemonte) are
instead known for fresh pasta made with eggs, flour, and salt, for
example tagliatelle, tajarin, orpappardelle, all of which are flat forms. The
center and north are also known for stuffed pasta, for
example ravioli or tortellini, and one can find these kinds of pasta in areas
where they didn't eat much flat or dry pasta until recently, for example
Lombardia. What did they eat in the sections of the north where pasta wasn't as
popular in the past?
Polenta, or corn meal mush, which was a staple food of the poor, and risotto;
most of the world's best short-grained strains of rice, including Arborio,
Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano are North Italian.
Popular Vegetables
The South is much warmer and has a much longer growing season than the North. As

a result vegetables that thrive under hotter conditions, especially tomatoes,

are more popular in the South, which thus also has many more dishes with red
sauces than the North. Among the other more Southern vegetables
are eggplant and broccoli raab. In the North, on the other hand, one finds
plants better adapted to cooler temperatures and less sunlight, for example head
cabbages, black leaf kale, cardoons, and radicchio.
Foreign Influences
Given its position in the middle of the Mediterranean, Italy is a
crossroads, and many foreign powers have left their mark. As you might expect,
you'll find quite a bit of French influence (regional French, not haute cuisine)
in the areas of Liguria, Piemonte, and the Valle D'Aosta bordering France, and
Austro-Hungarian influences in the Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, and Friuli
Venezia Giulia. There is also Spanish influence, especially in Milano, which was
under the Spaniards for a time; this Spanish influence surfaces again in the
South, which was ruled by the Bourbons until the unification of Italy in mid
1850s, and in Sardinia, which was ruled directly by Spain for a time. You'll
find English influence in Tuscany, where the classic bistecca alla
Fiorentina and zuppa Inglese, English steak and English trifle, respectively,
were initially prepared for the enjoyment of the sizeable English colony that
settled Tuscany in the 1800s. And you'll find Jewish influences in Rome, dating
to the 1500s, when Jews fleeing the Inquisition settled in the Eternal City.
Finally, in Sicily you'll find a fascinating mixture of Roman influence, Arab
influences dating both to the time that Sicily was an Arab province, and to more
recent trade with North Africa (cuscus, for example), Norman French influence,
and Spanish influence.
In short, Italian food is as varied as the land and the people, and this means
that there are a great many delights to be discovered.

GERMANY

Staple foods

Bratwurst, one of the most popular foods in Germany

Meat
Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in
Germany, with pork being the most popular. The average person in Germany
will consume up to 61 kg (130 lb) of meat in a year. Among
poultry, chicken is most common, although duck, goose, and turkey are
also enjoyed. Game meats, especially boar, rabbit, and venison are also
widely available all year round. Lamb and goat are also available, but
are not as popular.
Meat is usually pot-roasted; pan-fried dishes also exist, but
these recipes usually originate from France or Austria; Schnitzel is
particularly popular in Germany. Several cooking methods used to soften
often tough cuts have evolved into national specialties,
including Sauerbraten (sour roast), involving marinating beef, horse
meat or venison in a vinegar or wine vinegar mixture over several days.
A long tradition of sausage-making exists in Germany, including hundreds
of regional variations. More than 1500 different types of sausage
(German: Wurst) are made in Germany. Most Wurst is still made by German
sausage butchers (German: Metzger, Fleischer or Schlachter) with natural
casings derived from pork, sheep or lamb intestine.
Among the most popular and most common are
the Bratwurst (literally fry-sausage), usually made of ground pork and
spices, the Wiener (Viennese), which may be pork or beef and is smoked
and fully cooked in a water bath, and Blutwurst (blood sausage)
or Schwarzwurst (black sausage) made from blood (often of pigs or
geese). Thousands of types of cold cuts also are available. Regional

specialties, such as the Mnchner Weiwurst (Munich white sausage)

popular in Bavaria or the Currywurst (depending on region, either a
steamed pork sausage or a version of the Bratwurst, sliced and spiced
with curry ketchup) popular in the metropolitan areas
of Berlin, Hamburg and the Ruhr Area, can also be found from all regions
of the country.

Fish
Trout is the most common freshwater fish on the German
menu; pike, carp, and European perch also are listed frequently. Seafood
traditionally was restricted to the northern coastal areas, except
for pickled herring, which often served in a Fischbrtchen,
as Rollmops (a pickled herring fillet rolled into a cylindrical shape
around a piece of pickled gherkin or onion),
or Brathering (fried, marinated herring). Today, many sea fish, such as
fresh herring, tuna,mackerel, salmon and sardines, are well established
throughout the country. Prior to the industrial revolution and the
ensuing pollution of the rivers, salmon were common in the
rivers Rhine, Elbe, and Oder.

Vegetables

Typical serving of spargel withHollandaise sauce and potatoes

Vegetables are often used in stews or vegetable soups, but are

also served as side dishes. Carrots, turnips, spinach, peas, beans,
broccoli and many types of cabbage are very common. Fried onions are a
common addition to many meat dishes throughout the country. Asparagus,
especially white asparagus known in German as Spargel, is a common side
dish or may be prepared as a main dish. Restaurants will sometimes
devote an entire menu to nothing but white asparagus when it is in
season. Spargel season (German: Spargelzeit or Spargelsaison)
traditionally begins in mid-May and ends on St. John's Day (24 June).

Side dishes

German Sauerbraten with potato dumplings (Kle)

Noodles, made from wheat flour and egg, are usually thicker than
the Italian flat pasta. Especially in the southwestern part of the
country, the predominant variety of noodles are Sptzle, made with large
amounts of egg yolk, and Maultaschen, traditional stuffed noodles
reminiscent of ravioli.
Besides noodles, potatoes are common. Potatoes entered the German
cuisine in the late 18th century, and were almost ubiquitous in the 19th
century and since. They most often are boiled (in salt
water,Salzkartoffeln), but mashed (Kartoffelpree) and panroasted potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) also are traditional. French fries,
called Pommes frites, Pommes (spoken as "Pom fritz" or, respectively,
"Pommes", deviating from the French pronunciation which would be "Pom
freet" or "Pom") or regionally as Fritten in German, are a common style
of fried potatoes; they are traditionally offered with
either ketchup ormayonnaise, or, as Pommes rot/wei (lit. fries
red/white), with both.
Also common, especially in the south of Germany,
are dumplings (including Kle or Kndel) and potato noodles,
including Schupfnudeln, which are similar to Italian gnocchi.

Spices and condiments

Lwensenf: a jar of spicy Dsseldorfer mustard

Generally, with the exception of mustard for sausages, German

dishes are rarely hot and spicy; the most popular herbs are
traditionally parsley, thyme, laurel, chives, black pepper (used in
small amounts),juniper berries and caraway. Cardamom, anise seed,
and cinnamon are often used in sweet cakes or beverages associated with
Christmas time, and sometimes in the preparation of sausages, but are
otherwise rare in German meals. Other herbs and spices, such
as basil, sage, oregano, and hot chilli peppers, have become more
popular in recent times.
Mustard (Senf) is a very common accompaniment to sausages and can
vary in strength, the most common version being Mittelscharf (medium
hot), which is somewhere between traditional English and French mustards
in strength. Dsseldorf and the surrounding area are known for its
particularly spicy mustard, which is used both as a table condiment and
in local dishes such as Senfrostbraten (roasted steak with mustard). In
the southern parts of the country, a sweet variety of mustard is made
which is almost exclusively served with the Bavarian
speciality Weiwurst. German mustard is usually considerably less acidic
than American varieties.
Horseradish is commonly used as a condiment either on its own
served as a paste, enriched with cream (Sahnemeerrettich), or combined
with mustard. In some regions of Germany, it is used with meats and
sausages where mustard would otherwise be used.
Garlic was long frowned upon for causing halitosis, so has never
played a large role in traditional German cuisine, but has risen in
popularity in recent decades due to the influence
of French, Italian, Spanish,Portuguese, Greek,

and Turkish cuisines. Bear's garlic, a rediscovered spice from earlier

centuries, has become quite popular again since the 1990s.

Desserts

Black Forest Cake

A wide variety of cakes and tarts are served throughout the

country, most commonly made with fresh fruit. Apples, plums,
strawberries, and cherries are used regularly in cakes. Cheesecake is
also very popular, often made with quark. Schwarzwlder
Kirschtorte (Black Forest cake, made with cherries) is probably the most
well-known example of a wide variety of typically German tortes filled
with whipped or butter cream. German doughnuts (which have no hole) are
usually balls of yeast dough with jam or other fillings, and are known
as Berliner,Pfannkuchen (only in the Berlin area), Kreppel or Krapfen,
depending on the region. Eierkuchen or Pfannkuchen are large and
relatively thin pancakes, comparable to the French crpes. They are
served covered with sugar, jam or syrup. Salty variants with cheese,
ground meat or bacon exist as well, but they are usually considered to
be main dishes rather than desserts. In some regions, Eierkuchen are
filled and then wrapped; in others, they are cut into small pieces and
arranged in a heap. The word Pfannkuchen means pancake in most parts of
Germany.
A popular dessert in northern Germany is Rote Grtze, red fruit
pudding, which is made with black and red currants, raspberries and
sometimes strawberries or cherries cooked in juice with corn starch as a
thickener. It is traditionally served with cream, but also is served
with vanilla sauce, milk or whipped cream. Rhabarbergrtze (rhubarb
pudding) and Grne Grtze (gooseberry fruit pudding) are variations of
the Rote Grtze. A similar dish, Obstkaltschale, may also be found all
around Germany.
Ice cream and sorbets are also very popular. Italian-run ice cream
parlours were the first large wave of foreign-run eateries in Germany,

becoming widespread in the 1920s. Spaghettieis, which resembles

spaghetti, tomato sauce, and ground cheese on a plate, is a popular ice
cream dessert.

Bread
Bread (Brot) is a significant part of German cuisine. About 600
main types of breads and 1,200 different types of pastries and rolls are
produced in about 17,000 bakeries and another 10,000 in-shop bakeries.

Pumpernickel

Bread is served usually for breakfast (often replaced by bread

rolls) and in the evening as (open) sandwiches, but rarely as a side
dish for the main meal (popular, for example, with Eintopf or soup). The
importance of bread in German cuisine is also illustrated by words such
as Abendbrot (meaning supper, literally evening bread)
and Brotzeit (snack, literally bread time). In fact, one of the major
complaints of the German expatriates in many parts of the world is their
inability to find acceptable local breads.

Roggenmischbrot

Regarding bread, German cuisine is more varied than that of either

Eastern or Western Europe. Bread types range from white wheat bread
(Weibrot) to grey (Graubrot) to black (Schwarzbrot), actually dark
brown rye bread. Most breads contain both wheat and rye flour

(hence Mischbrot, mixed bread), and often also wholemeal and whole seeds
such as linseed, sunflower seed, or pumpkin seed (Vollkornbrot). Darker,
rye-dominated breads, such as Vollkornbrot or Schwarzbrot, are typical
of German cuisine. Pumpernickel, a steamed, sweet-tasting bread, is
internationally well known, although not representative of German black
bread as a whole. Most German breads are made with sourdough. Whole
grain is also preferred for high fiber. Germans use almost all available
types of grain for their breads: wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats,
millet, corn and rice. Some breads are even made with potato starch
flour.
Germany's most popular breads are:
1. Rye-wheat (Roggenmischbrot)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Toast bread (Toastbrot)

Whole-grain (Vollkornbrot)
Wheat-rye (Weizenmischbrot)
White bread (Weibrot)
Multigrain, usually wheat-rye-oats with sesame or linseed
(Mehrkornbrot)
7. Rye (Roggenbrot)
8. Sunflower seeds in dark rye bread (Sonnenblumenkernbrot)
9. Pumpkin seeds in dark rye bread (Krbiskernbrot)
10.
Roasted onions in light wheat-rye bread (Zwiebelbrot)

Bread rolls

Breakfast basket filled with different varieties of bread rolls

Bread rolls, known in Germany as Brtchen (a diminutive

of Brot), Semmel, Schrippe, Rundstck or Weck, Weckle, Weckli,
or Wecken, depending on the region, are common in German cuisine. A
typical serving is a roll cut in half, and spread with butter or
margarine. Cheese, honey, jam, Nutella, meat, fish, or preserves are

then placed between the two halves, or on each half separately, known as
a belegtes Brtchen.
Rolls are also used for snacks, or as a hotdog-style roll
for Bratwurst, Brtel, Fleischkse or Schwenker/Schwenkbraten.
Franzbrtchen, which originated in the area of Hamburg, is the small,
sweet pastry roll baked with butter and cinnamon.

Drinks

The various kinds of bottled Klsch beer

A typical German dark wheat beer

Beer is very common throughout all parts of Germany, with many local
and regional breweries producing a wide variety of superb beers.
The pale lager pilsener, a style developed in the mid-19th century, is
predominant in most parts of the country today, whereas wheat
beer (Weibier/Weizen) and other types of lager are common, especially
in Bavaria. A number of regions have local specialties, many of which,
like Weibier, are more traditionally brewed ales. Among these
are Altbier, a dark beer available around Dsseldorf and the lower

Rhine, Klsch, a similar style, but light in color, in the Cologne area,
and the low-alcohol Berliner Weie, a sour beer made in Berlin that is
often mixed with raspberry syrup. Since the reunification of
1990, Schwarzbier, which was common in East Germany, but could hardly be
found in West Germany, has become increasingly popular in Germany as a
whole. Beer may also be mixed with other beverages:

pils or lager and carbonated lemonade (in Europe and the UK,
lemonade is a carbonated drink, in America, lemonade is a
noncarbonated drink): Radler, Alsterwasser

pils or lager and cola: Diesel, Schmutziges or simply Colabier

Altbier and Malzbier: Krefelder
Altbier and cola: Altcola or Aco (also called Krefelder in some
regions, which might lead to misunderstandings)
wheat beer and lemonade: Russe
wheat beer and cola: Colaweizen

Since a beer tax law was changed in 1993, many breweries served this
trend of mixing beer with other drinks by selling bottles of pre-mixed
beverages. Examples are Bibob (by Kstritzer), Veltins V+, Mixery (by
Karlsberg), Dimix (by Diebels) and Cab (by Krombacher).
Beer is generally sold in bottles or from draught. Canned beer is
available, but cans almost vanished after the introduction of a deposit
in 2003.
Wine is also popular throughout the country. German wine comes
predominantly from the areas along the upper and middle Rhine and its
tributaries. Riesling and Silvaner are among the best-known varieties of
white wine, whileSptburgunder and Dornfelder are important German red
wines. The sweet German wines sold in English-speaking countries seem
mostly to cater to the foreign market, as they are rare in Germany.
Korn, a German spirit made from malt (wheat, rye and/or barley),
is consumed predominantly in the middle and northern parts of
Germany. Obstler, on the other hand, distilled from apples and pears
(Obstler), plums, cherries (Kirschwasser), or mirabelle plums, is
preferred in the southern parts. The term Schnaps refers to both kinds
of hard liquors.
Coffee is also very common, not only for breakfast, but also
accompanying a piece of cake in the afternoon, usually on Sundays or
special occasions and birthdays. It is generally filter coffee, which is
weaker than espresso. Teais more common in the northwest. East Frisians
traditionally have their tea with cream and rock candy (Kluntje).

Popular soft drinks include Schorle, juice or wine mixed with

sparkling mineral water, with Apfelschorle being especially popular in
southern Germany, and Spezi, made with cola and an orange-flavored drink
such as Fanta. Germans are unique among their neighbors in
preferring bottled, carbonated mineral water, either plain (Sprudel) or
flavored (usually lemon) to noncarbonated ones.
Drinking water of excellent quality is available everywhere and at any
time in Germany. Water provided by the public water industry can be had
without hesitation directly from the tap. Usually no chlorine is added.
Drinking water is controlled by state authority to ensure it is potable.
Regulations are even stricter than those for bottled water
(see Trinkwasserverordnung). There is no need at all to buy water in
bottles in Germany for health reasons, though the taste of the tap water
varies widely depending on the layers of earth and stone dominating on
each well.

Regional cuisine

Pretzels are especially common in the South of Germany

German regional cuisine can be divided into many varieties such

as Bavarian cuisine (southern Germany), Thuringian (central
Germany), Lower Saxon cuisine or those of Saxony-Anhalt.[2]

Thuringia

Agriculture figures highly in the diet of Thuringia, with about

half of the state being used for agriculture
Wheat, grapeseed, sugarbeets, and barley grow well, along with a variety
of vegetables, which grow near Erfurt, the state's
capital.Cauliflower [740 acres (3.0 km2)], cabbage (savoy, red, white)
[25 acres (100,000 m2)], kohlrabi [37 acres (150,000 m2)],
and broccoli [37 acres (150,000 m2)] grow by traditional means near
Erfurt. Tomatoes, lettuce, broad beans, onions, andcucumbers are grown
in the eastern portion of the region near Jena under glass centers on
about 12 acres (49,000 m2) of land. Thuringia is the secondlargest herb-growing region in Germany; the town of Kolleda was once
considered the "pepperminttown", where herb growers used to congregate
to study herb cultivation.[3]
One-third of Thuringia is covered in forest, and is considered to be one
of the best game-hunting regions in Germany. Until the unification of
East and West Germany, the game meats were reserved for those privileged
enough to obtain it in luxury hotels, or it was exported. Today, anyone
holding a valid hunting license (which however requires passing a
comprehensive written and practical exam)[4] and a local hunting permit
for the area may hunt for game such as red deer, roe deer, wild
boar,rabbit, duck, and mouflon (mountain
sheep). Pheasant and capercaillie are protected game species that may
not be hunted. The wooded areas also contain a wide variety of edible
mushrooms, such as chestnut mushrooms, porcini, and chanterelles, along
with wild berries, such as blueberries, cranberries, raspberries,
and blackberries, which are all traditional accompaniments to game
dishes.[5]
The most famous foods from Thuringia are Thuringian
sausages and Thuringian dumplings. The state is also known for
its sausages; steamed, scaled, and cured varieties are all prepared.
Popular varieties include Thringer Mettwurst (a spreadable cured
sausage), Feldkieker (a cured, air-dried sausage dried up to eight
months), Thringer Leberwurst (a steamed pork and liver sausage),
Thringer Rotwurst (a steamed blood sausage packed in a bladder or other
natural casing)[6] and Mett(minced pork).

Saxony-Anhalt

Milbenkse

Cereal grain cultivation occupies 62% of the cultivated land in SaxonyAnhalt. Wheat, barley, oats, and rye are grown, with the rye being grown
near Borde, where it is used to make Burger Knckebrot, a flatbread
produced there since 1931. Another 10% of the cultivated area is planted
in sugar beets for conversion to sugar, popularized after the 19th
century, when the region had an economic boom.
Whitefish have figured into the regional diet after a fisherman
introduced them to the Arendsee over 110 years ago. Fishing was once
prominent in the Elbe River, which contains 33 of the 40 species of fish
caught in the region. Mercury, hexachlorobenzene, DDT, musk compounds
and heptachlor have caused the Elbe to become contaminated, so
commercial fishing has been banned since 1989.[8]
Wrchwitzer Spinnenkse (Milbenkse), a cheese produced in Wrchwitz, is
made by allowing quark to sit amongst thousands of cheese mites that
transform the cheese into a highly desired delicacy. The mites excrete
an enzyme that ripens the cheese; after one month the cheese turns to a
yellowish color, after three months it turns reddish brown, and after a
year the cheese turns to a blackish lump, which is desirable to some
aficionados. The flavor is characterized as being bitter; the cheese may
have curative effects that keep the people who consume it not allergic
to house dust. The mites are consumed along with the cheese.

Specialities from the former German Democratic

Republic

Solyanka with olives

The cuisine of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR or East

Germany) differed in several ways from the cuisine of West Germany and
today's united Germany.
East German cuisine was strongly influenced
by Russian, Polish, Bulgarian and other Eastern European countries from
the 1960s on. East Germans traveled abroad to these countries on
holiday, and soldiers coming to East Germany from these countries
brought their dishes with them. A typical dish that came to the East
German kitchen this way is Soljanka.
Dissimilarity was the lack of certain spices, condiments and
flavourings in the GDR. Oregano, for example, was totally unknown, and
the price of garlic and Worcestershire sauce reached extremes. Lemon
juice had to be replaced with vinegar and instead of capers; marsh
marigold buds soaked in brine were used. While cooking with wine (as is
typical in the wine-growing regions of Franconia and Hesse) was known,
the lack of good wine on the East German market reserved this for
special occasions. For these reasons, Ragout fin (commonly known
as Wrzfleisch) became a highly sought-after delicacy.
East German cafeterias had a unified cuisine. Over the entire
country, cafeterias in companies and schools served the same food. They
were commonly run by the national trading organization
(Handelsorganisation - HO). Dishes on the menu were picked from a list
of about 300 dishes that tasted almost the same everywhere, since the
recipes were standardized. The lack of supplies and the pressure of
cooking for large numbers of people gave rise to several typical East
German inventions, such as Jgerschnitzel - large and thin slices

of Jagdwurst, covered with bread crumbs, pan-fried and served with

tomato sauce and noodles; it should not be confused
with Jgerschnitzel in western Germany, which there means a
normal Schnitzel served with dark mushroom sauce.
An effort has been made to preserve this cultural East German heritage,
and a collection of East German HO recipes are available online in
German.

Bavarian Cuisine
Bavarian cuisine is a style of cooking derived from Bavaria.
The origins of Bavarian cuisine are rural. The cuisine typically
includes many meat and Kndel dishes, and the prominent use of flour.
The Bavarian dukes, especially the Wittelsbach family, developed
Bavarian cuisine and refined it to be presentable to the royal court.
This cuisine has belonged to wealthy households, especially in cities,
since the 19th century. The (old) Bavarian cuisine is closely connected
to Czech cuisine and Austrian cuisine (especially
from Tyrol and Salzburg), mainly through the Wittelsbach
and Habsburg families. Already in the beginning, Bavarians were closely
connected to their neighbours in Austria through linguistic, cultural
and political similarities, which also reflected on the cuisine.

A characteristic Bavarian cuisine was further developed

by both groups, with a distinct similarity
to Franconian and Swabian cuisine. A Bavarian speciality is
the Brotzeit, a savoury snack, which would originally be
eaten between breakfast and lunch.

Traditional dishes

Mnchner Weiwurst with a pretzel and sweet mustard.

Since the late 19th century, regional cuisine has developed in the
various states of the German nation, where the larger cities have

received special attention. In the cookbooks termed as "Bavarian" in the

19th century, both domestic, rural dishes and dishes inspired by French
cuisine were published. The cookbooks concentrated on dishes based on
flour and Kndel. For the regular people, even the people living in
cities, meat was usually only reserved for Sundays.
The 19th century cookbooks included many recipes for soups
containing Kndel. The meat recipes were mostly based on beef and veal,
where cooked beef was used for everyday meals. In the case of
pork,suckling pig played a great role. "The use of offal and the entire
slaughtered animal - especially the calf - from head to toe was a
special characteristic of the recipes collected in the Bavarian
cookbooks. Udders, tripe, calf head, calf hoofs, etc. have changed from
'poor man's dishes' to the prestigious 'Schmankerl' of the new Bavarian
regional cuisine. The prominence of head cheese, prepared both sweet
and sour, seems to also be a speciality of Bavarian cuisine."
Kndel and noodles were a traditional festive dish in Bavaria. In
the late 19th century, chopped pork with Kndel was a typical Bavarian
regional dish. The Munich Weiwurst was "invented" only in 1857. There
were few recipes for mixed vegetables in the cookbooks, and stews played
hardly any role, but the Pichelsteiner stew is said to be introduced
in Eastern Bavaria in 1847. In the 19th century, the vegetables that
most of the Bavarians usually ate were Sauerkraut and beets. Frenchinfluenced dishes included Ragouts, Fricassee and "Bfflamott" (Boeuf
la Mode), larded and marinated beef. This was mostly only reserved for
the nobility, but was later also adopted into the cuisine of ordinary
people.
A report from 1860 says: "A characteristic of the nurture of the
Upper Bavarian rural people is the overall prominence of flour, milk
and lard dishes with vegetables added and the diminished consumption of
meat dishes on the five most important festive days of the
year: Carnival, Easter, Pentecost, Kermesse and Christmas ".

Munich cuisine

Dampfnudeln.

The citizens of the state capital Munich differed somewhat from

the everyday cuisine of the rural people, especially by the greater
consumption of meat. In the city, more people could afford beef, and on
festival days, roast veal was preferred. From 1840 to 1841, with Munich
having a population of about 83,000 citizens, a total of 76,979 calves
were slaughtered, statically approximately one calf per citizen. The
number of slaughtered cows was about 20,000. Bratwursts of beef were
especially popular. In the 19th century, potatoes were also accepted as
a part of Bavarian cuisine, but they could still not replace the
popularity of Dampfnudel.
The typical meat-oriented Munich cuisine was not always accepted by
others. One author wrote about Munich in a 1907 publication: "The
'Munich cuisine' is based on the main concept of the 'eternal calf'. In
no other city in the world is so much veal consumed as in Munich Even
breakfast consists mainly of veal in all possible forms mostly sausages
and calf viscus! The dinner and evening meal consist only of all sorts
of veal. And still the Munich innkeepers speak of a 'substantial
selection of dishes' without realising that the one-sidedness of the
'Munich veal cuisine' cannot be surpassed any more!"

SPAIN
Castilla-Leon
Castilla-Len covers a huge area of the country and in fact is the
largest region of Spain. It is referred to sometimes as Old Castile. The two
kingdoms of Castilla and Len were united in the year 1230 and then waged war
against the Muslims who occupied the South of Spain, trying to reconquer Spain
for the Christians.
The western edge of Castilla-Len touches the border with Portugal. Extremadura,
Castilla la Mancha and Madrid to the south, Aragn and La Rioja to the east. To
the north, it is bordered by Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque
Country.
Provinces Included: Avila, Burgos, Len, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria,
Valladolid and Zamora . The cuisine does not change much from province to
province, except for Len and Salamanca.
Famous Dishes: Stews were common daily dishes in all households until very
recently. For centuries, this area relied on the chickpea (garbanzo bean) as one
of the basic foods of this region and it is the main ingredient of Castilian
stews. Stews also contained cabbage, morcilla (blood sausage) and meat. The
photo shows a store window in Burogs, selling traditional food products of the
region.
Along with stews, soups are popular, due to the long, cold winters in the
region. Learn to make one of the most popular and traditional soups, the Sopa
de Ajo or Castillian Garlic Soup.

Valencia
Valencia, one of Spains 17 Comunidades Autnomas, or autonomous communities
is located in eastern Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. To the north lies
Cataluna, to the northwest the region of Aragon, to the west the region of
Castilla-La Mancha and to the south, the region of Murcia. The Comunidad
Valenciana is made up of three provinces Castelln, Alicante and Valencia.
Valencians have their own language, Valenci, similar to Cataln, spoken in
neighboring Catalua.

History and Cultural Influences

Like the rest of Spain, Valencia was an important zone for many invaders
Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors and Visigoths. The capital
city is also called Valencia, founded by Romans in 138 B.C. as Valentia, meaning
strong or powerful. In the early part of the 8th century, the Moors arrived
in Valencia and governed the region for 500 years. Their influence is evident in
the areas culture and cuisine. The Moors introduced rice, sugarcane, oranges,
and almonds and advanced irrigation systems. Valencia was re-conquered by
Christians in the 15th century.

Gastronomic Overview
Although there is an incredibly diverse cuisine in Valencia, rice dominates the
regions menus. Rice dishes can be broken down into dry rice dishes,
like paella, and rice stews called arroz caldoso in Spanish, which are cooked in
traditional ceramic or metal dishes. Then, there are oven-baked rice dishes
like arroz al horno (arros al forn) and soft rice dishes made in earthenware
casseroles like arros amb costra with an egg crust.
Although Valencia is known for the high quality rice it grows and rice dishes,
such as the now world-famous paella, the traditional gastronomy of the region
has much more to offer. The coastal plains and the inland mountain areas have
two distinct cuisines. Fish, seafood and rice are the mainstays of the coastal
cuisine, whereas meat dishes including game, lamb and kid goat are common in the
mountain areas. Both mountain and coastal areas of Valencia can claim their
own ollas or stews that can include seafood, vegetables, beef, pork, lamb or
other meat, dried meat, bacon, beans and/or sausages.
Valencias cuisine can best be described by dividing it into provinces:
Castelln, Alicante and Valencia.

Cataluna
Catalua, one of Spains 17 Comunidades Autnomas, or autonomous communities
is located in the northeast corner of Spain, with miles of coastline on the
Mediterranean Sea. To the west lies the region of Aragon and to the south, the
Community of Valencia. Catalua, like other regions of Spain is made up of
several provinces - Girona, Barcelona, Lleida and Tarragona.
Catalua has some of the most sophisticated regional Spanish cuisine, perhaps
because of its location bordering France, as well as its Mediterranean

coastline. Its location has helped bring many cultural influences from Romans
and Arabs in ancient times, as well as from French and Italians in more recent
times. Its people are fiercely independent and have their own regional
language,Catalan.
Catalan Sauces
So, what is the regional cuisine of Catalua known for? Before we describe
Catalan dishes, there are four basic sauces that play an important role in the
regional cuisine of Catalua:

Samfaina
This is a sauce made from a mix of sauted tomatoes, peppers and eggplants,
also called aubergines. It is used in many different dishes, such as with cod

fishBacalao con Samfaina.Samfaina is a traditional Catalan sauce.

Sofrito
Sofrito is a basic Spanish tomato sauce containing tomatoes, garlic and

onions, as well as green peppers. These ingredients are sauted in olive oil
to make a mellow tomato sauce that is used as an ingredient in many dishes
and can be served as a side dish with eggs or rice. It is served all over
Spain and did not originate in Catalua, but is eaten there.
Picada

This is a very traditional Catalan sauce made from garlic, parsley, roasted
almonds and pine nuts. It is used as a base for other sauces for both fish
and meat.
Alioli
Alioli is a simple sauce made from olive oil, egg yolks and lots of garlic!
If youve ever made home-made mayonnaise, it might look familiar because
it is creamy mayonnaise with plenty of garlic added!

Traditional Dishes of Catalua

One dish that is very traditional in Catalua and is popular in Valencia as
well. Pan con Tomate is Tomato Bread. So simple, yet so delicious Make it by
cutting a fresh tomato in half and rubbing it on a slice of baguette, then
drizzling olive oil on the top and finishing with a touch of salt. Eat it plain
or top it with a slice of jamn Serrano or a piece of cheese orchorizo. Many
prepare Pan con Tomate for breakfast.
Another traditional Catalan dish, which is well known is escalivada, a side dish
typically eaten in warm summer months, which is made of roasted vegetables with
olive oil.

Catalua has a wide variety of rice dishes, as well as meat, poultry and fish.
To describe the dishes that Catalua is known for, lets review them by
province:

Girona
Girona has coastline on the Mediterranean, but also includes the Pyrenees
mountains. In the mountain area, poultry dishes are the most important and where
you find turkeys, geese, ducks and poulards. This area is famous for Christmas
Turkey, prepared with stuffing made of sausage, raisins and pine nuts. Game is
also popular and there are many traditional dishes made with rabbit, hare and
partridges.
This is also the area where you will find dishes that mix flavors of the sea
and mountain,mar i muntanya in Catalan. These dishes mix chicken, game or beef
with fish or seafood.

Barcelona
Barcelona is the capital city of Catalua, as well as the name of the province.
Barcelona has been well known for its cuisine for centuries. In fact, in the
19th century, its restaurants were said to be some of the best in Europe.

Escudella i carn dolla

The Catalan version of cocido or stew and is considered to be the

quintessential Catalan dish and contains a very long list of ingredients from
several kinds of beans, sausage, several meats, as well as vegetables.
The escudella i carn dolla has two courses, like thecocido madrileno. The
first is a thin noodle and rice soup and the second is meat and vegetables.
Fideos a la Cazuela

Noodles in a stoneware pot, served with items such as pork ribs, sausages,
ham andsofrito.
Habas a la Catalana
This dish is made with habas or broad beans, which are very popular in the
region are prepared with herbs and spices, mint and butifarra sausage.

Lleida
Cuisine from this
game and trout as
vegetables, bacon
turnips. Like the

area is earthy food from the mountains that includes meat,

main ingredients. Cassolada is a combination of potatoes,
fat and ribs. Another dish is girella, with lambs hooves with
rest of Catalua, rice is common in Lleida.

Tarragona
This area has a variety of dishes that are delicious, including rabbit with
garlic, fish and potatoes and cod fritters. However, rice dishes served with a
sauce. The most famous rice dish is arroz abanda, rice and several kinds of
fish, served with alioli and romesco sauces.
Desserts
Desserts in Catalua include Crema Catalana and natillas, a custard. There are a
variety of traditional cakes that are prepared, like so many other sweets,
coinciding with religious feast days, such as pa de pessic, coques, for St.
Johns Eve and panellets, eaten for All Saint's Day in November.
The Basque Country, or el Pais Vasco in Spanish, is one of Spains
17 Comunidades Autnomas, or autonomous communities. It is located in northern
Spain, bordering on France and the Cantabric Sea. To the south lies the region
of La Rioja, to the west Cantabria and Castilla y Leon, and to the east Navarra.
This mostly mountainous region includes the Basque Mountains, Cantabrian
Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains.
The Basque people are an ancient culture, pre-dating the Roman Empire and yet
historians still have many questions about their origins, as well as their
language Euskera. About's Guide to Geography provides a good overview of the
region and Europe's oldest surviving ethnic group in the article, Basque
Country, A Geographic and Anthropologic Enigma.

Basque Country
History of the Cuisine
Contrary to the current international reputation that the Basque cuisine
enjoys today, visitors to the Basque Country in the Middle Ages painted a
different picture. The people were poor. Meat and wheat were scarce, so they ate
millet, lentils, beans and fruit. Although the Basques had always fished along
the coast, it wasn't until the arrival of the Norse in the XI century, and
Christianity's dietary rules, that more fish started to be consumed, and the
fishing industry grew.

With the discovery of America, many Basques traveled to the new world,
escaping a life of scarcities and taking their cuisine with them. With the
transcontinental food exchange that took place, corn, peppers, beans, tomatoes
and potatoes were integrated into the Basque cuisine. In the XIX century the
Industrial Revolution helped raise the standard of living in the Basque Country.
The newly affluent Basque bourgeoisie hired French chefs, and in doing so
brought more French touches into their cuisine.
During the Franco regime, Basque cuisine became what some have called
"stale." However, after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, a new culinary
movement was born - the Nueva Cocina Vasca (New Basque Cuisine). Using
traditional ingredients, chefs created new and innovative dishes. Over the next
25 years, pioneering Spanish chefs began creating a new Spanish cuisine,
experimenting with new techniques, and the term "molecular gastronomy" was born.
Today the Basque Country and its' chefs continue to enjoy international acclaim
for their cooking.
Txokos, Gastronomic Societies
Txokos are a kind of male gastronomic society in the Basque Country.
According to Harald Kocker in the book Culinaria Spain, the first txoko was
founded in 1843 in San Sebastian. Members of these clubs meet regularly to
prepare meals together, eat, drink, relax and socialize. They usually have their
own place with a kitchen, bar and dining room. Although these societies were
exclusively for men, and women were only invited during certain celebrations,
women have gradually been accepted into many, but not all societies.

http://www.sociedadesgastronomicas.com/, Web Portal of the txokos and

Gastronomic Societies (in Spanish only)
Cuisines of the Three Basque Provinces
The three provinces of the Basque Country - lava, Guipzcoa and Vizcaya
have different cuisines. This is partly due to the geography of the Basque
Country, where there are distinct differences between the coastal and mountain
cuisines.
lava - is the southern-most province of Basque Country and has a cold
climate. Mountain ranges, large valleys and rivers run through lava, but it
does not have coastline. Because it is "land-locked", the people eat more beef,
veal and game, such as partridge and quail. They also enjoy perretxikos(a type
of mushroom), snails and various cheeses. Potatoes, beans and mushrooms from the
area are also well known for their quality.
Some specialties of lava are stuffed artichokes, patatas viudas potatoes dipped
in flour and fried, then served in sauce; Llodio black pudding, lightly seasoned
blood sausages made with vegetables and a small amount of rice, Goxua, a
liqueur-soaked cake with pastry cream and caramel sauce.

lava is also a wine-producing region. the Rioja Alavesa is a sub-area of the

famous Rioja wine region, and accounts for about 21% of the area of the Rioja
Qualified DO.
Vizcaya - ("Bizcaia" in Basque) has a milder climate and over 80 km of
coastline on the Cantabric Sea. It is called the "Capital of Bacalao" or salt
cod, which is a traditional staple and Vizcayans have hundreds of recipes
for bacalao. Plenty of fresh fish and seafood from the Cantabric Sea, such as
baby squid, sardines, anchovies, hake (merluza), sea bream (besugo) and clams is
enjoyed, as well as meats like veal and pork. Some of the outstanding dishes
from Vizcaya are:

REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cuisine
http://italianfood.about.com/library/weekly/blregional.
htmhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/germany.html
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/spanishregionalcuisines
/a/castillaleon.htm
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/spanishregionalcuisines
/a/valencia.htm
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/spanishregionalcuisines
/a/Basque-Country-Cuisine.htm

OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY

VALENZUELA CAMPUS
COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY AND INSTITUTIONAL
MANAGEMENT
WESTERN CUISINE

REGIONAL CUISINES

Submitted to:
Ms. Valdez
Submitted by:
Bryann Capili
sss