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Introduction to Regional Cuisines

Introduction to key ingredients, spices, and cooking techniques

Welcome to the CookEU training

This training is designed to help you learn how to cook delicious and healthy dishesfrom different European cuisines. You will discover the history, culture andingredients of various regions, and practice your skills in preparing and presentingmouth-watering recipes.

In this module, you will learn about the key ingredients, spices, and cookingtechniques that are essential for preparing dishes from the cuisines of Hungary,Serbia, Slovakia, and Romania. You will discover how to use these elements tocreate flavors, textures, and aromas that are characteristic of each cuisine.

We hope you enjoy this training and have fun learning new things. Let’s get started!

Key ingredients for Hungarian cooking

Hungarian cuisine is mostly continental Central European, with some elements fromEastern Europe such as the use of poppy, and the popularity of kefir and quark.Paprika is often associated with Hungary and is used prominently in several dishes.Some of the key ingredients for Hungarian cooking are:

Characteristic Hungarian raw materials

Paprika

Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground peppers. It can be sweet orhot, and it gives a distinctive color and flavor to many Hungarian dishes. Paprika isused to season meats, soups, stews, sauces, and vegetables. Some of the famousdishes that use paprika are gulyás (goulash), paprikás csirke (chicken paprikash),and halászlé (fisherman’s soup).

Sour cream

Sour cream is a dairy product that is made by fermenting cream withbacteria. It has a tangy taste and a creamy texture. Sour cream is often added toHungarian dishes to balance the spiciness of paprika and to create a rich sauce.Some of the dishes that use sour cream are töltött paprika (stuffed peppers), lángos(deep-fried bread), and túrós csusza (noodles with cheese and bacon)

Cabbage

Cabbage is a leafy vegetable that can be green, white, or red. It is high invitamin C and fiber. Cabbage is often cooked or pickled in Hungarian cuisine. It canbe stuffed with meat and rice, shredded into salads or soups, or fermented intosauerkraut. Some of the dishes that use cabbage are sárga bableves (yellow beansoup), káposztás tészta (cabbage noodles), and töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbagerolls).

Key spices for Serbian cooking

Serbian cuisine is influenced by the cuisines of the Balkans, Mediterranean, CentralEurope, and Ottoman Empire. It is rich in meat, especially pork, lamb, and beef.Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt are also widely consumed. Some of thekey spices for Serbian cooking are

Characteristic Serbian raw materials

Paprika

Black pepper

Black pepper is a spice made from the dried berries of the Pipernigrum plant. It has a pungent and spicy taste that adds heat and aroma to manydishes. Black pepper is used to season meats, salads, soups, sauces, and cheese.Some of the dishes that use black pepper are gibanica (cheese pie), kajmak (clottedcream), karadjordjeva šnicla (breaded pork steak), and podvarak (roast meat withsauerkraut)

Garlic

Garlic is a bulbous plant that belongs to the onion family. It has a strongand pungent flavor that enhances many dishes. Garlic is used to flavor meats, soups,stews, sauces, and breads. Some of the dishes that use garlic are prebranac (bakedbeans), čorba (sour soup), pasulj (bean soup), and lepinja (flatbread)

To learn more about Serbian spices, read this

After reading the article, answer these questions:

– What are some of the other spices that are sometimes used in Serbian cuisine?

– How do you make ajvar, a red pepper relish that is popular in Serbia?

– What are some of the health benefits of garlic?

Romanian cuisine is influenced by the cuisines of the neighboring countries such asBulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Turkey, and Greece. It is also based on meat, especiallypork, vegetables, cheese, eggs, and cereals. Some of the famous dishes are sarmale(stuffed cabbage or vine leaves), mămăligă (polenta), mititei (grilled minced meatrolls), ciorbă (sour soup), and cozonac (sweet bread)

Key cooking techniques for Slovakian and Romanian cuisines

Slovakian cuisine is similar to other Central European cuisines, with a stronginfluence from Hungarian and Austrian cuisines. It is based on wheat, potatoes,milk, cheese, pork, poultry, cabbage, onions, and garlic. Some of the traditionaldishes are bryndzové halušky (potato dumplings with sheep cheese), kapustnica(cabbage soup), zemiakové placky (potato pancakes), and trdelník (spiral cake).

Some of the key cooking techniques for Slovakian and Romanian cuisines are

Dumpling

Dumpling is a technique of making small balls of dough that arecooked in boiling water or broth. They can be made from wheat flour or potatoes,and can be filled with cheese or meat. Dumplings are often served with soups orstews. Some of the dishes that use dumplings are bryndzové halušky (potatodumplings with sheep cheese) in Slovakia and colțunași (dumplings with variousfillings) in Romania.

Baking

Baking is a technique of cooking food in an oven using dry heat. It can beused for making breads, cakes, pies, pastries, casseroles, and roasts. Baking is oftenused for making desserts or festive dishes. Some of the dishes that use baking aretrdelník (spiral cake) in Slovakia and cozonac (sweet bread) in Romania.

Grilling

rilling is a technique of cooking food over direct heat, usually fromcharcoal or gas. It can be used for making meats, vegetables, cheese, and breads.Grilling is often used for making quick and easy dishes or street food. Some of thedishes that use grilling are pljeskavica (Serbian burger) in Slovakia and mititei(grilled minced meat rolls) in Romania.

To learn more about Slovakian and Romanian cooking techniques, watch thesevideos:

After watching the videos, answer these questions

-What are some of the common tools and equipment used
in Slovakian andRomanian kitchens?

– How do you make kapustnica, a cabbage soup that is popular in Slovakia?

– How do you make ciorbă, a sour soup that is popular in Romania?