The diverse cuisine in Europe attracts foodies from all over the world. These cities are a real Mecca for foodies. Good Appetite!
Europe not only has sights and beautiful places to offer, but also a diverse food culture. Whether the cheese in France, the wine in Italy or the creative breads in Denmark – there are some culinary hotspots that attract foodies from all over the world. If you are planning your next gourmet trip, you cannot avoid these goals.
Florence: regional and opulent
Italy is a classic when it comes to cuisine. Pizza, pasta and good olive oil are known worldwide and inspire lovers of good cuisine. The city of Florence is considered to be the gourmet stronghold in Tuscany. Here, the focus is on fresh and seasonal products. Instead of a lot of chichi, there is a down-to-earth and rustic kitchen. Pasta, however, plays a rather subordinate role.
Instead, there are many dishes made with white beans – like the ribollita. A vegetable soup thickened with old slices of bread. Another common ingredient: sweet chestnuts. Castagnaccio is particularly tasty. It's a simple cake made with chestnut flour. Rosemary and pine nuts refine the filling.
Tuscan sausage and cheese specialties are particularly popular – such as the spicy pecorino sheep cheese, which is often served as a starter with saltless bread (Pane Sciocco). The fact that no salt is used in baking bread goes back to a dispute between Florence and Pisa. In the 12th century, Pisa no longer supplied salt to the region – since then the Florentines have mostly done without it when baking bread.
A specialty of the city: grilled T-bone steak – called bistecca alla fiorentina. The meat from Chianina beef is usually three to four centimeters thick and is grilled over charcoal. Purists just sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the good piece. Sometimes a few drops of olive oil end up on the steak. Speaking of olive oil: In Tuscany, the varieties Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio and Pendolino are mainly grown. The climate and the nature of the soil are ideal. Tuscan olive oil is of particularly high quality and is in great demand with connoisseurs.
Once in Florence, food lovers should definitely attend a cooking class and let a Nonna teach them how to make pasta! The square tortelli di patate, which are filled with potatoes and cheese, can also be made at home. Traditionally, the dumplings are served with a meat sauce. A wonderful Tuscan wine goes well with it, like a full-bodied Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino.
Copenhagen: gourmet capital in the north
Copenhagen has long been considered a Mecca for food lovers. Danish cuisine is known for not only being seasonal, but for using only products from the region. The main meal is dinner, which is called "middag". In contrast to southern countries, where people like to eat after sunset, the people of Copenhagen sit down at the dinner table by 7 p.m. at the latest.
Smørrebrød is an absolute specialty. It is a sandwich. It is traditionally served for lunch in Denmark. However, this sandwich has nothing in common with German bread and butter. Because the Danes create a small work of art from a slice of bread, mostly rye bread. The variants with herring or salmon are particularly popular. But crabs, cheese, sausage or caviar are also often used. How to eat all of that? Definitely with a knife and fork.
Fun fact: The person who is responsible for preparing the traditional dish is called "Smørrebrødsjomfru" (in English: "Butterbrot-Jungfrau"). If you want to enjoy the artful sandwiches at home: In Copenhagen some restaurants offer courses to learn the smørrebrød handicraft.
Anyone interested in gourmet cuisine will also find what they are looking for in Copenhagen. There are more Michelin stars here than in any other Scandinavian city. The restaurant "Noma", by top chef René Redzepi (42), has received several awards as the "best restaurant in the world" and is considered a culinary revelation. However, it has its price. A menu can easily cost 355 euros per person. Those on a tight budget can try one of the many hot dog stands. The "Pølsevogn" are on every street corner. In Denmark, the sausage is best eaten with mustard, tartar sauce, ketchup, pickled cucumbers and fried onions.
Another national dish are meatballs ("frikadeller"), which are made from pork or veal. The crispy balls are served with potatoes, pickles, pickled beetroot and a brown sauce. But the Danes can also be sweet: for those with a sweet tooth, the cinnamon rolls, also known as "Kanelsnurrer", are recommended. Red grits with cream is also a popular dessert in the Nordic region.
Lyon: Hearty cuisine in the French pleasure mecca
Lyon is just a two-hour train ride from Paris and is known as the culinary capital of France. The city has the highest density of restaurants in the country. There are over 2,000 restaurants in the capital of the Rhône-Alpes department. Small, traditional shops – called bouchons – line up with exquisite starred restaurants. There are no fewer than 20 restaurants with Michelin stars in Lyon. Paul Bocuse (1926-2018), who is considered one of the best chefs of the 20th century, is considered the most important representative of Lyon cuisine.
The kitchen in Lyon is characterized by its simplicity and sophistication. Due to the proximity to the Alps, there are some dishes with freshwater fish that are native to the clear mountain rivers. In addition to pike, char and eel, trout are also at the top of the menu. But cheese is also often and happily on the plate in Lyon – like almost everywhere in France. The village of Saint-Marcellin, where the cheese of the same name is made, is located near the city of 500,000. It has a mild taste and is used in sauces.
In the bouchons you will find traditional cuisine that focuses primarily on regional specialties. In addition to duck pie and roast pork, there is quenelle. These are fish dumplings, mostly made from pike. The classic French cuisine, Coq au Vin, is also often served in the small restaurants. Also very popular: offal. Breaded tripe, which is cooked in broth and marinated in white wine, is an absolute delight for the residents of Lyon. Wine from the surrounding regions of Beaujolais or the Côtes du Rhône is served with the meal.
Those who are up for sweet sins will also get their money's worth in Lyon. Bugnes are donuts fried in fat. The specialty is usually eaten during Carnival time. They are flat, golden brown, and made from flour, eggs, butter, and sugar. The praline rose are not only beautiful, but also delicious. It is a candy that consists of a sugar-coated, roasted almond and is colored pink.