Gastronomy in Spain

Spain´s food is made with an interesting assortment of ingredients. Some ingredients are originally from Spain, while others were brought to the country by the different peoples who conquered it. Moors, for example, brought oranges, lemons, sugar and rice from their African homeland. Spanish explorers brought chocolate, potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes back with them from conquered territories overseas.

The hot weather in Spain forces many people to stay inside and rest for part of the day. This means that they stay up later at night. Over the course of their long day, Spaniards typically eat five times, instead of three meals. A hearty lunch is often the main meal.

Gastronomy in Spain.

Gastronomy in Poland

Common soups in the country are barszcz (beetroot soup), chłodnik (cold soup made of young beet leaves, soured milk, cucumbers beets and chopped fresh dill), czernina (duck blood soup), grochówka (pea soup), kapuśniak ( sour cabbage soup), zupa grzybowa (mushroom soup made of diverse species of mushroom), zupa szczawiowa (sorrel soup) and żur (fermented rye flour soup with hard-boiled egg and/or white sausage).

Some of the main dishes are mizeria (sliced cucumbers and sour cream), kaszanka ( Polish Blood Sausage), kasza gryczana ze skwarkami (buckwheat cereal with chopped, onions and fried lard), kaczka z jabłkami (roast duck with apples), kotlet schabowy (a breaded pork chop), pierogi (dumplings, commonly filled with sauerkraut and/or meats, mushrooms, potato and/or sweet curd cheese, savory cheese, with blueberries or vanilla), placki kartoflane/ziemniaczane (potato pancakes ordinarily served with sour cream), and sztuka mięsa (a meat dish alike to the Austrian Tafelspitz or Bavarian Tellerfleisch).

The traditional desserts in Poland are budyń (pudding, ordinarily comes in numerous different flavors, such as chocolate, sweet cream and even cherry), faworki/chrusty (light fried pastry wrapped up with powdered sugar), kisiel (jelly-like fruit liquid), makowiec (poppy seed cake), pańska skórka (variety of hard Taffy), and Sernik (cheesecake, chiefly made of twaróg, kind of fresh cheese).

Gastronomy in TurkeyTurkish cuisine is world renowned. Restaurants work hard to preserve the

centuries-old legacy of delicious recipes made with fresh ingredients and a variety of exotic spices. Waiters will help you choose what to eat and regional specialties abound.

Turkish cuisine was popularized by the Ottoman empire in Eastern Europe and throughout the Middle East and many common recipes reveal Turkish influences, including yogurt salads, fish in olive oil, stuffed vegetables and vine leaves, and syrupy filo dough desserts. Newly baked bread is a staple and lamb and chicken are the main meats. Pork is forbidden by Islam and hence not common. Seasonal vegetables and fruits, including eggplants, peaches, figs, olives, dried apricots, as well as all kinds of nuts are very popular. Pilafs (flavoured, spiced rice), prizolla (thin cut lamb chops which are seasoned with sumac, thyme, and quickly grilled), sucuk (a spicy sausage), pastirma (sun dried, cumin-fenugreek coated, preserved beef), shish kebabs (roasted meat on skewers) and milk puddings are specialties of the region.

The traditional Turkish drink is Raki, an alcoholic drink made from different fruits. Raki is usually drunk with cold dishes like tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and seafood. Ayran, a yoghurt drink made by diluting yogurt with water, is also very refreshing.

Both coffee and tea (or chai)play an integral role in Turkey’s social life. Tea and coffee houses are social hubs where news and gossip are exchanged. Turks prepare tea using a double tea pot and drink it in clear, tulip-shaped glasses. Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called cezve.

Gastronomy in Italy

Italian cuisine is renowned for its exquisite flavours and fascinating variety. It reflects the cultural variety of its regions and there are many influences—Greek , Roman, Gaul, Germanic, Goth, Norman, Lombard, Frank, Turkish, Hebrew, Slavic, Arab and Chinese—in the simmering pot.

From the rich and creamy dishes of the north to the hot and spicy specialties of the south, Italian cuisine has tastes and flavors that appeal to a wide variety of people and many dishes are considered delicacies across the world. Italian pasta in its many forms, pesto sauce and risottos are popular. As are many kinds of cheese—parmesan, mozzarella, parmigiano. Desserts include cassata, cannoli, zabaglione, granita and marzipan. Vegetables, meat and seafood all find equal importance in Italian food. Veal is the most commonly used meat.

There’s no dearth of beverages either. Italian wines are world renowned and forms of Italian coffee like the espresso, cappuccino and macchiato define the tastes of coffee connoisseurs everywhere.

Gastronomy in Romania

Romanian cuisine is greatly influenced by Balkan cooking, as well as dishes from neighboring countries like Germany, Hungary and Serbia. The Turks brought meatballs, the Greeks there is musaca, from the Bulgarians a wide selection of vegetable dishes, and the Austrians brought in the şniţel. One of the most common dishes is the mămăligăa, a cornmeal mush and known as the poor man’s dish. Pork is widely used in Romanian cuisine; beef, lamb and fish dishes are also popular. For more than 2 millennia, wine has been the favorite drink among the Romanians. The country is the 9th biggest producer of wine in the world.

Other Romanian dishes include caltaboşi (rice pudding with chitterlings), dovlecei umpluti (stuffed squash), drob (lamb tripe cooked with green herbs like bunch onion, dock), varză călită (steam cabbage with pork ribs or sausage or duck), chiftele (large meatballs covered with breadcrumbs or flour crust), and tobă (sausage stuffed with pork jelly and skin). Salads are also part of a typical Romanian dish. Popular salads are murături (pickled cucumbers, green tomatoes, cauliflower), salată de boeuf (boiled and minced vegetables, meat), ardei copti (roasted peppers), salată de macaroane (pasta salad), and salată de cartofi (potato salad).

Famous desserts in the country include baklava, cozonac (pound cake), papanaşi, chec (coffee cake), mucenici (8-shaped sweet cookies), şarlotă (custard made of gelatin, fruits, lady fingers and whipped cream), gogoşi (doughnuts), covrigi (pretzels), and halva.

There are five countries that participated in the Comenius Project, with different cultures, religions, currencies, languages , lifestyles, customs ... and the important thing we have to do all is to be tolerant of each other.