National Cuisines of the World

Armenian cuisine is one of the oldest national cuisines in Asia and Caucasus. It was formed many years ago, about 1000 B.C., and since that time hasn’t virtually changed. The most peculiar features of Armenian cuisine are devotion to tradition and succession, which are displayed in the usage of ancient kitchen utensils, technology of making dishes and in preserving the taste range and types of favorite dishes.

Long since Moldavia has been closely connected with Ancient Greece and Bythantine, and it couldn’t but affect its national cuisine. A number of Greek dishes successfully entered Moldavian cuisine, besides Moldavians themselves adopted and mastered the methods of Mediterranean cuisines — the preference of oily and flaky paste, wide usage of olive oil, adding dry wine to vegetable and meat dishes. The Tatar yoke had an enormous influence on the process of forming of Moldavian national cuisine, it gave birth to the names of many dishes and the usage of mutton.

Traditions and peculiar features of Romanian cuisine were reasoned by the geographical position of the country, which was situated on the famous and important trade way “from Varangs to Greeks”. So there is no wonder that besides original dishes from maize flour, there appeared in Romanian cuisine some Greek and Turkish dishes. Romanian cuisine is the opulence of vegetables and fruits, spices and piquant seasonings. It is characteristic for this cuisine to be rich in dishes made of brynza, because due to the high level of development of sheep-breeding brynza was very popular and could be found practically on every family dinner table. It was cooked from sheep milk, which was kept in prickle for 10 or 15 days. Another Romanian sheep-milk cheese — cashcaval – is not less popular.

In spite of the fact that Sicily and Italy are closely connected (as Sicily is a part of Italy), their cuisines are completely different. Orange and olive trees, grapevines and artichokes became the symbols of Sicily. The local cuisine combines culinary traditions of different nations: vine and pancakes came from Greece, sweet pepper — from Spain, spices and rise — from the Arabs.

Chinese cuisine is like a philosophy on a plate: as they suppose, self management has a lot in common with making a dish of small fish, because both processes require the same attention and concentration. If you are a Chinese cuisine fan this article is right for you.

The core of traditional Finnish Cuisine may be illustrated by a quotation from a novel by Finnish writer Pitari Peverinta. “We don’t like butter, though we have plenty of it. But we like fish, especially cooked like this,” said the hostess, serving a plate with disemboweled Baltic sprats, seasoned with vinegar and finely chopped onions. “We don’t like meat either,” said Laarila, stuffing her mouth with sprats and bread. “But meat can’t be even compared with fish, that’s why we haven’t served it. This fish is much better than any meat or butter.”

Mongolian Cuisine

For quite a long period of time there have been circulating horrible rumors concerning Mongolian dishes. Allegedly they ate everything they could chew. Pope of Rome’s ambassador Plano Carpini, who visited Mongolia in the middle of the 13th century, wrote that Mongolians ate dogs, wolves, foxes, horses and even humans. The latter was attested by Marco Polo too. Surely most of the things considered in those years to be dainties cause no affection nowadays. Moreover, they seem disgusting. Why should one, for example, try and catch steppe mice if he has enough beef and mutton?

For about three hundred years Tunisia was under the reign of France. Hence the mixture of traditions in Tunisian cuisine and its diversity come. It’s truly orientally piquant and pungent but at the same time it reflects French delicacy and refinement.

Traditional Swedish dishes are echoes of poor life and fresh products lack of the past. That’s why simple products such as pork, herring, potato and root-crops are permanents ingredients of many classical Swedish dishes. Long boiling and intensive frying that can provide long storing of the products are some of basic principles of traditional Swedish cookery.

The Thais are very proud of their national dishes and are very hospitable. They are friendly — that’s why Thailand is called the Country of Thousand Smiles. The word “Thai” is translated as “free” so Thailand cuisine is a real cuisine of Freedom. Here you can start with any course — even with desert. And nobody would look aslant! Change of courses is rather free, as a rule all the dishes are served simaltaneously. Soup is the only obligatory course.

Robert Graves, a famous English poet, called Hungary “a big small country”. The national Hungarian cuisine is reputed one of the best cuisines in the world — it goes after France and Italy. “A great range of products, their piquancy and freshness turn Hungary into the Country of Taste and Scent,” — wrote one of the French travelers only two hundred years ago.

Traditions, as well as Central Asian dishes recipes, have been observed and remained for centuries. If you don’t know Asian culture code and are mistaken accidentally it may lead to confusion; moreover, the out of place conduct can offend the hospitable owner. It is the observance of Asian customs that endows its cuisine with sophistication and attractiveness.