Chapter 2

EASTERN EUROPE

OBJECTIVES:
To Identify the different influences of Eastern European Cuisine
Understand the evolution of modern culinary techniques Eastern European Cuisine
Classify the eating habits authenticity of Eastern European cuisine
Recognize the factor of diet that reflect on climate.

INTRODUCTION
The Eastern European countries lie east of Germany, Austria, and Italy. Some of these
countries include Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Romania,
Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the part of Russia that lies in Europe. The major
ethnic groups of this region include Slavic peoples, who are thought to be indigenous to the
area of Poland; Turkish peoples, who are believed mostly to be descendants of Ottoman
peoples, Romani peoples, who are believed to have migrated to this region from northern
India.

Eastern Europe covers a vast area and includes many different climatic and agricultural
regions. The vast plains of Poland are seasonal, with a temperate climate suited to producing
many of the agricultural products such as potatoes, cabbage, parsnips, cucumbers, and beets.
In the southernmost section of Eastern Europe are Countries that lie on the Mediterranean
Sea, sharing some culinary traditions as their neighbors.

Because the area that covers Eastern Europe is so large, the cuisines of northern and southern
parts of Eastern Europe are very different. Because of the longer winters and shorter growing
seasons, the cuisine of the northern part of Eastern Europe has limited sources. Butter, sour
cream, sausages, and preserved vegetable are part of the cuisine of the north. Hearty dishes,
stews, soups, and a heavy reliance on grain products can also be seen in the cuisine of the
north. These types of dishes provide the sustenance needed in the colder and harsher
environment. In contrast, the southern part of Eastern Europe, like the other Mediterranean
food items, has a heavier emphasis on fresh vegetables, herbs, and the use of olive oil as
cooking fat.
POLAND
The diversity that characterizes the Polish Cuisine takes us back to a long and tumultuous
history of Poland. The Slavic background of the modern Polish cuisine was elegantly mixed
and balanced with foreign influences. The famous pierogi (dumplings) are representative for
Poland and its culinary tradition. This cuisine uses a large variety of ingredients, ranging
from meat products to noodles and herbs. As with most cuisines in the central and eastern
European areas, cereals are at the basis of the Polish diet.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The history of Polish cuisine was also influenced by Greek, Russian, French, German
cuisines. In some regions also Spanish and Dutch influences dating back to Middle Ages can
be found. Even if beer and vodka are commonly thought to be the most popular beverages,
Spanish and French wines were commonly imported from Renaissance on. Apart from beer,
meed (honey-based beverage) has been traditionally the most common drink and this feature
of Polish cuisine is shared with Scandinavian and Germanic cuisines. There is also an
extremely rich tradition of preparing various fruit cordials in Poland. They include cherry
cordials, cordials based on different types of berries and even acorn cordial.

Polish kings also brought numerous cooks from various countries to organize feasts and
banquets. The cooking style of these foreign chefs was adopted in several areas of Poland.
Italian and French influences were noticeable starting from 1518 when queen Bona Sforza,
the 2nd wife of Sigismund I The Old of Poland introduced foreign chefs to the Polish cuisine.
Gradually maize and Wheat were replaced by potatoes as one of the main elements of the
Polish diet and coffee became popular because of the numerous interactions with the
Byzantine Empire.

COOKING TECHNIQUES
Polish cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors
and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique
preparation methods for Polish cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is
important in the Polish cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential
either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals
found in Poland is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to the Polish cuisine. The
visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and
proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is general
in all of Poland’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Polish dishes and cured
and smoked hams, poultry, Pork and Beef fillets, and bacons are often parts of delicious
dishes.
UNIQUENESS OF POLISH CUISINE
Most Polish dishes don’t require you to purchase any special tools. However, having a coffee
grinder helps with roasting and grinding spices and maximizes their volatile oils, which, in
turn, provides your food with more flavor. Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders,
egg rings, poachers and holders, portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen
utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories, the Polish cuisine
needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Polish
dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full
set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items
that will come handy while cooking Polish food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers,
kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing
bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks,
turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking “arsenal”.

Polish dishes
Pierogi ruskie- This sumptuous dish is basically semicircular dough-covered dumplings with
onion and potato inside. They are often topped with onion and pork crackling, with a side of
smietana (sour cream). Try it once, and you’ll never forget it.

Gołąbki – With a delicious flavour and a sensational aroma right from the first burst of a
gołąbki, these cabbage rolls are easy to devour and fall in love with.

Bigos sometimes referred to as ‘Hunter’s Stew’, is a hearty, meaty dish and the epitome of
Polish nourishment. Bigos is a dish made of chopped meat that is stewed before sauerkraut
and shredded fresh cabbage are added. It is often served in a large dish for sharing as a starter.

Grillowany oscypek- Cheese lovers need to delve into this pure culinary delight. Oscypek is a
cheese made from sheep’s milk, and is delicious eaten cold or cooked.
Tatar wołowy/ Befsztyk tatarski- the Polish version of what is sometimes referred to as steak
tartare, is something that is hard to get abroad. It’s the pure Polish beef from well-reared
cattle It’s the ogorki (gherkins) that accompany it. It’s the Polish bread you eat it on.
Naleśniki- We are not done with flour: naleśniki, or Polish crêpes, is one of the simplest flour.
Based dishes to make and for many exemplify the most enticing flavours of childhood.
Naleśnikarnie – the Polish equivalent of crêpe – you can eat them with all sorts of fillings,
from bacon and egg to salmon and cream cheese, and from bolognese-style sauce to spinach
and cream.
Żurek- is a Slavic soup that can be found in Eastern European countries, but the Polish
version – made from rye, kiełbasa (Polish sausage) and ham

SLOVENIA
Slovenian history explains best all the influences in the Slovenian culinary methods. This
country is adjacent to, as well as once part of Italy, hence all the pastas and pastries and even
pizza. Part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the cuisine slightly has a Hungarian
influence, too, especially in the paprikas and Pork and Beef meat dishes. The Germanic
influence can be seen in the heavier meat and game-based dishes like venison and boar.

The Balkan cooking style has its own representation in the Slovenian space, as demonstrated
be the many grilled foods. An important fact when discussing the Slovenian cuisine is the fact
that it rarely used imported products, such as exotic fruit like lemons and cereals that don’t
grow in the country.

Slovenia has not been able to produce all of its cereal needs due to the lack of suitable arable
land (much being alpine, forest or marshland), so wheat, corn and grain for animal fodder
must be imported. Traditional Slovenian restaurants known as Gostilnas serve meals with all
these neighboring influences. Regarding beverages, the Austrians and Hungarians
“borrowed” the Slovenians the pivo beer, popularly served with all kind of dishes. Because
Slovenia also has a bit of a sea coast, it affords excellent seafood, including shellfish and the
Adriatic bluefish. Slovenians seem to be very hospitable people and don’t take no for an
answer when offering a visitor some food.

The most important meal of the day is eaten in the early afternoon and only rarely late in the
evening. Soup is the classic first course. Sometimes up to 8 courses are served during a
family reunion or celebration. It is normal and expected to share the salad bowl with the
neighbors at the table, as Slovenians are very friendly in all occasions. Using your own fork
to pick up food is also a custom, as their eating habits are rather casual.

COOKING TECHNIQUES
Very often Slovenian preparation, such in the case of all meats with sauces, there are 3
different recipes to follow and a basic one that unites the other 3: sauce, topping and meat are
cooked separately and then baked once again. The same thing is done with the pastas, which
are often cooked at home with eggs, milk and flour, then the topping is made out of Beef,
sausages and vegetables and then there is a special sauce that gathers them all.
The filling in all desserts, made of apples or other fruit is precooked, too and sometimes let to
get cold, which requires an extra amount of time. Cooking home bread, from making the
flour till the final product is a long process, which includes devotion and appreciation of
national values. Before any holiday, the preparations are intense, as women prepare around 6
courses for the Sunday meals or the Sunday Easter and Christmas dinner.

Slovenians prepare a special cake called paskha, also eaten in Russia; this is made of cheese
and raisins and has the shape of a pyramid and the inscription of the letter XB, meaning
Christ has risen. The kulich is also popular, along with babka and a wide range of biscuits,
flavored with orange, lemon, cinnamon, poppy seeds and almonds.

Potica, a Christmas favorite, is the practically the national cake, consisting of a sweet yeast
bread dough rolled around a walnut, poppy-seed, or other filling. It is also served in Croatia
and Slovakia on both Christmas and Easter. On Easter Sunday, meat is consumed with
abundance: roast Veal, suckling pig, meat as a stuffing in the cabbage rolls, meatballs, and
sausages; the eggs are not missing from the Easter Sunday either. On Christmas, Slovenians
also eat a lot of cookies, like the Christmas fruit bars, made with a lot of butter, chopped dates
and walnuts and candied fruit and the Slovenian Christmas cookies, like kolaki with apricot
jam or jelly, ground nuts, walnuts and lemon flavoring. On Saint Martin’s Day, on November
11, the grape juice officially becomes wine, changing from must to vino. The same day,
mlinci (dough with roasted Goose) and gibanica (dessert) are eaten.

Meat soup was required at Sunday lunch and was made mostly from pork or sometimes only
from bones. Glavinova zupa was made from the pig head. For holidays and for the sick, the
housewife cooked chicken soup, which was considered the tastiest and most healthy soup of
all. With the holiday soup, rice or homemade noodles were served, along with cut up chicken
or egg.

UNIQUENESS OF SLOVENIAN
Famous dishes are the sweet žganci, made with honey, the traditional Pork meatballs and the
žlikrofi, similar to Italian pasta, but with added fruit. In the center of the country there is
Notranjska and on the coast there is Primorska. These 2 regions have similar dishes, like the
meat soups (jota with vegetables and Pork) and the pastas (fižol with prsut or olives and
bread). The fish dishes are also popular, both as main course and as soup (brodet fish soup).

In Stajerska and Prekmurje, the traditional meals are called na žlico (spoon), defining a range
of soups: sour, soup, potatoes soup, bržole or bograč. On Sundays, Slovenians from these
regions eat Turkey with mlinci or smoked Ham in pastry with jelly, served with white and red
wine.

In Gorjenska, the most famous soups are the browned soup with eggs and the vegetable hot-
pot and in Dolenjska, the potatoes polenta and the matevž are the most eaten meals. In
Dolenjska and Bela Krajina people also eat grilled or roasted meat and vegetables, instead of
bread and beans as bean rolls or cured Pork with mashed beans or stew are also very typical
and a favorite Slovenian dish, many times cooked with pork bones, ribs, sausage or another
type of meat.

The main dish often includes meat. A favorite side dish is roasted potatoes “pražen krompir”,
but also rice or “štruklji” (boiled/baked dough rolls containing various fillings). The
interesting thing about “štruklji” is that they can be served as a dessert as well. A salad is also
an important part of lunch with pumpkin seed or olive oil as a dressing. In early springtime is
highly appreciated a dandelion (wild lettuce) salad. Also, other vegetables are used in various
ways.

Very common is cabbage, used as sauerkraut (many times accompanied by sausage and/or
roasted potatoes), sweet-and-sour cabbage, and raw cabbage salad. Bread is often served on
the side.

Krof or Slovenian fried dough is fluffy round fried dough bun filled with apricot jam,
traditionally made for carnival time.

Potica is a national dessert, yeast-dough roll cake with a variety of filling options (tarragon,
walnut, crackling and poppy seeds). Potica is a typical Slovenian easter food. It is also
common to put it on Slovenian tables at Christmas and other holidays

Golaž could be made from sausages, salami, prosciutto, liver, lungs, sheep, wild game, and
rabbits. Most golaž was prepared according to a general recipe; it contained meat (usually
pork), lard, onion, garlic, sweet and hot paprika, wine, flour, salt and cumin seed (Bogataj,
2008).

Bograč, a variation of Golaž, is a stew using beef, pork, bacon with potatoes, onions and
garlic, flavored with caraway and sweet paprika, and comes from the Prekmurje region of
Slovenia, bordering on Hungary.
HUNGARY
Bread is perhaps the most important and basic part of the Hungarian diet. It is eaten at all
meals, accompanying main dishes. Before the fall of communism in 1990, white bread was a
staple food. Numerous other types of baked goods, such as buns and pastries both salty and
sweet, often creatively filled, have proliferated in recent years.

Main dishes may “require” a side dish or not. It is unusual to violate this convention. The side
dish is most commonly potato in various styles, but rice or steamed vegetables are also
popular. Some foods have a customary side dish for example csirkepaprikás ‘paprika chicken’
is almost always eaten with noodles, while others may take any side dish. Some dishes also
have toppings or bread on the side considered almost mandatory, for example the sour cream
and bread with töltött káposzta ‘stuffed cabbage’.

At the turn of the last century excellent Hungarian chefs laid the foundations of today’s
Hungarian cuisine. They artfully adjusted our gastronomy to the French gastronomy without
losing the uniqueness of traditional Hungarian cooking. By the beginning of the 20th century
Hungary’s cuisine was internationally renowned. In recent years restaurant chefs are trying to
alter Hungarian cuisine to be healthier, low in calories, but still rich in vitamins while
preserving authentic Hungarian flavors.

COOKING TECHNIQUES
There are two elements of Hungarian cuisine that impress foreigners are the various
vegetable stews called főzelék as well as cold fruit soups, such as cold sour cherry soup
(Hungarian: hideg meggyleves).
Hungarian cuisine uses a large variety of cheeses, but the most common are túró (a type of
crumbly quark), cream cheeses, picante ewe-cheese (juhtúró), the most common Hungarian
cheeses like Karaván, Pannonia cheese, Pálpusztai, Emmentaler, Edam and Trappista.
There are many smoked pork products. Many dishes get their character from the smoky taste
of one or more of these ingredients. A variety of Hungarian smoked sausages, smoked ham,
and smoked lard are also consumed without further preparation. These are accompanied with
bread and fresh vegetables, are often called 'cold dish', and mainly consumed for breakfast or
dinner, but sometimes offered as starter in restaurants.
Pickled vegetables are often used. The most common is savanyú káposzta (lit: sour-cabbage,
sauerkraut) and soured peppers, gherkins, but a mix of cauliflower, green tomatoes, baby
water melon, and other vegetables is also frequent. These are traditionally consumed in the
winter and often were the main source of vitamin-C throughout the cold months of winter.
Some seasonal, hearty dishes such as töltött káposzta, húsos káposzta and korhelyleves are
based on savanyú káposzta. Classic Hungarian restaurants often offer some variations as side
dish, a refreshing complement to heavy
dishes.
UNIQUENESS OF HUNGARIAN CUISINE
Hungarian food uses selected spices judiciously to add flavor, and despite the association of
hot paprika with Hungary, most Hungarian dishes do not feature hot chili peppers
intrinsically, and one may request not to include them in the dishes that use it. Hot chilis are
only sometimes given as a garnish in traditional Hungarian cuisine, although dried hot chilis
or hot chili paste may be given on the side for added, optional spiciness.
Authentic Goulash is one of the most famous dishes from the Hungarian culinary repertoire,
yet even today there are severe misconceptions about the original version of this iconic food.
The name derives from the gulyás (herdsmen), who made their rich and fulfilling dish in a
kettle over an open-fire. Today, a kettle made goulash is considered as the most authentic
version of all. Almost each region has its own variety, although a basic goulash is somewhere
between a soup and stew, with beef (occasionally veal or pork), carrot, potato, spices and the
typical paprika. Goulash has a long history going back to the ninth century, but only during
the 1800s did it turn into a national symbol and a tool for preserving Hungarian identity.
Fisherman's soup holds a similarly prominent place among the national dishes and, like
goulash, it is cooked in a kettle over an open fire. The soup is prepared from mixed river fish
(carp, catfish, perch or pike) and with a great amount of hot paprika, giving it the
characteristic bright red color. It has numerous varieties, with a la Baja (made with thick
pasta and mainly carp) or Szeged (made with four types of fish) being the most famous
Főzelék is such a unique Hungarian dish it can't be translated into English. Though it looks
like a soup at first sight, a more accurate description might be a thick vegetable stew. Főzelék
is one of the few healthy choices on the list of national dishes and, being practical and easy to
make, it is a typical home-cooked dish.
There are special főzelék bars spread around cities, making it an ideal
choice for a quick, healthy and very Hungarian dining experience. There are many variations
including potato, peas, beans, lentils and carrot főzelék, all made by simmering and thickened
by flour mixed with
sour cream.
Somlói Galuska- The prestigious title of 'Hungary's favorite cake' is unanimously given to
somlói galuska, a delicious, unmissable dessert made from sponge cake, layered with
chocolate cream, walnut
kernel, rum and whipped cream on the top.
Túrós Csusza- It is a traditional Hungarian dish made from a special past a (csusza) with
cottage cheese (very different from its European counterparts) and crispy bacon. All of this is
mixed in a pre-heated bowl. It is a perfect one-course main dish that is easy to cook, cheap
and filling. If craving something sweeter there's a version for that, too: túrós tészta leaves out
the bacon and instead adds plenty of powdered sugar to the mixed cottage and tejföl cream.
Kürtös Kalács - A special sweet spiral cylindered bread made from sweet yeast dough baked
over charcoal and coated in plenty of sugar. This is the secret of kürtös kalács, one of
Hungary's most beloved street pastries. 'Chimney cake', as it is usually referred to, has a
sweet, caramelized coating, onto which cinnamon, cocoa, coconut, or chopped walnuts are
added. The original kürtös kalács is from the Székely area of Transylvania and from there it
dispersed along Hungary, becoming a vital part of Hungarian food identity.
Pörkölt and Paprikás- Though the two are usually referred to as absolutely separate dishes,
the ingredients, the method of preparations and the outcome are so similar that, broadly
speaking, paprikás can be described as a type of pörkölt. They are among the well know
dishes of Hungarian origin. The word pörkölt literally means roasted' and the dish is made of
beef, pork, lamb, chicken, pork or liver (varieties depend on the region) cooked with onion,
paprika and other spices, resulting in a juicy dish served with another Hungarian gastro-
curiosity, the nokedli (egg noodle dumpling).
Töltött Káposzta (stuffed cabbage leaves)- It is a typical dish around Easter and Christmas
time. Although mainly a homemade dish, most Hungarian taverns keep it on their menu.
Stuffed cabbage is quite common in Central Eastern European kitchens, and Hungarian töltött
káposzta is made of cooked cabbage (mostly pickled) filled with pork mince, mixed rice and
flavored with paprika, pepper and tejföl.

INDONESIA
is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists
of over seventeen thousand islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo
and New Guinea. Indonesia was formerly known as the Dutch East Indies (or Netherlands
East Indies). Although Indonesia did not become the country's official name until the time of
independence, the name was used as early as 1884 by a German geographer; it is thought to
derive from the Greek indos, meaning "India," and nesos, meaning "island."
The country's capital, Jakarta, is the world's second-most populous urban area. Indonesia
shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia, as
well as a maritime border with Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and
India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Despite its large population and densely populated
regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support one of the world's highest levels
of biodiversity.
COOKING TECHNIQUES
Indonesian
cuisine often demonstrates complex flavour, acquired from certain ingredients and bumbu
spices mixture. Indonesian as savory, hot and spicy, and also combination of basic tastes such
as sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Most dishes have rich flavours; most often described
Indonesians favour hot and spicy food, thus sambal, Indonesian hot and spicy chili sauce
with various optional ingredients, notably shrimp paste, shallots, and others, is a staple
condiment at all Indonesian tables. Seven main Indonesian Cooking methods are frying,
grilling, roasting, sauteing, boiling and steaming.
Cooking method
 Shallow or deep fry
 Grilled over hot coals
 Simmered (with sauce, coconut sauce)
 Steamed and oven baked in earthen ware
Regional Cuisine
Sumatra
 Indian influence in Sumatran cooking
 Some of the hottest dishes in the world - curried lamb, chili peppers, coriander and
lemongrass
 Famous for its robust flavor and skillful blending of hot spices
 rich coconut cream
Java
 Javanese cooking is more sophisticated
 Based on subtle blending of sweet, sour and hot dishes
 Seafood abounds with these regional cuisine
 Foods are wrapped in banana leaves steamed then grilled
 Foods are often in contrast with each other in flavor, texture, temperature, spicy and
mild
 Spices are ground to a paste, stir fried to accentuate aroma and flavor
 Coconut milk is added to flavor and thicken sauces.
Bali
 Very different because of their consumption of pork
 No pork taboos in Hindu Balinese
 Roast pig
 Very hot and spicy
 Roasted foods wrapped in chili or spice pastes
Irian Jaya
 Terrain is not suitable for rice cultivation
 Staple foods are sago palm flour, cassava root and plantains
 Most of their dishes are bland as compared to other Indonesian dishes
 Indonesian Meal
1. Makan pagi (breakfast) is normally a bowl of fried rice, noodles, or soto (soup),
accompanied by Java coffee (which has become world famous) or tea.
2. Makan siang (lunch) is often the main meal of the day
3. Makan malam (dinner) after the workday has ended. The base of most meals is nasi
(rice)
UNIQUENESS OF INDONESIAN CUISINE
Indonesian cuisine often demonstrates complex flavour, acquired from certain ingredients and
bumbu spices mixture. Indonesian dishes have rich flavours; most often described as savory,
hot and spicy, and also combination of basic tastes such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Most
of the common Indonesian dishes are named according to their main ingredients and cooking
method.
For example:
 Ayam goreng is ayam (chicken) and goreng (frying), which denotes fried chicken.
 Mie goreng is fried noodle
 Ikan bakar is grilled fish
 Udang rebus is boiled shrimp
 Babi panggang is roasted pork
 Tumis kangkung is stir fried water spinach.
Cooking Equipment
 Bumbu-mortar and pestle
 Kuali pot - made from terra cotta
 Banana Leaf - multipurpose wrapper
Indonesian Dishes and Ingredients
 Gado Gado- Salad of cooked then chilled vegetables accompanied by a thick spicy
dressing made of coconut milk and peanut
 Sate- Marinated Lamb, beef, chicken, pork and shrimp in spices and coconut milk
 Mie Goreng- Indonesian Fried noodles.
 Kelapa Susu- Coconut Milk
 Rujak-Spicy Fruit Salad, considered as Indonesia's National Dessert
 Uli Petataws- Sweet Potato Fritters
 Sarikayo Telor- Steamed Egg and Coconut Milk Pudding
 Krupuk - or kropek is a deep fried cracker made from starch and other ingredients
that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in maritime Southeast Asia, and is
most closely associated with the culinary traditions of Indonesia, in particular
Javanese cuisin
 Sambal Kecap - Chili and Soy Sauce
 Tahu Goreng - Fried Tofu
 Pisang Goreng - Fried Banana Cakes
 Teh Halia - Hot Ginger Tea, Ambon
 Nasi tumpeng -ceremonial cone-shaped steamed yellow rice (nasi kuning)
 Roti -Indonesian sweet bread
 Krupuk udang - shrimp-flavored cracker snacks