What's your favorite dish to eat during winter? Is it the roasted chestnuts from the Mediterranean? The onion soup from France? Or perhaps the goulash from Central Europe? Say what you want about European cuisines but since this continent knows how to deal with the winter cold, they also have the most delicious dishes to warm you up. Each serving of these delectable culinary staples feels like a warm hug, enough to make you all cozy and toasty no matter how cold it is. And yes, they're all delicious too. If you'll be in Europe during winter, make sure to try any one of these dishes!
Roasted Chestnuts
Many seem to think that roasted chestnuts are a
New York snack. Or an American snack in general. It is a holiday culinary stape in the US, after all. But in truth, roasted chestnuts originated in Europe, specifically the Mediterranean. And the US only got them around the 1900s when it was first imported from Italy. Meanwhile, roasting chestnuts has been a thing in the Mediterranean for a couple of centuries. It's said to have even been a street snack in Rome in the 16th century. Today, it's become a major favorite for the rest of the world during the holiday season, which is often the start of winter in various areas.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
French Onion Soup
You can already tell where this dish came from, right? While it's not exactly haute cuisine, French onion soup has long been a culinary staple in France. Especially during the colder seasons. Though its initial popularity came from the popular Paris restaurants in the 18th century, it has since become a major favorite in the
French Alps. You won't find any place to eat in this area that doesn't serve this popular European dish. With its caramelized onion and melted cheese topping, it's no wonder that so many people love having French onion soup when it's cold out!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Sauerkraut Soup
Speaking of warm European dishes in the soup category, you can't forget about Sauerkraut soup! For years, Germans have loved slurping this flavorful dish when it's autumn and winter. Part of the reason is how easy it is to make. Made out of Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), other vegetables, some sausage, bacon, and other meats, you can easily whip this up in less than an hour. And once it's done, you'll instantly want to pour some into a bowl and enjoy it while it's still bubbling hot. It's not really surprising that this dish eventually became popular in the US too.
Source: Wikimedia Commons/ young shanahan
Goulash
It's impossible not to have heard about Goulash at least once. Out of the many
Hungarian treats and traditional dishes out there, this one is the most famous. Though it originated in Hungary, many other Eastern European countries have adopted it as part of their traditional cuisines as well. So there really must be something extraordinary about this dish, right? Well, one sip of this flavorful soup is enough to tell you that! While it may seem like an ordinary beef and potatoes stew at first, the more you eat it, the more you'll love it.
Source: Wikimedia Commons/ Valeva1010
Gnocchi
Out of all the warm European dishes on this list, Gnocchi is probably one of, if not the oldest of the bunch. It has been around since Ancient Roman times, possibly even before the events in the Bible happened. And the fact that it has remained a dinner table staple, not just in Italy but in the rest of Europe means that there really is something extraordinary about gnocchi. Yet it's also among the simplest dishes to make too. It's practically just lumps of dough and potatoes, served either on their own or in a stew. The latter is what will truly heat you up in the wintertime!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bryndzové Halušky
Speaking of potato dumplings, Bryndzové Halušky is under that category too. Though it may not look like it at first. A Slovakian dish that's as warm as freshly-baked apple pie, it's a bit closer to a risotto than typical dumplings. The look and texture certainly share many similarities with risotto, that's for sure. As for its taste, since “
Bryndzové” refers to Slovakian cheese and “
Halušky” is the potato dumpling mash, you can bet that it'll be delicious. Especially when topped with bits of bacon. That'll add some more meat (literally!) to it and enhance its savory flavors.
Source: Rawpixel.com / Jakub Kapusna
Pelmeni
While still on the subject of dumplings, let's focus now on Pelmeni, a Russian dumpling dish that has been around for centuries. Having originated in Siberia, this is the perfect European dish to warm you up during winter. In fact, for those who lived in this part of the world back then, this was one of the very few dishes they can make. Since the ingredients are easy to store for a long time, many households in Siberia had no choice but to make Pelmeni for their meals. Fortunately, they made it more flavorful over the years.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Europeans really know how to deal with the cold, don't they? It's no wonder that there are many European dishes that will warm you up during the coldest times of the year. They'll warm you up unlike any other!
