Mediterranean gastronomy is about the set of dishes and gastronomies from countries that border the Mediterranean Sea . These types of countries have as a common denominator the climate that the sea can provide on the cultivation of food, and the trade routes between them.
Summary
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- 1 olive oil
- 2 Fish and shellfish
- 3 Vegetables
- 4 fruits
- 5 Meats
- 6 Spices and condiments
- 7 Flour
- 8 Characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine
- 9 Basic ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine
- 10 popular dishes of Mediterranean cuisine Greek Mediterranean cuisine
- 11 Sources
Olive oil
The common denominator of these gastronomies is a set of ingredients that are used in the preparation of the dishes: one of the best known is olive oil which, due to the latitudes in which these countries are located, its cultivation is guaranteed. Despite the highest consumption, and the largest production, worldwide occurs in this region. Olive oil is a very good source of vitamins.
The olive oil is not only used in frying, but appears as dressing and as an ingredient in the production of canned food.
Fish and shellfish
The coastal proximity makes the consumption of fish and seafood extensive, often the same type of fish is consumed in different countries. Common ways of cooking fish appear, such as outdoor barbecue.
Vegetables
One of the most widely used elements in Mediterranean gastronomy is vegetables, along with the main protagonist of all paellas and risottos, for example. The intensive use of legumes, which appear even in salads, is not used in stews. In the field of vegetables, it can be said that there is a great variety of dishes that usually participate as main dishes in meals: vegetable soup such as gazpacho, vichyssoise, etc., are clear examples of this intensive use.
Fruits
There is a great variety of fruits, but the climate is favorable in these countries for citrus fruits: lemons, orange , grapefruit , mandarin, among others.
meats
The use of lamb and pork meat abounds, in the case of the first cooked and the second in sausages such as salami or ham. Veal meat is rare. Little game meat is used, and yet a little more game meat: rabbit, hare, partridges, etc. In the field of poultry meat, those that are free range are usually better prepared.
Spices and condiments
It is very common to see spices in Mediterranean dishes , particularly in Italian cuisine and Moroccan cuisine , you can see many dishes that use rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, pepper, peppermint. There is a common taste for vinegar, using it not only as a salad dressing but also seasoning some fish dishes and some pickled products.
Flour
The flour has many uses in the Mediterranean gastronomy, it could be said that one of them is the bread (food) that is usually in most countries white bread. But the other use that appears in flour is the pasta that makes Italian cuisine famous and that has points in common in other Mediterranean countries.
Characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine
This kitchen does not belong to an exclusive country as its name indicates. The geographical area to which it belongs encompasses all the countries that bathe in the Mediterranean Sea. From it emerge such popular cuisines as the Spanish, the Italian, the Arabic, the Greek, of which you will also find tasty and healthy.
The main ingredient that unites this type of cuisine is olive oil, called liquid gold for its great virtues not only culinary but for the care of our health. The Mediterranean climate characterized by mild winters and hot, dry summers, as well as irregular rainfall throughout the year, influences the type of dishes in Mediterranean cuisine, tending to rather light dishes.
Basic ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine
Olive oil: as we said before, it is the king of the ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine and, in fact, this geographical area is the main world producer as well as the main consumer. This is used both for frying and dressing and even as an ingredient in the preparation of canned food. Vegetables: Among the most used vegetables in Mediterranean cuisine are garlic, onion, potatoes, tomato , carrot , cucumbers, legumes, sweet and hot peppers. The most consumed fruits are, above all, citrus, melons, peaches, apricots, both dried and natural figs. Meats and fish: cooked lamb meat and pork, especially in sausages such as salami or ham, meatSmall game also, like the hare, the rabbit and the partridge, although as far as birds are concerned, free range are the most used. Among the fish, the blue ones are the favorites of the Mediterranean cuisine, so rich in the healthy omega-3 acids, such as tuna, sardines, herring and swordfish.
Popular dishes of Mediterranean cuisine Greek Mediterranean cuisine
Musaka: it consists of a kind of lasagna in which instead of pasta the eggplant is used. Greek salad: As its name suggests, it is also a Greek dish that is eaten as a starter, simple to prepare and tasty. Italian Mediterranean cuisine Vegetarian Calzone: A kind of pizza whose dough envelops the rest of the ingredients, in this case vegetarian. Spaghetti with Pesto: The popular spaghetti this time prepared with Parmesan cheese and basil. Spanish Mediterranean cuisine Lentils in Levantine: Lentil-based dish with rice with onion, pepper and garlic sauce, seasoned with olive oil and spices. Potato Omelette: A dish as simple as it is popular, scrambled eggs and battered with potatoes, simple but it has its trick.
