Europe has a great diversity of food reflecting its linguistico-cultural mosaic. In this age of globalisation we are brought to eat food from more and more countries. But what did our ancestors eat ? When and where were each dish invented ? The purpose of this article is to answer some of these questions. Many dishes are so old, often dating back to ancient times, that their origin is unclear.
Famous sauces
- Mustard : most likely developed by the Romans.
- Béchamel sauce : first mentioned by by François Pierre La Varenne in 1651.
- Mayonnaise : invented by a French chef in in 1756.
- Bearnaise : likely first made by the chef Collinet in 1836 near Paris.
- Worcestershire Sauce : invented in 1835.
Famous dishes and snacks
- Roast beef : Already known of the Romans (military food).
- Lasagna : probably first cooked in England in the 14th century.
- Chicken Kiev : invented by French chef Nicolas François Appert in the mid 18th century.
- Bouchée à la reine (individual vol-au-vent) : named after King Louis XV of France's wife, Marie Leczinska. Invented in France in the mid 18th century.
- Bouillabaisse : term first appearing in Marseilles in the 1830's.
- Hot-dog : probably invented in Germany in the mid 19th century.
- Pizza : invented by Raffaele Esposito in Naples in 1890.
- Croque-monsieur : first served in a Parisian café in 1910.
Famous deserts or sweets
- waffle : invented in Medieval Times (13th century), probably in France.
- choux (pastry) : invented by Popelini in Italy in 1540.
- (modern) ice cream : invented in the 17th century in Italy.
- Tarte Tatin : invented (by accident) in France in 1889.