Europe is as diverse as diverse can get. Each region and country has a rich history, both good and bad, and each area also has its delicacies. Now that globalization has made even the most obscure places the subject of headlines, its delicacies have come next.
The Ottawa Sun reported that one of its writers, Rick Steves, went on a European trip and sampled some very strange dishes, depending on what strange is for you. For most people, however, his experiences are enough to pack up and go just to see sample these local delicacies.
According to Steves, delicacies are firmly rooted on a place's culture. For instance, the Dutch herring is reflective of the seafaring history of the Netherlands. Dutch herring is a classic and is caught from during the May-June fishing season. It is salt-cured and typically served with raw onions and sometimes even pickles.
The Rotterdam-style of eating Dutch herring is basically swallowing the whole fish. When cut up, it is called Amsterdam-style and is eaten with toothpicks. Either way, Steves says that Dutch herring is a dish not easy to forget--at all.
The Czechs of Třeboň also have a unique delicacy that they proudly call their own. It is translated as "fried carp sperm" and is precisely what you might think it to be. A female fish would have a full trough of eggs and a male fish would have some sort of counterpart, right? When this part is fried it turns out quite tasty and is supposedly something like fried oyster on the taste buds.
The French are also known to eat "strange" things. When they first discovered that migrating geese would have enlarged livers, and found them tasty, they decided to go make their own. The exclusivity of this dish ranks high up with caviar, another strange but ultimately desired delicacy in the world today.
Even Turkey, which is the gateway of Europe to the Middle East, has a peculiar dish that speaks volumes of their nationality. Kokoreç is sheep intestines chopped up and served as sandwiches. It is a dish so old it was already being served during the time of the philosopher Homer. In modern times, apparently a rumor had spread before that kokoreç would be outlawed once Turkey became a part of the EU. Of course, it was just a rumor but many Turks had apparently made the choice if it came down to it: they would choose kokoreç over European membership.
Even Iceland is on the map with its reinvention of whey and their beloved skyr, a yoghurt-like dairy product. Its influence is starting to spread and successful trade agreements with the rest of Europe seem to make Icelandic specialties sought after like never before.
How adventurous are you with food? Are you willing to try Europe's most exotic dishes? Share this article and let your friends' inner foodies make the decision!
