Adjusting to European cuisine

The biggest, and hardest, change I made moving to Europe was changing my perspective on food. Even after a year, I still feel like I am adjusting to European cuisine. Thankfully, the process has been fun! I am not a picky eater, and I enjoy trying new foods. Here is my experience and how my eating habits have changed.

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Portions

Everything in America is big, and we don't joke around when it comes to food. Picture the typical breakfast plate: a bird's nest of hashbrowns, multiple eggs, a pancake tower, and a pile of bacon. Visually, it is impressive. What could feed a family is served as one portion. It is no wonder we have the fat stereotype.

In Europe, I am greeted by a meal more manageable for a normal, healthy person. So when Americans say, "the portions are smaller," it means, "more appropriate." And since Europeans exercise proper portions, quality of food is of higher priority. In America, it is easier to "wow" customers with quantity than worry about quality. The food doesn't have to be particularly good, so long as it feeds your eyes first.

Variety

One fun difference I have noticed is that Europeans indulge in a broader variety of food. This diversity is due to the concentrated mix of cultures. Europe is a unique gathering of different tastes, styles of cooking, and ingredients. I came to Europe with an open mind and an open mouth; with the mindset that I would try anything at least once. I have tried veal, foie gras, sheep brain, stingray, raw ham, rabbit, blood sausage, and escargot to name a few of the most bizarre.

Sugar

My favorite change I noticed in European cuisine is that sugar is not over-done here, and desserts are better because of it. The pure flavor of each ingredient is more important than just making it sweet. Cake and cookies taste like vanilla and butter, chocolate tastes earthy, frosting tastes like cream, cheesecake tastes like cheese. I am used to all the above paired with so much sugar that they make my head spin.

Dieting

At the market, I don't see labels like, "diet," "low fat," "low sugar," or "healthy." They eat whole, real foods. Going on a diet is not as prominent in their culture like it is in the US. This challenged my ideas of health and nutrition; especially since Europeans are less obese than Americans. There must be something they are doing better.

Along with not dieting, they also don't restrict their foods either. I can count on one finger how many Europeans I know who are pescatarian, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. Where, at home in the US, half of my friends have some form of dietary restriction. American restaurants are very catering to these lifestyles, but it is not the same story in Europe. Gluten-free people must feel tortured by all the patisseries and bakeries everywhere. Bread, a taboo food in the US, is a staple in Europe. Vegetarians are hard-pressed to find any meals without meat or fish in them, and a vegan option is almost impossible with how much Europeans love cooking with cream and butter. ​

Alcohol

I used to think that Americans drank a lot *lol. I quickly discovered that Europeans find a way to incorporate alcohol into every occasion after breakfast. It is customary to have multiple glasses of wine or beer with lunch and dinner. They also invented two more time frames to accommodate more drinking called, aperitif (before dinner) and digestif (after dinner). Think of them like stretching before and after the marathon of alcohol during dinner. I find this much drinking challenging to keep up with. I used to order water, but then I started realizing I got strange looks for it. People who order water are regarded as the boring ones who don't want to have any fun. I got comments, like: "Are you sick?", "Water is for brushing your teeth.", and "fish have sex in water." Thanks...

How my diet changed

I ate more meat. I use the past tense here, because now I am vegan, but I did eat meat for my first year in Europe. I was more comfortable eating it because I learned that they were not pumped with hormones, antibiotics, or preservatives like they are in The States. It is more fresh and of a better quality, which is tangible in the taste.

I ate more dairy. This food group has been shunned by American diet culture. I had nearly completely eliminated it from my cooking when I lived in the US. But when I came here, I realized that cheese is a delicacy, and for a good reason! Cheese has a rainbow-pallet of textures and flavors. There is a complimentary cheese for every meal and drink.

I eat more gluten. *GASP* another demon food. This item I also entirely nixed out of my diet in the US, but my world changed when I had my first, fresh croissant from a local bakery. I had no idea bread could taste that good! It got better when I tried the bread in France. I remember subtly examining my bread for some secret ingredient. Surely, there had to be more to that plain white bread. When we went to Italy I fully indulged in authentic-style pizza and pasta. Also, I live in the land of waffles. How can you resist those?

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Thank you so much for reading my blog on Adjusting to European cuisine! These are just a few of the changes that have affected me since moving to Europe. I will be writing more about my experiences and observations as an American abroad. If you want to be notified when there is new material, feel free to subscribe. See you next time!

*Since I also want to write about health and wellness in the future, I should put a disclaimer that I do not think that eating meat, dairy, wheat products, or drinking alcohol in large amounts is healthy. During my first year here in Europe, I allowed myself to learn its culture through food and drink, so I did not limit myself or my opportunities to learn. This blog is me sharing those experiences. I am currently exploring what I believe to be a healthier diet that I will write about later.