10 foods from Europe you must try!

So as you guys know, I love soccer/football! And at this date the UEFA Euro 2016 Cup has reached the quarter finals with the top 8 teams advancing to face each other in hopes of winning the trophy and bringing glory to their nation. To honor the hard work and fight these countries have shown us, I will show support by giving a delicious dish you must try from different countries in the UEFA 2016 top 8 and some honorable mentions. Welcome to Mei Wei Café and this is top 10 dishes you must try in Europe!

10. England: English Breakfast

The first honorable mention goes to England. Gotta include England for the  respect of the nation and the team. Lately England has been in the spotlight of world news with #brexit leaving Europe and the English national team also leaving the Euro. Well it could have been worse. England is... notorious for its cuisine, but one kind of food and meal you cannot miss out on is English Breakfast. Being popularized in the Victorian era, English Breakfast has been popular throughout the United Kingdom and is now one of the most famous breakfast foods in Europe. This meal consists of meat (bacon, sausage), beans, tomatoes, eggs, fried bread or toast, and sometimes even potatoes, English pudding, and kidneys. With so much variety you will always have a full stomach and full satisfaction.

9. Spain: Paella

Ah Spain... An honor to include this honorable mention. After being upsetted by Italy, at least Spain still has some of the most amazing foods. The Spanish cuisine is massive, and definedby  several influences throughout history. One of the most amazing dishes is the national dish of the city of Valencia, paella. Paella means pan and it is exactly what it stands for, a gourmet pan of Spanish rice seasoned and influenced by the Middle East and the Mediterranean topped and infused with so many ingredients. Some popular ingredients could be rabbit and seafood! Including shrimp, squid, and lobster! A bite of paella is like a fusion of Mediterranean and exotic deliciousness with a kick of paprika and saffron. Delicioso!


8. Poland: Pierogi

Alright! Now on to the nations that made it to the top 8 of the Euro! Poland is the first team to qualify and they fought powerfully, if they fought as powerful as the yummy pierogi, then Poland would win the Euro! Yes pierogi is a specialty from East Europe with each country having their own variations. The pierogi we as Americans think of are usually Polish. In Poland, pierogis are initially a peasant food due to how cheap it is to buy and make the dish, but eventually the popularity reached the tables of the nobility and soon became a stable of Polish cuisine making the national dish of Poland. Many fillings could be inside these dumplings, including meat, potatoes, cheese, mushroom, sauerkraut, and even fruits and jam for dessert! Pierogis are awesome and a must try, they are like the European version of Chinese dumplings.



7. Wales: Welsh Rarebit

Gareth Bale! Goal!!! Ok back to the topic. Wales is a nation that is rich in culture and tradition but not much people know about this small country. Being so secretive, the world is missing out on some unique and great dishes, including the famous Welsh Rarebit. This dish literally means Welsh rabbit but its weird since there is no rabbit in this dish... It is like gourmet grilled cheese, fondue on bread. Its cheap to make and very appetizing, what's not to like? The cheese is sharp cheddar spiced with mustard and beer topped on some English bread. Perfect to fill you up and it doesn't even have meat!



6. Portugal: Francesinha

Francesinha, a dish as majestic and beautiful like the Lisbon beaches and Cristiano Ronaldo. Francesinha is considered to be the croque monsieur of Portugal. It is made of ham, sausage, cheese, on delicious Portuguese bread. The crucial factor of this dish is the cheese. It is very important and melted with beer, tomato sauce giving it the color and rich and delicious taste. A tip of eating this dish? Eat this with fries!



5. France: Galettes.

Shout out to the host nation and a personal favorite country of mine, France! As I always stress, French cuisine is so immersive and massive its impossible to express the flavor and influence of French cuisine. Of the selection of French dishes, one that shouts "mei wei" is the oh so delicious, galette. This dish is AMAZING. It is the savory version of the crepe from the Brittany region of France where sometimes it is eaten more than bread! Galettes are a thin pancake made from buckwheat (a local specialty) topped with fillings such as emmental cheese, ham, and eggs. But really, the possibility of toppings could be anything! It is so crispy.. and warm with heavenly taste of the cheese, the yolk of the egg, and the meat. The only thing that could make this better is a pairing with some Breton cider! Now you are dining like a Brittany local! I may be bias, but galettes are some of the most diverse and delicious foods out there and it is waiting to be eaten by you! Bon Apetit!



4. Germany: Spaetzle

Was konnen Sie empfeheln? Spaetzle! This delicate pasta made from egg noodles derived from south Germany literally means "little sparrows". The specialty of this dish is how the chewy egg noodle soaks up all the flavors of other ingredients so this dish could come in so many delicious and diverse forms! Popular ingredients and seasonings to cook with spaetzle are curry, different meats, cheese, and herbs. The mixing of these ingredients and the pasta creates a savory chewy bite of a delicious dish representative of the German cuisine!



3. Belgium: Moule Frites

French fries are not American nor are they French, they are Belgian. Also Belgium consumes 30 tons of mussels every year! What better idea than to mix the popular frites (fries) and moules (mussels) into the national dish? Moule Frites are super popular in Belgium and France and a personal favorite meal of mine. This specialty is easy to make due to easy availability of mussels and cheap potatoes. The potatoes are fried crispy golden and usually thicker than American fries and is dipped in ketchup, mustard, and even mayonnaise. The fresh mussels are good eaten plain and steamed but is popularly cooked with white wine, butter, lemon-mustard, beer, garlic, and cream. Eat the mussels and fries together and my God you will dance to the delicious melody of flavor like you would dance to Belgian superstar Stromae's hit song, Moule Frites.




2. Italy: Pasta Col Pesto

Italia, another cuisine giant with an enormous amount of food culture. I assure you choosing one dish was not an easy task. Pasta Col Pesto is a dish with a lot of history yet not known outside of Italy, so this is a pasta you might not know but is a must try! This dish from Genoa Italy has history reaching back to the Roman times. Pesto means "crush" and it is a sauce used by crushing literally everything! Now pesto is popularly crushed with basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and parsley. This creates a green tint that serves as a coat for the pasta packed with strong flavor. This is an unique dish, but it is a must try to get into real authentic Italian cuisine.




1. Iceland: Pylsur

Two things: Iceland has been a beast, tanking top tier teams in Europe upsetting many and becoming an underdog rising to stardom. Jolly well done! And... Icelandic food is infamous in ways that I will explain in a future post. But that is not to say you should not try Icelandic food! It is a beautiful culture with a deep history and of course with so much food to explore. One of the most popular foods with the locals and more "Western friendly" are pylsurs or Icelandic hot dogs. This isn't your typical ballpark wiener, this hot dog really packs a punch and will surprise you like the Icelandic national team. The major difference is that these hot dogs are made of lamb, and not just lamb, but Icelandic lamb that is organic and grass fed. The lamb and other meats creates a very powerful flavor that really brings out all the flavor of the hot dog. There are also various condiments that give these hot dogs a snap including ketchup, pylsusinnep (brown mustard), and remoulade (mayonnaise and caper mustard). These local cheap eats have been so popular that they have attracted Metallica and even Bill Clinton! So my tip, be brave and try new things!



So that is 10 foods you must try from Europe based off of the top teams in the Euro 2016 tournament. Each country has so many foods that are mouthwatering delicious yet not known to the vast public. Here are some recommendations for you all as I hoped to have taught you guys something or at least inspired you guys to go out and try new dishes. This is Mei Wei Café, thanks for joining me for a Top 10 and I will see all of you guys next time for another Top 10. Eat on and enjoy the rest of the Euro!