Top 6 European countries with the best food
Croissants, calzones, and kebabs are a long and varied list of the most delicious foods in Europe that you should try when travelling there.
But which European country serves the best food? Six experts from The Telegraph told us about their favourite destinations in terms of food.
Turkey, Terry Richardson
Whether it's the lush tavern tables filled with meze dishes, the heady aroma of generously spiced minced meat kebabs searing on the charcoal grill of an ocakbaşı restaurant, or the crackle of a fork digging into a crisp square of baklava stuffed with pistachios, the delights of Turkish cuisine are many and varied.
"After all, what is pizza if not a simple imitation of Turkish pide, a delicious cake with a cheese top baked in a wood-fired oven? Isn't paella just a version of a juicy Turkish pilaf with seafood?" the expert said.
Spain, Annie Bennett
"You may be thinking about that juicy steak you had somewhere in the Basque Country, that huge squid sandwich in Madrid, those wonderful oysters and mussels by the sea in Galicia, the tender suckling pig on a frosty winter day in Segovia, or the perfect seafood paella you tasted on the Costa Blanca while looking out over the Mediterranean," the expert said.
"This is the magic of food in Spain. In every region you visit, there is always something you have never tried before.
France, Anthony Peregrine
The fact that French cuisine is the first in the world is hardly debatable. It is no coincidence that historically almost all of the world's most famous chefs - Vatel, Carême, Escoffier, Bocuse, Anatole Aunt Dahlia - were French, or that the French company Michelin sets the world's restaurant standards. French gastronomy is so closely intertwined with French culture that being the best is not necessary.
Everyone from hairdressers to airline pilots considers themselves an expert. The degree of obsession is hard to appreciate unless you have lived among the French and listened to the oeufs meurette discussions that go on until you lose the will to live.
Italy, Lee Marshall
Italy is obviously the dark horse in this competition. It's hard to remember a single dish that this culinary wilderness has given the world, the expert says.
"I'm kidding, of course, Italian restaurants are omnipresent. However, you may be surprised to find that the country is also something of a Michelin star: only France and Japan have more restaurants with chefs who have won the coveted awards," she said.
It is this country that gave the world pasta, pizza, risotto, mozzarella, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, tiramisu, artisanal ice cream, and the Slow Food movement.
Greece, Heidi Fuller-Love
Greece, the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet, is also home to Ikaria, one of the five blue zones in the world. Here, thanks to a combination of a laid-back lifestyle and a super-healthy diet (which includes seasonal produce complemented by fresh fish, lean meat, legumes, and plenty of red wine), locals live longer than anywhere else. Or, as the Ikarians say, "they forget to die." You just can't beat Greece when it comes to life-enhancing food.
Portugal, Mary Lussiana
"Walk into a tiny tasca (inn) at lunchtime anywhere between Portugal's green, granite-filled north and whitewashed, sandy south and you'll see a healthy gathering of locals who live to eat. Food is fundamental here. So much so that it's used to classify people," the expert says.
Those who live in Porto are "meat eaters," while those in Lisbon are known as "salatoids." And although bacalhau (dried cod) reigns supreme throughout the country, regional food is still very much in vogue. Pork rice cooked in pig's blood is typical of heavy northern dishes; clams with garlic and coriander are a favourite in the south.
As TravelWise reported earlier, the top 10 best cuisines in the world were named.
