Hello, my wonderful friends! Let us talk about Continental Food and Oriental Food! Every cuisine has a distinct identity and reflects the region, customs, and culture to which it is native. A cuisine is a type of cooking distinguished by distinctive ingredients, cooking methods, and dishes, usually linked to a particular culture or geographic area, according to Vaibhav Bhargava, corporate chef at Molecule Air Bar. “Though there can be similarities in ingredients and method of preparation, that does not mean that they have the same origin, for example, oriental and continental food,” he continues. Contrary to popular belief, continental and oriental cuisines are distinct, with their primary distinctions relating to the geographical regions in which they are produced. In this blog, we will talk about oriental and continental foods, their origins, and their differences!
What Is Continental Food?
“Continental food” describes foods prepared and eaten in European nations. European cuisine, including French, Spanish, and Italian cuisine, is called “Continental food.” This food’s main selling point is that it focuses more on natural ingredients like olive oil, wine, herbs, and little to no spices. Continental food involves cooking techniques like frying, roasting, and baking. The food is also rich and typically contains a lot of calories. Continental cuisine includes dishes from across Europe. Most of the continental platter comprises French and Mediterranean cuisine, not Indian or Chinese.
In continental cuisine, sauces are frequently used as seasoning and only roasting, frying, and baking are permitted as cooking methods.
People occasionally tend to mix continental and oriental cuisine. They are both distinct from one another. Oriental cuisine, which includes South Asian cuisine, uses more vegetables than Continental cuisine.
What Is Oriental Food?
Foods prepared and eaten in Southeast Asian nations are referred to as “Oriental food.” Oriental food includes dishes from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisine. Their food uses a lot of dried fruits like apricot and plum, as well as spices. Celebrity chef Akshay Nayyar asserts that stir-frying, boiling, and quick frying are some of the primary cooking methods used in Oriental cuisine. Fermented sauces and pickled products are widely used in such foods.”
Some Examples of Continental Food
French Toast
Many people prefer French toast for breakfast in the United States and Europe. It is made by soaking bread slices in milk and eggs that have been beaten. After being pan-fried, the bread is topped with berries and maple syrup.
Additionally, it is eaten as a side dish with bacon and scrambled eggs. If you have yet to try French toast, do so right away. It is delicious. You will no longer eat buttered toast.
Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Sandwiches are loaded with delicious boneless chicken sandwiched between slices of cheese, lettuce, vegetables, and numerous sauces. The simplest recipe to satisfy one’s hunger is this one.
By choosing buns rather than bread slices or creating your version with different sauces, you can play around with this dish. Making a chicken sandwich takes a little time. When they are strapped for cash or pressed for time, non-vegetarians frequently eat this meal.
Pancakes
Everyone is familiar with pancakes. Because most people eat them for breakfast, they do not need an introduction. Pancakes are traditionally made from a starch-based batter that contains eggs, milk, and butter, but these days, this flat round cake undergoes numerous culinary experiments.
With this continental dish, you can try many variations, such as Rainbow Pancakes and Hot Chocolate Pancakes. It is garnished with berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup. Overall, there is no sweet breakfast option that can compare to the divine flavor of pancakes.
Caesar Salad
Salads and delicious dressings are a big part of continental cuisine. Caesar salad is one such dish. A magnificent Italian chef, Caesar Cardini, invented it.
The Caesar Salad is a green salad that includes romaine lettuce and croutons. Olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and egg are used to make the dressing. It looks very wholesome and nutritious.
French Fries
Without a doubt, the most popular dish in Europe is french fries. Like ice cream, French fries make you feel better and stave off hunger. People frequently try new recipes for their favorite foods. French fries have advanced significantly in recent years, going from Classic Fries to Mexican Salsa Fries.
Fries have established their legacy and are, in fact, enticing. They were once a side dish served with hamburgers or pizza.
Cheese Pizza
Cheese pizza is your best friend if you do not like vegetables. The cheese burst pull steals the show, even though it may not be as aesthetically pleasing as a Veggie Pizza.
The base of a traditional cheese pizza is topped with pizza or tomato sauce, along with a generous amount of grated cheese. There are few spices in this European dish, but there is a lot of cheese. Cheese Pizza is renowned for its flavorful simplicity.
Hash Browns
Potatoes are chopped and then fried until they are golden brown. The name may sound a little ostentatious, but they are made with few ingredients and are a common breakfast choice in America.
Even though hash browns only contain potatoes and seasonings, their make-up and flavor astound people. It’s crispy and goes along well with a mayo dip.
Hash browns are additionally offered with BBQ Chicken and Burgers.
Main Differences Between Continental Food and Oriental Dishes
Now that we are clear on these cuisines tell us more about how they differ from one another.
Use of Spices Vs Herbs
In preparing oriental dishes, generous amounts of spices like cinnamon, cumin, chili, turmeric, and chili powder are used. They are used to some extent in continental cuisines as well, but fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, parsley, mint, thyme, and oregano are more frequently used.
Preparation Time
As the fresh ingredients are boiled and stir-fried, oriental cuisine typically requires less time to prepare. The focus is on serving food that is airy, crunchy, and fresh with copious amounts of fresh vegetables. Food is served as courses and entrées in continental cuisine, and there are more baked goods and elaborately prepared dishes on the table. This means that preparing continental food takes a lot longer.
Use of Sauces
Curries are the name given to recipes for oriental cuisine that include sauces. These are consumed with the meal. The accompanying bread and rice easily absorb the hot, thin sauces in this dish. The sauces are used as seasonings or condiments in continental cuisine and are served cold. Depending on the meal and the type of sauce, they may also be served separately as a side dish.
Cooking Techniques
While cooking methods used in continental cuisine are roasting and baking, boiling and stir-frying are primarily used in oriental cuisine.
Carbohydrates and Proteins Used
Rice and wheat are used as carbohydrate sources in Asian cuisine. More emphasis is placed on poultry, mutton, fish, legumes, and pulses when it comes to proteins. Pork, beef, fish, and poultry serve as the primary protein sources in continental cuisine, while wheat, rye, corn, and potatoes are used as carbohydrates.
Calorie Intake
Compared to their continental counterparts, oriental preparations are considered lighter and healthier. This is a result of the increased use of meat and carbohydrates in continental food preparations.
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Conclusion | Continental Food
It all comes down to comprehending the complexity of each cuisine and the reasoning behind techniques and processes while keeping the climatic conditions in mind. We hope that from now on, you will be able to correctly place the order! These are a few of the most significant distinctions between continental and oriental cuisine. A cuisine is created based on climatic factors and available food resources, and it changes over time as new ingredients and influences are added. It may also combine elements from two distinct culinary traditions to produce special treats like American chop suey and Indian Manchurian recipes.
