Northeastern Europe

Long coastlines, moderate summers, cold winters, and Viking influences from Scandinavia have influenced the cuisines of North-Central Europe, now becoming very popular as Nordic cuisines. Rye, oats, potatoes, root vegetables, cabbages, and tubers are as integral to the menu as are meat and seafood. Traditional aromatics include caraway seed, black pepper, and juniper. Established street foods of the region include grilled, sautéed, or simmered sausages; sandwiches with pickled fish; and seafood and potato pancakes. Warmer summers and cold winters, with a guarantee of snow in the southern regions of Central Europe, have shaped a different cuisine. Cultural influences from the Roman and Ottoman Empires have added a great layer of complexity to the cuisines of southern Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. In these mainly landlocked regions, freshwater fish is more popular than ocean fish, and the cultivation of wheat due to the warmer climate is illustrated by the popularity of dumplings based on wheat flour and semolina. Sausages are equally popular, but are commonly offered in a greater variety. Other iconic street foods include pretzels, crêpes, and fried doughnuts known as pfannkuchen or Berliners.