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The new ones are here! We are talking about the ten countries which became members of the European Union on 1 May 2004. It is difficult to believe, but from one day to the next the EU grew in size from some 380 million to 455 million citizens, and from 15 to 25 member states.
The new ones are here! Just as the countryside and people differ in each of the new member states, so do their customs, traditions and national specialities. Absolute classics such as goulash and sauerkraut originate from these countries. Fine pastries such as Maltese cannoli (a crispy pastry filled with ricotta, and sometimes also with pieces of chocolate) and Polish poppy dumplings with raisins and almonds rank among the sweet delicacies on offer in the new member states.
The Latvians, for instance, are fond of quark dishes and sweet bread soups using rye bread and caraway. In Lithuania they like to eat really hearty dishes: "cepelinai", potato dumplings filled with minced meat and served with a bacon sauce, or "balandeliai", cabbage roulade stuffed with a mixture of minced meat and rice and served with potatoes or pearl barley. A favourite dish on Malta is rabbit – either roasted, grilled or as a stew. And the Italian influence on Maltese cuisine is unmistakeable.
The fact that the Slovenians have over 1200 national dishes is testimony to a long tradition when it comes to wining and dining. These include over 100 different soups. And each different region in Slovenia has its own favoured bread types.
And naturally gelatine also plays an important role in the culinary traditions of the new member states of the EU. Many desserts and the delicious, light aspic dishes can only be prepared really well with gelatine.
Perhaps you would like to try out a typically eastern European dish – from Poland for instance? Try it out and immerse yourself in the world of the new EU member states. To the recipe
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