The world in a bowl: Flavours of Europe

In the last edition of this series, we explored the American avatars of rice. Today, we explore the rice bowl of Europe. Rice is often overlooked in Europe, mostly due to the dominance of wheat-based foods. Nevertheless, rice has deep roots in European history and geography.

The history and geography

Rice production in Europe mostly happens in the Mediterranean, with Italy as the largest producer on the continent, amounting to about 50% of the whole European Union (EU), followed by Spain, Greece and Portugal. The EU produces roughly 2.8 million tonnes of paddy rice annually.

But how did it all start? Well, rice was imported to Europe from Egypt and maybe some parts of West Asia. It was known to Greece because of the returning soldiers from Alexander the Great’s military expedition to Asia. However, it did not become part of the Greek diet until the 10th Century.

The Moors — who were medieval Muslims of mixed Arab, and African descent who ruled the Ibreian Peninsula — are believed to have brought rice to Sicily, Italy. There, cultivation began in the 9th Century. After the 15th Century, rice spread throughout Italy and then France, later propagating to all the continents during the age of European exploration.

Now let’s explore some of the various rice dishes around the continent.

Alexander the Great
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Risotto and Arancini (Italy)

You’re probably familiar with Risotto. It is an Italian dish cooked in broth until it turns creamy. The broth can either be fish, meat, or veg. A standard risotto dish is made from butter, onion, and Parmesan cheese. Saffron was used at one point to give it its signature yellow colour.

The dish usually demands a high-starch short grain variety of rice. These grains can absorb liquid and release starch, giving the dish its creamy texture that is a key to a good risotto. That’s why unlike in most rice dishes we know and have eaten, the rice is not washed. Arborio is one of the popular choices of rice for this dish.

The dish has a very specific cooking procedure and requires a lot of care and attention. The rice is cooked in butter (or olive oil), and onion to coat each grain in a film of fat, which they called tostatura. White wine is added and must be absorbed by the grains. Once absorbed, broth of any kind is added, and then is constantly stirred. This constant stirring rubs the grains against each other, helping to release starch and thickening the broth. When the rice is taken off the heat, grated Parmesan cheese is incorporated into the broth. The residual heat then does the rest of the cooking process for a few minutes.

Lobster risotto
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Arancini takes the term ‘fried rice’ to a different angle. They are Italian rice balls that are stuffed with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are a staple of Italian cuisine. They are commonly filled with ragù (meat or minced), mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often peas, including prosciutto (a cheese) and béchamel sauce (white sauce). Many variants of this dish exist in various shapes. Arancini al ragù produced in eastern Sicily, have a conical shape inspired by the volcano Etna.

Deep Fried Mushroom Risotto Balls with Fresh Italian Parsley and Parmesan Cheese
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LAURIPATTERSON/Getty Images

There’s another Italian delicacy that’s made in a similar way called Supplì.

Arròs negre and paella (Spain)

Don’t worry, the rice isn’t burnt. It’s just cooked in squid ink. Arròs negre is a dish popular in the Valencia and Catalonia parts of Spain. This rice delicacy is made with cuttlefish or squid, squid ink, garlic, green cubanelle peppers (or Cuban peppers), sweet paprika, olive oil and seafood broth. The squid ink not only enhances the dark colour, but also gives it its distinctive seafood flavour. The dish is similar to seafood paella, and is prepared in a similar way as well — and hence it is also called paella negra (“black paella).

Arroz negre
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

That brings us to our next dish, paella. One of the most well-known dishes of Spanish cuisine, it is practically the country’s national dish. Each version of the rice dish consists of a different set of ingredients. Paella Valenciana consists of rabbit, duck, chicken, and snails. Paella de marisco has seafood, and paella mixta has livestock. On a side note, the dish takes its name from the wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on an open fire, paella being the word for a frying pan in both Catalan and the Valencian dialect of Spanish.

Paella
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Gemista (Greece)

We explored in a similar dish in one of our previous editions of the series (do you remember which one?). Well, here’s a similar dish: Gemista from Greece. This Greek dish features baked vegetables — usually typically tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplant — stuffed with a mix of rice, herbs, and sometimes ground meat. It is frequently served with potato wedges roasted in the very same pan, allowing them to absorb the tomato juice and olive oil. This dish is affectionately called the “symbol of Greek summer”, as it relies heavily on summer for the perfect, sun-ripened tomatoes and bell peppers.

Gemista
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Arroz de Marisco (Portugal)

This dish is one of the seven wonders of Portuguese gastronomy, capturing the very essence of Portugal’s Atlantic coast. Much similar to paella, it consists of rice mixed with an assortment of seafood and its stock, broth, and white wine. It also uses starchy, short-grain rice which absorbs liquid without getting mushy.

This seafood delight finds roots in Portuguese fishing villages, where seafood was caught and cooked with rice. It notably blends the land and the sea, with rice grown inland, and the seafood from the seas and oceans. It speaks of Portugal’s geography and its deep connection to both parts of the country.

Arroz de Marisco
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Paprikash (Poland)

Have you ever imagined rice spread on bread? Well, the Polish clearly have. Polish paprikash is a Polish canned fish spread made from ground fish, rice, tomato paste and vegetable oil, seasoned with onion, salt and spices. It is seen as a reddish-brown paste with visible rice grains.

Paprikash on bread
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

This recipe was inspired by a Polish fisherman’s twist on a West African delicacy, and was developed in the 1960s in the port city of Szczecin (pronounced SHCHET-chin), in northwest Poland. It is a popular snack, especially with students, and remains a symbol of Szczecin’s local identity.

Teurgoule (France)

Okay, now we finally sweeten things up a bit with some dessert from France. Teurgoule is a rice pudding that is a specialty of the Normandy region in France. Yes, essentially the French version of kheer or payasam. It consists of rice cooked in milk, sugar, cinnamon and sometimes nutmeg. It is baked in an earthenware terrine (a type of glazed earthenware) for several hours. Long cooking creates a thick, brown caramelised crust. So to sum it up quickly, it is essentially like a crème brûlée with rice.

Teurgoule
| Photo Credit:
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Rice essentially connects Europe and its diverse food culture. It reminds us that cuisine can be fluid, not fixed. Each dish is a geographical and cultural symbol of a country. Tune into our next edition soon as well cover the dishes of Oceania. See you soon!