Northern Europe, including Scandinavia, Ireland and the United Kingdom, has a mouthwatering supply of food and beverages. Fish and chips, Swedish meatballs and shepherd’s pie are just a sampling of the regional offerings, which are usually prepared on the hearty side to warm people up from the cold climate. Because of the surrounding bodies of water, fish is essential to most Northern European cuisines.
The cuisine of Southern Europe covers many countries, but the food of Italy and Spain clearly leads the way. The food of Italy can take several large books to describe. It is a favorite of people all over the world. Italy is known for its creative use of pasta and different types of sauce.
Central European and Russian diet comprises mainly non vegetarian foods. The food habit of the common people in this area is more or less the same. With the animal protein they largely include dairy products, especially high milk foods in their regular meals.
African Americans are numerically the largest minority group, although the Latino population is expected to be larger than the African-American population by the middle of the next century.
Traditional African-American fare, sometimes referred to as “soul food,” is based in part on food practices and customs. Many of these customs and practices are shared by white Americans in the southern United States, particularly those of lower socioeconomic level or living in rural areas.
Hispanics are the most rapidly growing ethnic group in the United states, and Mexican-Americans are the largest subgroup of Hispanics. Hispanic cuisine is based on the concept of foods having ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ properties and on beliefs about the contribution of food to health and wellbeing.
The food of Central America is astounding in both its variety and flavor. Some of the world's favorite foodstuffs — corn, beans, peppers — orginated in this part of the world.
Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Amerindian, European, East Indian, and Chinese cuisine. These traditions were brought from the many homelands of this region's population. In addition, the population has created styles that are unique to the region.
