Do you know what is continental food and the differences between continental and oriental food? Every cuisine has its own identity and preset a region, tradition, and culture it belongs to.
As a corporate chef, Vaibhav Bhargava says, that though there can be similarities in ingredients and methods of preparation, that does not mean they come with the same origin, for instance, continental and oriental food.
We often consider continental and oriental food as one kind, however in reality they are different, and key differences lie in the regions they belong to.
Today, in this post, we will answer what is continental food as well as the critical differences between continental and oriental food.
What is Continental Food?
Continental food refers to the cuisines or dishes made and consumed in the European countries. This category includes dishes of French, Spanish, and Italian cuisines.
The main specialty of continental food is, that they concentrate more on ingredients like olives, wine, herbs, and minimal spices. Mostly, the food tends to be rich and high in calories.
Their cooking techniques in continental food involve frying, roasting, and baking. The baking technique is used for baked dishes such as pastries, cakes, pies, etc.
In continental food, breakfast tends to be the heaviest meal, often with cold meats, breads, pastries, jam, butter, and eggs.
Lunch and dinner are lighter meals than their breakfast. The most popular lunch meals include sandwiches, chicken, cheese salad, and sautéed vegetables, they may also include soup, boiled or grilled meat, bread, etc
Examples of Continental Food
There is no doubt how much people love continental food. So, let’s look at some of our favorite delectable continental meals:
⇔ Pancakes
Everyone loves Pancakes. I don’t think that they need an introduction because a majority of the people in Europe have them as their breakfast meal. Generally, pancakes are made from a starch-based batter that consists of eggs, milk, and butter but nowadays, people also experiment with other ingredients.
It's topped with maple syrup, whipped creams, and berries, so pancakes taste heavenly and can’t be replaced by any other sweet breakfast option.
Recommend Read: 21 Perfect Birthday Cake Ideas
⇔ French Toast
French Toast is another go-to breakfast option for many people in European countries as well as the United States. French Toast is prepared by soaking bread slices in beaten eggs and milk. Then, the bread is pan-fried and topped with maple syrup and berries.
People also consumed it as a side dish served alongside bacon and scrambled eggs. So, if you have not tried it yet, go ahead and try this impeccable French Toast once. You will forget your normal buttered toast.
⇔ Cheese Pizza
Cheese Pizza is another popular dish for someone who is not a fan of veggies. You might think, that it does not look as great as veggie pizza but the cheese burst pull wins the show.
A classic Cheese Pizza has a lot of grated cheese sprinkled on a pizza base topped with tomato sauce. This continental meal has minimal spices but lots of cheese. Cheese pizza is known for its simplicity and delicious taste.
⇔ Caesar Salad
Salads and a wonderful dressing play is vital role in Continental dishes. Many salads are popular, one such salad is Caesar Salad.
This salad was invented by a magnificent Italian chef, Caesar Cardini. It is a green salad with croutons and romaine lettuce. The dressing of this salad is prepared from olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and egg. It looks very wholesome and it is also nutritious.
⇔ French Fries
Undoubtedly, French Fries are the most popular Continental dish. French fries lift your mood and keep your hunger pangs away just like ice cream. People often experiment with their favorite dishes and french fries have come a long way in recent years.
You will get a variety of fries in the market from Classic Fries to Mexican Salsa Fries and many more. Initially, it was a side dish served along with burgers but now, fries have established their legacy, and love for them is increasing continuously.
I hope now you have a better understanding of what is continental food and what are its popular dishes we all love.
What is the Oriental Food?
In Latin, the word Orient means East and was used collectively for East Asian countries. Primarily, these include countries such as Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam and others.
Oriental food in general encompasses the cooking practices and ingredients of these countries. In cooking, ingredients like noodles, rice, fish, fresh vegetables, fruits, dry nuts like apricots plums, and spices are used. The preparation part includes boiling and stir-frying dishes.
Some of the popular examples of Oriental food are Kung Pao chicken, Sushi, Sashimi, Tempura, Ramen, Pad Thai, Green Curry, Biryani, Butter Chicken, Samosas, Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Banh mi Sandwiches, Spring Rolls, and more.
Research shows that consuming Oriental food has been associated with a risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
The nutrient-rich Oriental food, combined with its focus on whole foods and balance, contributed to these potential health benefits.
The key differences between Continental and Oriental Food
Now that we have a clear understanding of these two cuisines, let’s have a look at the key differences between them:
» Culinary Techniques
In Continental dishes, people mostly use cooking techniques such as frying, roasting, and baking. However, in Oriental food, the popular cooking techniques are stir-frying, boiling, quick frying, and other quick cooking methods that are cooked over high heat.
» Flavors
Continental cuisines include dominant flavors of various vegetables, spices, and herbs including oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage, and paprika. However, Oriental dishes are primarily known for their use of large amounts of nuts and seeds.
» Food Recipes
Continental food involves multiple dishes, you can cook various types of healthy salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and chicken dishes like chicken parmesan. Each dish requires a specific food recipe to prepare.
In Oriental Food, you will get many different types of dishes such as noodles, various rice, spicy chicken recipes, and more. A few examples of Oriental food are Sushi, Chinese fried rice, Thai fish curry, and Hakka noodles.
» Spices & Sauces
In Continental food, a very small amount of spices are used but in Oriental food, spices and sauces play a major role in preparing dishes and are used in large quantities.
Health Benefits of Continental Food
Continental food provides many benefits to consumers. dishes are high in protein as it consists of meats an eggs. The food is prepared by the cooking techniques of stewing, grilling, and roasting and thus is low in calories.
Fish, which is one of the main foods of continental cuisine, is high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
The use of different herbs and fresh natural products make this cuisine lean toward the healthy side, Continental food has the perfect balance of taste and it’s mostly spicy which makes it a cuisine for every pallet.
Health Benefits of Oriental Food
Oriental Food, which is now commonly known as Asian food is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, which protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Vietnamese & Thai are widely considered to be the healthiest in the Oriental food category, due to the high amounts of fresh herbs and vegetables.
Also, traditional bone broth-based soups packed with antioxidants aromatics such as ‘Pho’ and ‘Tom Yum’.
If cooked correctly, using a little oil, lots of vegetables, and a dash of soy sauce to flavor and season, Vegetable Fried Rice is also considered a balanced dish that can cooked easily at home.
Conclusion
I hope now you have a better understanding of what is Continental Food, its benefits, and the critical difference between Continental and Oriental food.
So, there are differences between these two cuisines. The cuisine is prepared as per the climatic conditions and food resources available and changes with the introduction of other ingredients as well as influences over time.
It may also include the influences from 2 different cuisines to create a unique dish such as American cop suey and Indian Manchurian recipes.
Lastly, it is all about understanding the intricacies of each cuisine and the logic behind the cooking methods and techniques, keeping the climatic considerations in mind. I hope now onwards you will be able to place the right order for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the differences between Continental and Oriental Food?
Ans:- There are many differences between these two cuisines but primarily we can differentiate them based on their cooking method, In Continental dishes, people mostly use cooking techniques such as frying, roasting, and baking. However, in Oriental food, the popular cooking techniques are stir-frying, boiling, quick frying, and other quick cooking methods that are cooked over high heat.
Q2. What is the Continental Food?
Ans:- Continental food is the cuisines or dishes made and consumed in the European countries. This category includes dishes of French, Spanish, and Italian cuisines.
Q3. What is Oriental Food?
Ans:- Oriental Food is the cuisines of Asian countries such as the dishes of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese fall under this category.
Q4. What are the benefits of Continental Food?
Ans:- Continental food provides many benefits to consumers. dishes are high in protein as they consist of meats and eggs. The food is prepared by the cooking techniques of stewing, grilling, and roasting and thus is low in calories.
