Monégasque Cuisine

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Monaco - Cooking and Food

Overview of Monegasque Cuisine History
Monaco is a small state, located in Southern Europe. Having a subtropical climate and mountain relief, Monaco is one of the touristiest areas in the world. Due to its close position to Nice river and to the fact that is located on the Mediterranean coast, Monaco built a great industry of fish processing; this industry represents a high percent of the exports and it is also reflecting the Monaco people’s diet. One of the most common fishes is cod – this is served on special occasions, such as Christmas dinner with fritters and old wines. Monaco has neighbors such as France and Italy, which both have significant and personalized cuisines and which represent the basic 2 influences found in the Monaco culinary culture. There can be found many French delicacies in the Monaco cuisine, combinations of delicate sweet tastes with sour flavors, the Italian pastas, various kinds of fish dishes with lime and other complex and rich traditionally Monaco recipes.

Cuisines of Monaco


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createpageform-monegasque Due to the fact that Monaco is a small country, there aren’t distinctive regional cuisines within the state and people’s diet seems to be representative for all Monaco. Still, the population of Monaco is a mixture of authentic Monaco people, French and Italian, which try to keep their cuisine particularities through their daily meals. The French white breads are staple elements for various sandwiches, which are combined – not with meat or heavy aliments – but with various fresh vegetables, eggs or cheese. Among these sandwiches that French people eat there are the pan bagnat sandwiches made of round rolls, olive oil, minced onion, green pepper, tomatoes, boiled eggs, anchovies, rinsed and pitted black olives and vinegar. Italian people enjoy the ravioli and pasta, lasagnas and pizzas, which include a wide range of fish and seafood toppings. Besides these, in all coastal restaurants, there is a large spectrum of fish dishes, served with traditional salads, which are enjoyed by the numerous tourists.

Monegasque Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an Monegasque Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


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Preparation Methods for Monegasque Cooking
While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Monaco cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Monaco cuisine. Monaco cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Monaco is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Monaco’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Monaco dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Special Equipment for Monegasque Cooking
With a range of cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers & portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories, the Monaco cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Monaco dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Monaco food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal".

Monegasque Food Traditions and Festivals
Christmas is an important celebration in Monaco culture, even more due to the fact that the country is represented mostly by the Christian religion. During Christmas, Monaco people enjoy large family feasts that debut with a wine toast, taken under the olive branch (an old rite). The Christmas dinner consists of aperitif and gala dinner. The aperitif is mostly represented by light delicacies, served in small quantities. The main meal is very consistent and it includes traditional dishes: fish like cod in brandamincium, which is served with garlic sauce, various fritters and as dessert, biscuits with rum and orange flavor.

People in Monegasque Food
In Monaco, there are many chefs who creatively use the basic ingredients and cooking method for traditional Monaco dishes and create original and delicious food variations. Monaco chefs are passionate about their traditional dishes and they enjoy presenting them to foreigners who have never tasted them before. Whether they are cooking dishes that go back in time for centuries or brand new, modern dishes, Monaco chefs take pride in what they do, and this is readily noticeable in the unforgettable taste of their cooking.
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