Monégasque Cuisine

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Overview of Monégasque Cuisine History
Monaco is a small state, located in Southern Europe. Having a subtropical climate and mountain relief, Monaco gets a lot of tourists. 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.

Preparation Methods for Monégasque 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 Monégasque 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".

Monégasque 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.

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