European cuisine, or alternatively
Western cuisine is a generalized term collectively referring to the
cuisines of
Europe and other
Western countries. European cuisine includes that of
Europe and to some extent
Russia, as well as non-
indigenous cuisines of
North America,
Australasia,
Oceania, and
Latin America. The term is used by
East Asians to contrast with Asian styles of cooking. This is analogous to Westerners referring collectively to the cuisines of Asian countries as
Asian cuisine. When used by Westerners, the term may refer more specifically to cuisine
in Europe; in this context, a synonym is
Continental cuisine, especially in
British English.
The cuisines of Western countries are diverse by themselves, although there are common characteristics that distinguishes Western cooking from cuisines of Asian countries and others. Compared with traditional cooking of Asian countries, for example, meat is more prominent and substantial in serving-size
Steak in particular is a common dish across the West. Similarly to some Asian cuisines, Western cuisines also put substantial emphasis on sauces as condiments, seasonings, or accompaniments (in part due to the difficulty of seasonings penetrating the often larger pieces of meat used in Western cooking). Many dairy products are utilized in the cooking process, except in
nouvelle cuisine.
Wheat-flour bread has long been the most common sources of
starch in this cuisine, along with
pasta,
dumplings and
pastries, although the
potato has become a major starch plant in the diet of Europeans and their diaspora since the
European colonization of the Americas.
Restaurants advertised to be specializing in generic Western cuisine in Asia tend to have menus containing a mixture of dishes mainly from France, the English-speaking world, and Germany. Since the early 1990s dishes from Italy and Spain have become more prominent on these restaurants' menus.
), the Germans to bring the sausages, the Italians/English to bring the coffee/tea, the Irish to supply the potatoes, and the Spanish to bring the Juevos Rancheros. I've got German beer, French wine, Swiss chocolate, Spanish tapas, Italian pastas/breads, Greek pitas, Turkish kebabs, Russian vodka, Irish whiskey, Italian sodas, fondue, tirammisu, German chocolate cake, and sooooo much more 
