Appetizer

Croquetas de bacalao are Spanish fritters made with cod. Although Spanish croquetas are mainly made with a b&eacute;chamel base, this popular salt cod variety occasionally replaces b&eacute;chamel with mashed potatoes. Both options are well-seasoned and mixed with cooked and flaked salt cod before the dough is shaped into desired forms. Each piece is coated in breadcrumbs and finally fried until golden and crispy. The cod version is one of the most common types of croquetas found in Spain, and like other varieties, it is a staple tapas dish enjoyed throughout the country.

Croquetas de bacalao

Mushroom croquetas are the small-sized Spanish fritters that are prepared with a combination of a creamy b&eacute;chamel base and diced and saut&eacute;ed boletus mushrooms. The base is well chilled before it is shaped into round or cylindrical forms. Each piece is coated in egg wash and breadcrumbs, then shortly deep-fried until golden and crispy. Boletus croquetas are often enriched with various spices and saut&eacute;ed onions and are typically enjoyed as a ubiquitous Spanish tapas.

Croquetas de boletus

Croquetas de chorizo is a traditional croquette variety. It's usually made with a combination of chorizo, butter, flour, milk, nutmeg, eggs, breadcrumbs, and olive oil. The chorizo is chopped and fried over medium heat. It is then shortly simmered with a bechamel sauce consisting of flour, butter, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The mixture is chilled overnight, shaped into croquetas, dipped in eggs, rolled in breadcrumbs, and then fried in hot olive oil until golden brown.

Croquetas de chorizo

Crispy croquetas de jam&oacute;n are small and unusual Spanish fritters, which consist of a crispy outer shell and a creamy interior. As the central ingredient, they employ a thick variety of buttery b&eacute;chamel sauce, which is formed into small logs, coated in breadcrumbs and egg wash, and fried until golden and crunchy. Spanish croquetas are made with a variety of ingredients but the jam&oacute;n version, which incorporates diced Spanish ham, is the most common and popular of them all. Fragrant and spicy ham is an ideal addition to the lush and mild taste of b&eacute;chamel. Croquetas are not a decadent food item; they were developed as a poor man&rsquo;s food, to make use of the cheap or the remaining ingredients. Today, they represent a favorite dish, popular and eaten everywhere in Spain. Whether they are served as a smaller tapas dish or a more substantial individual meal, they are always served fresh and hot, while the center is still hot and partially melted.

Croquetas de jamón

Like other varieties of Spanish croquetas, this chicken-based version also starts with a buttery b&eacute;chamel base, which is later mixed with shredded chicken and shaped into small cylindrical or round patties. Before they are fried, the fritters are usually coated in egg wash and breadcrumbs, which provides a golden, crispy exterior, while the center stays delicately soft and gooey. Croquetas de pollo are typically enjoyed as a snack and are a staple tapas dish found throughout the country.

Croquetas de pollo

Crostini are a group of Italian appetizers consisting of small pieces of toasted or grilled bread topped with a variety of flavorful toppings. Crostini are believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, when poor Italian peasants used to eat their food off of bread instead of plates. The bread was often stale, so it had to be soaked in a liquid such as wine to make it edible. Today, crostini are topped with virtually anything from olive oil, fresh herbs, and garlic to cheeses, olives, spinach, and tomatoes. They can be served as bar snacks, appetizers, or in soups, and in some cases, crostini can be served as a side dish with steak tartare.

Crostini

Italy

Crostini di cavolo nero is a traditional dish originating from Tuscany. It's made with cavolo nero (dark green, curly Tuscan kale), olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a few slices of rustic bread such as pane casareccio. The cavolo nero leaves are cooked until tender, then placed on toasted and garlic-rubbed slices of bread. The dish is seasoned with salt and pepper and generously drizzled with olive oil. Crostini di cavolo nero is traditionally served as a light appetizer.

Crostini di cavolo nero

Crostini di provatura e alici is a traditional variety of crostini hailing from the Lazio area. It's usually made with a combination of bread (typically casareccio), anchovies, butter, milk, and either provatura or mozzarella cheese. The cheese and the bread are sliced, threaded onto wooden skewers, then baked in an oven. While they're baking, the skewers are brushed with melted butter. The anchovies are placed into a pan with butter and cooked until they dissolve. Boiling milk is then added to the anchovies and the mixture is removed from the heat. The anchovy sauce is spooned over the skewers, and the dish is served piping hot.

Crostini di provatura e alici

Crostini Toscani is a classic Tuscan antipasto: toasted slices of hearty bread topped with creamy chicken liver p&acirc;t&eacute;. Also known as crostini di fegatini and crostini neri or black crostini, these delicious bites were once made with stale bread that was dipped in broth in order to soften before being smeared with liver paste. Every Tuscan household has its spin on this addictive antipasto, but the main protagonist is always the chicken liver, simmered with onions, carrots, celery, broth, and flavorings such as salted anchovies, capers, sweet Vin Santo, or Marsala wine. Paired with Tuscan red wines such as Chianti Castaldo of Carpineto, these mouth-watering little slices are an inevitable part of a classic Tuscan antipasto platter.

Crostini Toscani

Simple and elegant, crudit&eacute;s are traditional French appetizers consisting of raw vegetables which can be sliced or left intact. The vegetables typically used for crudit&eacute;s include carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, asparagus spears, broccoli, and cauliflower. They can be served with dips such as vinaigrette, tapenade, hummus, or mayonnaise on the side, or those can be drizzled on top of the vegetables. The name crudit&eacute;s comes from the French word crudit&eacute;, meaning rawness, but in the culinary world, the word is always used in its plural form.

Crudités

Culadur is a fish spread prepared around Lake Como. It is made during the preparation of another local delicacy called missoltini, a variety of preserved shad. To prepare missoltini, the shad must be cleaned and gutted before drying; the insides are fried with oil, onions, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, salt, pepper, dry white wine, and grated cheese, then turned into this delicious spread that is best enjoyed smeared over slices of homemade bread or polenta.

Culadur

Croatia

Dagnje na buzaru is a traditional dish of the Croatian coast prepared with mussels as the main ingredient. The shells are scrubbed, placed into a pot with lukewarm water, covered, and lightly heated until all of them crack open. Olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a bit of pepper are saut&eacute;ed, then mixed with the mussels and maybe a few slices of lemon. White wine is added for the final touch, and the dish is then shortly simmered. Before serving, dagnje na buzaru are often sprinkled with breadcrumbs for thickening, and the dish is then served with lots of bread on the side for mopping up the leftover juices. Dagnje na buzaru is a 'white' version of the dish, but there is also a 'red' version called dagnje na crvenu buzaru or dagnje na crveno, prepared mostly in the same way, but with the addition of tomato sauce and without breadcrumbs.

Dagnje na buzaru

Dahi ke kabab is a traditional dish that's usually served as an appetizer. The dish is made with Greek yogurt (strained thick yogurt), breadcrumbs, onions, garam masala, cinnamon, cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander leaves, chili peppers, salt, and oil. Usually, a bit of paneer can also be added to the mix. These vegetarian kebabs are usually grilled, pan-fried, or cooked in an oven. Once prepared, they should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. It's recommended to serve dahi ke kabab with green chutneys on the side.

Dahi ke kabab

India

Dahi vada is a popular Indian snack that can also be served either as a main dish or as an accompaniment to vegetable or meat dishes. The dish originates from North India and consists of savory lentil-based fried balls (vadas) that are soaked in a thick yogurt (dahi). This popular street food is often topped with spices such as chili, cumin, coriander, and various chutneys. The dish is also popular at festive occasions such as weddings, and provides an ideal refreshment on a hot summer day.

Dahi vada

Greece

Dakos or ntakos is a traditional Cretan dish consisting of a dry barley rusk called paximadi that is topped with crumbled myzithra cheese, chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and a few generous splashes of high-quality olive oil. It's recommended to use olive varieties such as Koroneiki, Lianes, or Tsounates. Myzithra cheese is traditionally used, and not feta, which is usually reserved for tourist restaurants. The rusk is often gently rubbed with a small piece of garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt. If available, kritamo (sea fennel) is also sometimes added to dakos. The dish is usually served as a meze or light dinner.

Dakos

China

Traditional dan dan noodles are a true classic of Chinese cuisine. The star of the dish is a spicy sauce served with the noodles. Made with chili oil, preserved vegetables, Sichuan peppercorn, and sometimes sesame or peanut paste, the sauce bursts with heat and complex flavors. The meat, most commonly minced pork or beef, is also commonly included, but mainly acts as a garnish. In China, the varieties differ only slightly, but worldwide the traditional dan dan noodles have been adjusted to the more gentle western palate and use significantly fewer spices. The dish originated in the Sichuan province, and it is still one of the most common dishes in the area. The name itself comes from the way the noodles were initially offered to the Sichuan citizens and refers to the bamboo pole carried on the shoulders, which was used to transport the dish through the city streets. Today, the dish is usually served in restaurants, but is still equally attractive and retains the original flavors. Whether they are eaten hot or cold, dan dan noodles are usually served in smaller portions, as an appetizer, the main dish, and sometimes even as an accompaniment. Typical garnishes include sliced scallions, chopped peanuts, or sesame seeds.

Dan Dan noodles

An egg roll is a Chinese-style snack consisting of diced meat and chopped vegetables that are wrapped in an egg-based dough, and then deep-fried in hot oil. Although Andrew Coe, the author of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States claims that the appetizer was invented in New York in the early 1930s, most people still believe that egg rolls originated in Southern China, as the tradition stems from Cantonese cuisine. Today, egg rolls are mostly consumed as appetizers or as a part of a big breakfast, when they are served hot, preferably with a spicy dipping sauce on the side. There are also numerous other versions of egg rolls in countries such as Vietnam, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India.

Dan gun

Danubio napoletano is a traditional stuffed bread originating from Naples. This pull-apart brioche is usually made up of small buns that are filled with provola cheese and prosciutto cotto. However, there are also sweet versions of Danubio, often filled with pastry cream or fruit jam. The traditional version is made with a combination of milk, flour, sugar, yeast, eggs, salt, butter, provola cheese, and prosciutto cotto. Once assembled, the Danubio is baked in an oven until golden brown on top. It's then served as an appetizer or a snack in the afternoon.

Danubio napoletano

D&aacute;tiles envueltos en tocino translates to "bacon-wrapped dates" in English. This dish involves wrapping dates in bacon and then baking or frying them until the bacon is crispy. The combination of the sweet, chewy dates and the salty, crispy bacon creates a delicious contrast of flavors and textures. Bacon-wrapped dates are often served as an appetizer or a snack at parties and gatherings, and are one of the Spanish tapas staples. Sometimes, the dates are stuffed with cheese, nuts, or other fillings before being wrapped in bacon, adding another layer of flavor.

Dátiles envueltos en tocino

Deviled eggs typically consist of shelled and halved hard-boiled eggs that have had their boiled yolks removed and blended with ingredients such as mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, and seasonings into a smooth paste, which is then added back to the cavities of the egg whites. This all-time favorite is usually finished with paprika on top, and it is typically enjoyed chilled either as an appetizer or a side. Often mistakenly considered an American culinary contribution, the first versions of this simple gourmet delicacy are believed to have been invented in ancient Rome. From there, the dish has spread throughout Europe first, and then all over the world, yielding endless interpretations in different countries and resulting in the numerous variations known today. Interestingly, the word deviled in the name of this dish derives from the terms devil and devilling, both of which were used as culinary terms in Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th century to refer to food that contains hot ingredients, is highly seasoned or spicy. Deviled eggs are a staple at parties, potluck gatherings, and picnics, and these days they&rsquo;re often enhanced with a wide range of additions such as pickles, kimchi paste, dill, vinegar, chili powder, sriracha hot sauce, bacon, caviar, or crab meat.