Since i had lived in all three countries (France, Spain and Italy) in the past 2 years, my friends suddenly asked me this question on the difference between Italian, Spanish and French cuisines?

On what i had eaten and observed (please correct me if i am wrong):
- in italy, they uses a lot of olive oil, garlic and tomatoes (fresh or puree) in their cooking
- pasta and pizza was the most common food
- when cooking, onion and garlic will never be used together (italian cooking)

in France, the cooking was much more simpler:
- there's more types of stews and soups e.g Boullabaise and cock au vin
- the crepes, there's savoury version and sweet version (crepes suzette)
- every meals there should be at least 3 types of cheeses

Spanish cooking
- i only lived in Valencia so the most common dish was the Paella, rice cooked with saffron with rabbit meat and seafood

Other observations:
-French pastries was the best between all 3
-Italian cuisines differ from region to region like there's Ligurian cuisines, Veronese cuisines and there's Piemontese cuisines and many more
- Italian cheese are much more subtler in terms of the aroma compared to the french cheese


What i like to eat the most in Italy:
- Trippa, a stew made from cow's belly
- grilled horse meat (famous only in verona and emilia romagna area)
- Ligurian seafood (spaghetti ai frutti di mare, cooked with curry sauce and risotto cooked in blank ink of the calamari, grilled seafood with a splash of lemon)
- 'guanciale' stew - meat from the cows' cheek cooked in herbs and normally eaten with polenta or potatoes
-salsiccia di suino
-different sauces for the pasta - beschamel, bolognese, con tartuffo nero, pesto genovese, arrabiata but my favorite was pesto rosso (found one bottle in an artigianale shop in Cinque terre)

can anyone point me out if there's any more difference in terms of cooking style between these 3 countries?

Hi Ronald,
interesting thread... I have never been neither to France nor to Spain, so I can't help you on this side of the issue, but I can tell you that onions and garlic do are used together in italian cousine, mostly for the "soffritto" (when you fry them together before adding whatever else). Garlic is not used so hugely if you consider Italian regional cousine in general, but of course there are several dishes in which it's abundantly used.
I hope to have been helpful in some way :)

Hi Ronald,
interesting thread... I have never been neither to France nor to Spain, so I can't help you on this side of the issue, but I can tell you that onions and garlic do are used together in italian cousine, mostly for the "soffritto" (when you fry them together before adding whatever else). Garlic is not used so hugely if you consider Italian regional cousine in general, but of course there are several dishes in which it's abundantly used.
I hope to have been helpful in some way :)

regarding the mixing of garlic and onion, i think its is influenced by regions...
here in emilia romagna, the italian family that i lived with normally will mix garlic and onions for the soffrito together 'until it is golden brown and emits some tasteful aromas before putting in stuff'

i do watch 'Pianeta Mare' i think its in Rai Due and they will show some styles of cooking seafood. Its from there i learn not to mix onion and garlic but as i have said before, maybe it depends on the region and on what dish you are preparing, right?

There is a common point between Italian French and Spanish cuisine:
They are all far superior to any other country's cuisine.

There is alot of lending among those three great cooking traditions due of culture and politics over the centuries. All of them with delicious results.

One story I was always told is that the origins of fine French cuisine stems from the arrival of Maria de Medici (and her Italian cooks)to France from Florence to become queen. I have no idea if there is truth in this, but I like the story. I like fancy French foods but I enjoy the more rustic dishes of the south and the western coasts just as much.

Spain is a country that I only remember having one bad meal, and I'm a huge fan of regional Spanish cooking. Paella, in all its numerous forms is one of my all time favorites -especially when it's full of langostino and cuttlefish. However Italy has its own version of paella brought when the Spanish ruled the north - it's called Risotto alla Milanese.

ok that's it for me, way too early in the morning for me to talk about food:D

I think the cooking garlic and onion together must be a regional thing. I attended 6 cooking classes while living in Italy and I think only one said that it was a no no. I do know that when I cook , the first three ingredients for sauces are garlic/onion and olive oil.
I have found French cooking to be a little rich for me and Spanish food is sort of on the same line as Italian. They all love to use fresh ingredients.

There is alot of lending among those three great cooking traditions due of culture and politics over the centuries. All of them with delicious results.

One story I was always told is that the origins of fine French cuisine stems from the arrival of Maria de Medici (and her Italian cooks)to France from Florence to become queen. I have no idea if there is truth in this, but I like the story. I like fancy French foods but I enjoy the more rustic dishes of the south and the western coasts just as much.

Spain is a country that I only remember having one bad meal, and I'm a huge fan of regional Spanish cooking. Paella, in all its numerous forms is one of my all time favorites -especially when it's full of langostino and cuttlefish. However Italy has its own version of paella brought when the Spanish ruled the north - it's called Risotto alla Milanese.

ok that's it for me, way too early in the morning for me to talk about food:D

I heard the same thing about the influence of Medici in French cuisines, its her cooks that brought along with them the already rich Italian cooking styles to France but before that, France has already establishes itself as a 'food nation' especially with the elaborate dining of the aristocrats and buorgeois in France. But nevertheless, France and Italy influences each other in its cooking styles.

As for Spain, the influences comes from the Arabs when they brought along almonds and other herbs to the south of Spain and from there it spreads across Spain. I think the south of italy has the same influence with the south of spain mainly coming from the arabs right?

That's right, the foods of Southern Spain and Italy were heavily influenced by the Arab conquests. Saffron, sugarcane, even pasta have Arab origins - and that is a very, very short list.

Speaking of pasta, both Southern Spain and Sicily still enjoy the Arab pasta known as couscous (cuscus) - often mistaken for grain. I find that in Andalusia they prepare couscous similar to the way the make it in Morocco. (the couscous with baby goat I had in the Moroccan highlands is one of my most memorable food experiences). However in Sicily (and maybe Sardinia) "cuscus" is only served with seafood.

Oh an one more thing the Italians introduced to fine French cuisine: the fork - a utensil that did not make it to England until the mid 17th century!

That's right, the foods of Southern Spain and Italy were heavily influenced by the Arab conquests. Saffron, sugarcane, even pasta have Arab origins - and that is a very, very short list.

Speaking of pasta, both Southern Spain and Sicily still enjoy the Arab pasta known as couscous (cuscus) - often mistaken for grain. I find that in Andalusia they prepare couscous similar to the way the make it in Morocco. (the couscous with baby goat I had in the Moroccan highlands is one of my most memorable food experiences). However in Sicily (and maybe Sardinia) "cuscus" is only served with seafood.

Oh an one more thing the Italians introduced to fine French cuisine: the fork - a utensil that did not make it to England until the mid 17th century!

Couscous with Seafood!! that will be interesting, i have to try that someday..i have tasted lebanese styled couscous with grilled chicken and salsiccia and that was awesome...

Help me out here. Stef had said in her post the word soffrito. It might be dialect but I thought soffrito was a dish made from all the innards. usually very picante.

Ed

Soffritto I think is calles suate' ( maybe ) - It is basically a pan with olive oil and you can add garlic or oninion ( or maybe both ) and maybe red pepper etc -

I personally love all of the Mediterranean cousine - From the country about to Lebanon - Greece - Turkey etc ... I do not like the northern Europe style of cooking which is also too heavy for the Modern life style since most people do not go out work the fields at 5 am anymore.

Soffritto I think is calles suate' ( maybe ) - It is basically a pan with olive oil and you can add garlic or oninion ( or maybe both ) and maybe red pepper etc -

I personally love all of the Mediterranean cousine - From the country about to Lebanon - Greece - Turkey etc ... I do not like the northern Europe style of cooking which is also too heavy for the Modern life style since most people do not go out work the fields at 5 am anymore.

i thought 'soffrito' means Saute..