Let’s Have a Snack

In between the usual meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner sometimes people enjoy snacking. At times a popular time for a snack is after dinner. Hunger can strike at any time and people might go for savory or sweet snacks. There are pre-packaged snacks like chips, nuts, and popcorn. There are those who enjoy snacking on crackers and cheese. If you are creative you might enjoy making your own snacks. Here you’ll find ideas for making some delicious snacks.

Europe

Lithuania

Bulviniai blynai are traditional crispy potato pancakes. They are prepared with grated potatoes, diced onions, eggs, and flour. They’re seasoned with salt and pepper and fried on both sides to a golden brown.

France

Tarte flambee is a thin, crispy, rectangular baked dough. The dough is topped with spreadable cheese or melting cheese like Munster, crème fraiche, crispy bacon, and thinly sliced roasted onions. It is flavored with salt, ground pepper, peanut oil, and nutmeg.

Netherlands

Kibbeling are deep-fried pieces of fish. The fish filet pieces are dipped in batter and then deep-fried until brown and crisp. They’re eaten with dipping sauce like garlic sauce.

Germany

Quarkballchen or quark balls are a traditional snack. They’re prepared with quark, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and baking powder. Other ingredients can be added like milk, melted butter, cinnamon, lemon zest, or potato starch. The mixture is rolled into balls and deep-fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. When done they’re sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Hungary

Bundas kenyer is a traditional savory version of French toast. Slices of bread are coated in beaten eggs and pan-fried until crispy. This snack is accompanied by such condiments as sour cream and mayonnaise.

Czech Republic

Smazeny syr also known as smazak is a traditional snack. It is prepared with cheese, usually Edam. The thick slices of cheese are coated in eggs, breadcrumbs, and flour and then fried until crispy.

Poland

Zapiekanka is an open-face sandwich that makes you think of French-bread pizzas. A white baguette is cut lengthwise and topped with ingredients like meat, bacon, sausages, or even feta cheese, and olives. It can include sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes. Once topped the bread is grilled under a broiler.

Romania

Chiftele are crispy deep-fried meatballs. They are prepared with minced pork or chicken, bread crumbs, and mashed potatoes. They’re seasoned with onions, garlic, lovage, and parsley leaves.

Bulz is traditional and made with cooked polenta. Polenta is wrapped around a filling consisting of chunks of bacon or ham. The round balls are fried, baked, or grilled until a crusty crust forms.

Greece

Spanakopita a Greek spinach pie consists of flaky phyllo dough. The dough is filled with cooked spinach, lemon juice, and feta cheese. It is baked until golden brown.

Keftedakia are delicious meatballs. They’re made with ground pork and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, or stale bread and flavored with dill, pepper, parsley, and oregano. The mixture is shaped into small balls and fried in olive oil.

Italy

Arancini are golden rice balls filled with savory ingredients. The fillings can include meat sauce with peas, dried prosciutto, cheese like mozzarella and pecorino, tomatoes, or dried capers. The balls are rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in hot oil until golden brown.

Panzerotti are deep-fried crescent-shaped turnovers. They originated in the Apulia region. The prepared dough is rolled out and cut in circles. The classic filling consists of tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. However, they can be filled with other ingredients like prosciutto, pepperoni, spinach, and olives. The cheese can also be varied.

Spain

Croquetas de boletas are small Spanish fritters. They are made with a mix of creamy bechamel base and diced, sauteed boletus mushrooms. The base is well chilled before being shaped into round or cylindrical forms. The pieces are coated in egg wash and breadcrumbs. They’re deep fried until golden and crispy.

Asia

Indonesia

Bakwan or bala bala are Indonesian vegetable fritters. They’re prepared with rice or wheat flour mixed with water, eggs, baking powder, and various spices. Shredded vegetables such as carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, and scallions are added. They’re served with chili sauce, peanut sauce, or fiery chili peppers.

Lebanon

Fatayer an Arabic specialty consists of dough pockets that are filled with various ingredients. The ingredients can include spinach, cheese, chicken, beef, lamb, or potatoes. Once filled, they can be either fried or baked.

Sfiha (meat on dough) is an Arabic specialty. This open-faced meat pie has ingredients like minced lamb, chopped onions, and tomatoes placed on a round circle of dough. They’re spiced with olive oil, spices, and yogurt.

India

Panipuri is a popular snack. A deep-fried hollow breaded sphere is stuffed with tamarind chutney, chaat masala, potatoes, onions, hot chilies, and chickpeas.

South America

Argentina

Empanadas are a specialty of the Argentinian region of Tucuman. They are prepared with dough made with wheat flour and beef fat. The dough is rolled out and a circle is cut out and then filled with beef, chicken, or tripe and other ingredients like onions, hard-boiled eggs, paprika, and cumin. Each circle is folded over the filling and the edges are pressed so the filling does not come out. Then the empanadas are baked or deep-fried. Traditionally they are baked in a clay oven.

Brazil

Pastel is a deep-fried stuffed pastry. Half circles of dough are filled with ingredients like shredded chicken, ground beef, mozzarella, or small shrimp.

Coxinha is a crispy croquette that is filled with chicken and cream cheese. These are shaped into chicken drumsticks and breaded and deep-fried.

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