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Moules-frites is a traditional comfort food item consisting of mussels paired with Belgian fries on the side. The dish is commonly found in Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France. The condiment of choice accompanying the dish is mayonnaise, providing an additional note of richness.
Mussels are a Belgian staple - cheap and abundant, they were originally considered a poor man's meal, and have been paired with fried potatoes for a long time at the country's famous friteries (fry shops). It is believed that the dish is originally from Belgium, because Belgians were the first to pair the mussels with fries, commonly eaten throughout the country in wintertime, when no fish was available.
MOST ICONIC Moules-frites
View moreKibbeling is a popular Dutch street food item consisting of pieces of fish that are dipped in batter, deep-fried in hot oil, and served with a dipping sauce such as garlic sauce, remoulade, ravigote, or whiskey sauce. In the Netherlands, kibbeling is mostly consumed as a snack, but it can also be prepared for dinner, when it is recommended to pair it with French fries, a fresh salad, and a sauce of choice.
MOST ICONIC Kibbeling
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Steckerlfisch (from steckerl, meaning a small pole or a stick in Bavarian) is a staple fish specialty in beer gardens and at folk fests and fairs throughout Germany, especially in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia.
It consists of a whole fish that’s been gutted and cleaned, then threaded on a stick and grilled over hot embers. Although early versions typically used freshwater white fish and trout, the selection of fish expanded with time, and it nowadays includes saltwater fish too, with mackerel as the most prominent choice.
The fish is typically either marinated or dusted with seasoned flour before cooking and once done, it is usually served in paper.
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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 sautéed, 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.
MOST ICONIC Dagnje na buzaru
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Jadranske lignje na padelu (lit. Adriatic squid in a pan) is a traditional Dalmatian dish made with fresh squid, olive oil, white wine, fish stock, garlic, parsley, pepper, and potatoes. The squids are first cleaned and seasoned, then fried in olive oil with garlic and parsley.
The combination is further enriched with the addition of wine, fish stock, and potatoes. The dish is a staple during summer in Dalmatia, and it is recommended to pair it with a glass of white wine on the side.
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Buzara is a Croatian technique of preparing seafood by cooking it in a mixture of olive oil, wine, garlic, fresh herbs (usually parsley), and (sometimes) breadcrumbs. This method of preparation creates a flavorful sauce that gives the dish distinctive, fresh, and clean flavor and aroma reminiscent of the sea.
The dish is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, while the most common choice of seafood is scampi (škampi na buzaru) or mussels (dagnje na buzaru), but clams, prawns, lobsters, limpets, or even small fish are also often cooked using this method.
VARIATIONS OF Buzara
MOST ICONIC Buzara
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Šaran u rašljama is a traditional dish that is a specialty of the Croatian region of Baranja. It consists of a large carp that is placed in a divining rod and slowly cooked over a wood fire, giving it a unique smokiness and aroma.
About ten minutes before the carp is fully cooked, it is sprinkled with salt and ground red paprika for extra flavor. It is recommended to serve the carp with spring onions, a potato salad, and a glass of white wine on the side.
MOST ICONIC Šaran u rašljama
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At just about every haringhuis (herring stand) or vishandel (fish shop) in Amsterdam, one can buy the Dutch delicacy of smoked eel, known as gerookte paling. In the past, smoked eel was a staple in the country, but today it is a true delicacy due to the scarcity of eels and its high price.
The dish is both healthy and flavorful, filled with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and protein. It is usually served on a bun or a cracker and consumed as a snack.
MOST ICONIC Gerookte paling
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Hobotnica ispod peke is a popular Dalmatian dish made by slowly cooking a fresh, whole octopus in its juices under a big, traditional, bell-like lid called peka. The octopus is often flavored with aromatic herbs and spices such as garlic, bay leaves, pasrley and black pepper.
Olive oil is sometimes added in order to moisten the octopus, while red or white wine can be added to speed up the cooking process. Potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers are usually cooked together with the octopus, making this a practical one-pot meal.
MOST ICONIC Hobotnica ispod peke
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Salata od hobotnice is a traditional octopus salad originating from Dalmatia, but it's very popular throughout the country, especially on Christmas Eve and during the summer. Although there are many versions, it's usually made with a combination of octopus, onions, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, parsley, potatoes, salt, vinegar, and tomatoes.
The cleaned octopus is cooked, then cut into smaller pieces and mixed with the other ingredients. It's recommended to cook it with a few wine corks as they will soak up the bitter flavors during cooking. The salad is sometimes enriched with capers, olives, or lemon juice, and it's recommended to serve it well chilled, ideally with fresh bread on the side for mopping up the juices.
MOST ICONIC Salata od hobotnice
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 70 Central European Seafood Dishes” list until February 14, 2025, 2,555 ratings were recorded, of which 1,787 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.