What mums in other countries feed their kids

[agoodbookandsomefizz]

I started a thread in a totally different bit of MN and got no response so I'm hoping the food section is going to be more successful!

I am fascinated by what mums in other countries feed their kids as I get so bored with all my English style recipes I would love to introduce my kids to new dishes and new flavours. I also can't help thinking that some countries have a much healthier way of eating (Mediterranean diet etc) and I'd like to know more!

I've even gone so far as wondering whether a compendium of classic dishes from different countries - which would include breakfast ideas and snacks could work as a recipe book? So this is my initial research. Ideally I'd like to come away with a bunch of new ideas for my own daily cooking sanity and if there are enough interesting dishes, who knows, I may try to put a book together (I've been dying to use my brain since having kids and this seems like a good way to do it)!!

So, my question is. Does anyone out there know of any classic dishes from different countries? For example I know that grated carrot salad (made with orange juice) is a favourite vegetable dish amongst French children....and after a few failed attempts my kids love it too as I also grate apple into it. Any more?!

Thank you!

[UptoapointLordCopper]

In UK but from South East Asia.

We typically eat rice-based Chinese dishes (DC's favourite: plainly cooked tofu , braised meat in soya sauce, and bean curd skin in various forms), rice-based Japanese dishes (grilled salmon a favourite, and miso soup. With tofu), Chinese/Japanese style noodles. And of course pizza/pasta/burgers/roasts etc.

[SavoyCabbage]

My dh is West Indian so we eat a lot of food from his childhood.
My dc's favourites are:

Stewed chicken, which is chicken cooked in a liquid brown sugar.

Rice and peas which is in fact rice and lentils.

Callaloo which is a soup that you eat with rice made out of spinach, pumpkin, okra and crab.

[UptoapointLordCopper]

Savoy How is the chicken cooked? We have a southern Chinese recipe where duck is stewed in caramelised sugar.

[kazzawazzawoo]

I worked as an au pair in North Germany, then lived there for ten years. Bread or rolls (at the weekend) with cheese, cold meats or jam for breakfast. For tea also "Abendbrot" (evening bread) which is bread with cold meats and cheese. For lunch different warm meals, including "Milchreis" warm rice pudding with hot cherries in sauce as mentioned above or pancakes, but also chicken dishes with rice, sausages with sauerkraut or fried potatoes, fried plaice, goulash with potatoes, roast beef or pork, with potatoes and veg, spaghetti bolognese or carbonara. Also interesting fish called Senfeier, mustard eggs, which is basically hard boiled eggs in a mustardy sauce (like white sauce flavoured with mustard) served with potatoes. Or Nudelauflauf - pasta shapes cooked, then covered with eggs beaten with milk, salt and pepper and a few fried lardons thrown in, baked in an oven and served with a tomatoey sauce.

I love the tradition of cream cake from the local baker's with coffee on a Sunday afternoon

[LordPalmerston]

Auflauf just means left overs

[Nottsgirl2014]

I am from Brazil but living in the Ukad i fed my son mainly brazilia style food. Homemade stewed beans, stewed meat (casserole style), rice, lots of fresh veg n fruits. Snacks are basically salad fruit, yogurt, jelly etc. and mainly everything is cooked from scratch, not thinned or prepared food. Hope it helps ;)

[kazzawazzawoo]

Are you sure Lord? I thought it was a baked dish, like pasta bake.

[kazzawazzawoo]

Sorry, that should have read "interesting DISH called Senfeier", not fish!

[RedundantExpat]

Auflauf means gratin, not leftovers. Although you can make it from leftovers, of course.

japan: Miso soup and onigiri (rice triangles).

Switzerland: Roesti (swiss potato pancake)

italian Pastina in brodo (small egg noodles in home made vegetable broth), pasta in all shapes and sauces.

[LordPalmerston]

My mistake

[Quangle]

oh god yes - that Norwegian brown cheese

[Quinteszilla]

That norwegian brown cheese is PERFECT on waffles....

Also rice porridge (cooked on risotto rice and milk) with a knob of butter, and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Food of the gods.....

[Quangle]

actually those were both gems from our Norwegian au pair. We hated the brown cheese but loved the Norwegian porridge which, in her version, was basically white sauce with butter, cinnamon and sugar. I keep promising to make it for the DCs but it doesn't seem to get cold enough to merit it.

[Quinteszilla]

Ooooh, a Norwegian au pair....We also had one of those. (Did not work out so well!)

[Quangle]

ours was quite cool. I remember her entertaining us by blowing smoke rings ...ah the seventies

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Totally off topic but you've jogged my memory about a book I read as a child that talked about the brown cheese and I'm buggered if I can remember what it was. That's going to bug me all night now.

[Quinteszilla]

Ours was a spoilt princess that did not appreciate that I managed to magic up a professor in Japanese for her to talk to about her desires to study Japanese language and culture at uni, but complained that I was not supportive enough in her dreams and aspirations. Oh well, this was yesteryear x3.

[RedundantExpat]

Isn't it called yeto/st or something like that? definitely an acquired taste.

[Deathwatchbeetle]

Cuxibamba - I have had the potato dish with peanut sauce - served up in Battersea park! I went to a South American festival thingy and they had loads of stalls. The food stalls were very very popular and rightly so. Is it Peru or all over where they freeze potatoes in the ground?? And they have around 365 potato recipes! My kind of people!!!!

[TheBookofRuth]

Wow, Spanish school dinners sound so much healthier and nicer than English ones!

[WilsonFrickett]

I weaned DS on pastina, I used to make a special trip to the horrendously expensive Italian deli and buy the star shaped ones. Sooooo pretty. (I did once see them in Tesco for about a quid cheaper but they were not the Same Brand and therefore unsuitable for my PFB).

Mind you, I used to bake my own beans so DS wouldn't be sullied by salt and sugar....

[bigwellylittlewelly]

We eat a lot of eastern dishes although we are UK born and bred, our only occasional frustration is being unable to give dd1 soya which means some Japanese food is not suitable.

I do like continental breakfast, not a fan of cereals and toast!

[mrspremise]

Gjetost

[mrspremise]

And I baked my own beans for our dc too! but then I'm a bit phobic about the tinned ones anyway

[Aelfrith]

Spent a lot of time abroad when DC were small.... they still favour a breakfast of plain bread, cheese, slice of ham, slices of cucumber. Possibly followed by plain yoghurt.

Then they have a packed lunch which is almost identical, plus fruit!

Bit dull but it's quite easy and healthy so I go with it.

Usual 'UK style' tea...roasts, burgers, risotto, lasagne, curry, pizza!