European Foods

Kyopoolu (Köpoğlu) is a popular Bulgarian and Turkish spread, relish, meze and salad made principally from roasted eggplants and garlic. Common recipes include further ingredients such as baked bell peppers, baked kapia red peppers, tomatoes, tomato juice or tomato paste, onions, parsley, black pepper, and laurel leaves. Hot peppers may also be added. Taste can vary from light and sweet to hot and peppery. It is usually oven-cooked in pots or casseroles. Kyopolou is a typical eggplant appetizer and can be consumed as a bread spread, a condiment, or as a salad. It is generally prepared as a canned food, in glass jars, for the winter season.

Ingredients: water, cucumbers, sugar, salt, chili peppers, dill, horseradish, garlic, celery, bay leaves, black pepper, citric acid, distilled vinegar.

Rosehip is part of the fruit that grows on the blossom of a wild rose called Rosa canina. This rose grows mostly in Europe and parts of Africa and Asia. Rosehips are packed full of vitamin C, E and B, and other antioxidants and minerals. They also contain a substance that fights inflammation.

The potency of various chamomile teas varies, with some containing significantly more chamomile than others. The more potent teas are also more likely to cause side effects in people who are vulnerable to them. Consequently, it is safest to start with a low dosage and work up to larger doses slowly. Chamomile contains chemicals called flavonoids. These flavonoids are a type of nutrient present in many plants, and they play a significant role in chamomile’s medicinal effects.

Mint tea is a herbal tea made by infusing mint leaves in hot water. Mint tea made with peppermint leaves is called peppermint tea, and mint tea made with spearmint is called spearmint tea. There also exist teas that infuse peppermint and spearmint leaves.

Sweet blueberry is a berry that was first part of the daily diet of the Native Americans, and today is still mostly grown in North America.