Family Travellers tips on what food kids will love to eat when on holiday in Europe.
For many, an important part of any holiday is the chance to feast on the local cuisine. But when you have a troop of children in tow who’ll only eat boiled eggs and bananas, menus can become a little limited. If you want to encourage the kids to become true global eaters, let them explore new tastes and textures when they’re relaxed on holiday. Here are some European delicacies to tempt little taste buds.
1/ Austria
Sound of Music aside, Austria is renowned for its sturdy Alpine cuisine. Perfect for kids, they’ll love the crunchy, buttery taste of a traditional Weiner schnitzel, a thin veal cutlet breaded and fried in butter and usually served with fries. Ketchup optional.
2/ Belgium
Older kids will love Belgium’s national dish of moules frites. Usually served in a tin bucket with a hot pile of fries and a pot of creamy mayonnaise. And best of all, these steamed mussels fragrant with wine, herbs and garlic must be eaten with fingers.
3/ Switzerland
A big iron pot of bubbling cheese with a mountain of crusty bread to dip, what’s not to like? A real Swiss fondue is one of life’s ultimate indulgences and the fact that it’s fun to eat will really appeal to little cheese monsters, while xarniverous mini gourmands may prefer a meat fondue or to watch dinner sizzle on a Pierrade (hot stone). Pick chicken, beef or pork, dip in a selection of sauces and enjoy with a side of veg.
4/ Spain
We defy any child not to like churros, a long, thin Spanish doughnut, fried and tossed in sugar and dipped into bowls of creamy hot chocolate. The breakfast of kings and guaranteed to be a hit with children and adults alike.
Originating from Valencia on the east coast of Spain, paella is synonymous with the vibrant Spanish culture. Kids will love this colourful rice dish brimming with shellfish, chicken, chorizo and vegetables, which is usually cooked in an oversized pan. It’s a real exploration of tastes and textures that will have them asking for una mas, por favor.
5/ Portugal
Do as the Portuguese do and worship the pastel de nata, the little custard tarts created by medieval monks in the 17th century. These flaky pastry tarts filled with vanilla egg custard have a creamy, heavenly flavour. In fact, don’t let the kids have them after all!
6/ Italy
Forget a ham and pineapple stuffed crust, proper pizza hails from in the south of Italy. Kids will love the simplicity of a true Italian pizza like the classic margherita (named after the Queen of Savoy) with tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.
7/ Holland
Poffertjes are the order of the day here. These tiny Dutch pancakes are made from buckwheat flour, served hot with lashings of butter and icing sugar. So deliciously addictive they are easily a daily staple.
8/ France
To kids it might look like a plain old cheese and ham toastie, but made with the finest French jambon, the gooiest Gruyere and topped with a creamy bechamel sauce and France’s humble croque-monsieur will win over even the fussiest child.