Take a look at 15 classic recipes from Europe that you probably won’t find on your dinner table anymore. These meals were everyday fare in the past, but they’ve fallen out of fashion as tastes and cooking styles have changed. We’re bringing them back to light, showing you what people used to eat in the old days across Europe.

Vegetarian Ukrainian borscht

Vegetarian Ukrainian borscht, a staple of Old World European cuisine, is a soup unlikely to grace modern tables, taking about 2 hours to make. Beets, carrots, potatoes, and kidney beans combine to create a distinctive earthy and slightly sweet flavor. A dollop of sour cream traditionally accompanies the dish, enhancing its richness. Reflective of Ukraine’s culinary heritage, this soup is a fading echo of traditional cooking.
Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Ukrainian borscht

Apple Cranberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Apple Cranberry Muffins with Streusel Topping are reminiscent of a bygone era, requiring about 30 minutes to prepare. The interplay of tart cranberries and sweet apples beneath a crumbly streusel offers a taste that modern palates rarely encounter. These muffins, once common in Old World kitchens, now represent a forgotten comfort of European baking. The contrasting textures and flavors are a testament to the simplicity of past confectioneries.
Get the Recipe: Apple Cranberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Ukrainian Cucumber Salad

Ukrainian Cucumber Salad, a dish from the past, can be made in a swift 15 minutes. Combining cucumbers, dill, and garlic with a sour cream-based dressing, it provides a crisp and tangy flavor rarely savored in contemporary cuisine. This light, flavorful salad once balanced the heartier dishes of Ukraine but is now overshadowed by modern culinary trends. The simplicity of this Old World recipe is a refreshing departure from today’s complex flavors.
Get the Recipe: Ukrainian Cucumber Salad

Baked creamy salmon

Baked creamy salmon, a dish with roots in Old World European cooking, takes about 25 minutes to cook. The salmon, enriched with cream cheese, garlic, and herbs, presents a moist and flavorful experience that modern diners seldom appreciate. Once a common method to highlight the natural flavors of fish, this rich preparation is now a rare indulgence. The dish exemplifies the straightforward yet satisfying approach to European gastronomy.
Get the Recipe: Baked creamy salmon

Gluten free cherry cobbler

Gluten-free cherry cobbler, a dessert once relished across Europe, bakes in about 45 minutes and is now a rarity. Featuring a juicy cherry filling with a gluten-free crust, it offers a sweet and tart flavor with a comforting texture. Such desserts, crafted with cherries, gluten-free flour, and sugar, are a nod to the inclusivity of Old World recipes. Today, this cobbler is a seldom-served reminder of the past’s sweet simplicity.
Get the Recipe: Gluten free cherry cobbler

Mushroom leek pasta kugel

Mushroom leek pasta kugel, an hour-long journey into Jewish-European heritage, is a dish fading from modern menus. Pasta, mushrooms, leeks, and cheese blend to create a creamy, savory flavor emblematic of Eastern European comfort food. Once a staple, this baked pasta dish is now a rare find, representing a culinary tradition that is slowly disappearing. The kugel’s comforting taste is a tribute to the enduring legacy of Jewish cuisine.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom leek pasta kugel

Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes

Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes, a relic of homestyle European cooking, takes about an hour to prepare. The buttermilk-marinated chicken, baked alongside potatoes, results in a dish whose simplicity is now overshadowed by contemporary flavors. Juicy chicken with a crispy skin and soft potatoes once defined comfort food but are now seldom experienced. This dish is a fading memory of the hearty, unpretentious meals of yesteryear.
Get the Recipe: Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes

The perfect rice pilaf

The perfect rice pilaf, a side dish requiring 40 minutes to make, is a fading gem from Old World European kitchens. Rice, carrots, onions, and spices combine to create a fragrant and subtle flavor that modern cuisine often overlooks. Once a common accompaniment, this fluffy, fragrant pilaf is now a rare sight on dining tables. It carries the legacy of a time when simple grains were celebrated for their natural taste.
Get the Recipe: The perfect rice pilaf

Sauteed cabbage with peppers

Sauteed cabbage with peppers, a vibrant 20-minute dish, harks back to a simpler time in European gastronomy. The combination of sweet peppers and slightly bitter cabbage creates flavors that are now rare in today’s kitchens. This nutritious and flavorful dish was once a colorful staple but is now eclipsed by more complex fare. Its straightforward preparation is a testament to the Old World’s culinary ethos.
Get the Recipe: Sauteed cabbage with peppers

Cold Bulgarian soup with kefir, cucumbers, dill, walnuts and feta

Cold Bulgarian soup with kefir, cucumbers, dill, walnuts, and feta is a refreshing 15-minute preparation from a bygone culinary tradition. The tangy kefir and crisp cucumbers, enhanced by aromatic dill, are a combination that modern taste buds rarely encounter. Once a staple in Bulgarian diets, this chilled soup is now a culinary rarity. The unique blend of flavors is a lingering taste of Bulgaria’s past.
Get the Recipe: Cold Bulgarian soup with kefir, cucumbers, dill, walnuts and feta

Bosnian Pita Pie

Bosnian Pita Pie, an Old World European dish taking 1 hour and 30 minutes to prepare, is now a rare delicacy. Spinach and cheese encased in flaky phyllo dough create a satisfying crunch and rich filling that have fallen out of favor in modern cuisine. This pie, cherished during special occasions in Bosnia, is a fading tradition in today’s fast-paced culinary scene. The pie’s enduring appeal lies in its connection to European heritage and communal gatherings.
Get the Recipe: Bosnian Pita Pie

Jeweled vegetarian rice plov

Jeweled vegetarian rice plov, once a centerpiece of grand European banquets, now takes about 1 hour to fade into obscurity. Rice, carrots, chickpeas, and dried fruits merge to produce a sweet and savory flavor that modern dishes seldom replicate. Adorned with pomegranate seeds, this plov’s festive appearance and burst of flavor are reminiscent of a forgotten era of opulence. The dish’s vibrant presentation and taste are relics of a more extravagant time.
Get the Recipe: Jeweled vegetarian rice plov

homemade gefilte fish recipe with beet chrein

The homemade gefilte fish recipe with beet chrein, a 2 hour and 30 minute commitment to Jewish culinary history, is now a rarity. Ground fish paired with a sharp beet chrein offers a texture and flavor profile that has nearly vanished from contemporary dining. This traditional Passover staple is a poignant reminder of a once ubiquitous European Jewish dish that is slowly disappearing. The gefilte fish and its accompaniment are enduring symbols of a rich cultural past.
Get the Recipe: homemade gefilte fish recipe with beet chrein

Traditional Russian blintzes

Traditional Russian blintzes, requiring about 1 hour to make, are a nostalgic nod to a time when such delicacies were commonplace. These thin, crepe-like pancakes filled with sweet cheese are a culinary rarity in the modern age. Once a beloved treat for breakfast or dessert, blintzes are now a seldom-savored remnant of Russian heritage. Their creamy filling and tender exterior are a testament to the enduring charm of Russia’s culinary traditions.
Get the Recipe: Traditional Russian blintzes

Buckwheat kasha with camarelized mushrooms and onions

Buckwheat kasha with caramelized mushrooms and onions, a 40-minute preparation, is a hearty dish from Eastern European history now rarely served. The nutty buckwheat paired with savory mushrooms and onions once provided comfort during harsh winters but is now a forgotten comfort. This staple, known for its earthy flavors, has fallen out of favor in a world of ever-changing food trends. Its warm and satisfying nature is a lingering memory of old-world sustenance.
Get the Recipe: Buckwheat kasha with camarelized mushrooms and onions