WASHINGTON, DC – The European Union Holiday Cookbook, available online, features delicious and festive recipes from the member nations, including Greece and Cyprus. With main courses, sides, appetizers, desserts, and drinks, the cookbook offers a variety of flavors from across the EU to enjoy during the holiday season.

EU Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis noted on the website: “In this collection, we have asked ambassadors and chefs from every EU member state embassy in Washington to share their favorite recipe for a national dish normally enjoyed around this time of year. The result is a showcase of not only rich culinary variety, but of cultural variety— a ‘kitchen sink’ of cuisine and heritage, if you will.”

“So gather the family, invite your friends, and try your hand at one – or all- of these traditional dishes, drinks, breads, and desserts,” he continued. “Be sure to read the quotes and tips along the way: these personal additions not only offer tricks for making the recipe at hand, but also provide some explanation as to why it is so important to the country it comes from. Cuisine is a source of national pride, and together, the European Union is proud of the vast variety of food and drink we offer from across our many wonderful nations.”

“As I said, welcome to the EU Holiday Cookbook— but even more, welcome to this unique tour that will take you through yet another facet of the rich diversity of the European Union. Happy Holidays— and happy cooking,” Ambassador Lambrinidis concluded.

Among those sharing recipes, Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Alexandra Papadopoulou offers her great-grandmother’s Vasilopita recipe. “It is my pleasure to share it with all of you,” she said on the website. “May you win the hidden coin and have a wonderful new year!”

Also sharing a beloved family recipe, Ambassador of Cyprus to the U.S. Marios Lysiotis highlights his late mother’s recipe for Cypriot Ravioli, noting that “culinary experts say this dish has its origins in Venetian Cyprus during the Renaissance period.”

Home cooks trying out the recipes are encouraged to let the EU Delegation know how each dish turned out by posting a pic with #EUHolidayCookbook.

The European Union Holiday Cookbook is available online: https://euholidaycookbook.org/.

About the EU Delegation

The EU is represented in the United States by the Washington, DC Delegation of the European Union, which works in close coordination with the embassies and consulates of the EU member states.

Initiatives such as this cookbook are just one example of how the EU Delegation works to promote EU culture and policy in the United States. Most of the Delegation’s work focuses on political implementation and diplomacy, including presenting and explaining EU actions to the U.S. Administration and Congress. By engaging with political actors, the media, academia, business, and civil society, the Delegation raises awareness of EU issues and concerns, and promote the importance of the EU-U.S. relationship among the American public. Further work includes analyzing and reporting on the political, social, and economic situation in the U.S. to the EU headquarters in Brussels.

Learn more about the EU in general at euintheus.org, and join some of their events at events.euintheus.org.