History of Italian cuisine

History of Italian cuisine

From wine to pasta, olive oil with tomatoes , Italy , from North to South , is full of charm and traditions to be discovered. Match up the different gastronomic specialties allows you to expand their culinary knowledge , besides satisfying your own personal taste .

Italian cuisine is characterized by typical products that distinguish each region .

From north to south of the country you can find unique delicacies that have always made Italy one of the most popular tourist destinations not only from the cultural point of view but also from that of gastronomic riches .

One of the main characteristics of Italian cuisine is probably due to its extreme variety , both from the territorial point of view and from that of the ingredients and raw materials that are the basis of the dishes and their history .

Every Italian region , from the northern regions as Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto , Emilia passing through the center of Lazio, Umbria , Marche and reaching those in the south , Calabria , Puglia , Sicily, with a particular group to Sardinia, is with unique characteristics both from the point of view of landscape - cultural and from that of climate , and consequently the type of terrain and environment in which to cultivate the products , essential raw material in order to have a kitchen rich and healthy , which is that Mediterranean .

Just Mediterranean cuisine can be considered a true point of reference in terms of healthy eating and healthy .

Among the foods of the Mediterranean diet may be considered , among others, cereals, used for the production of foods such as pasta, either long or short , and the bread , legumes , fruits and vegetables , olive oil , and many other natural products and related to land and territory.

In this brief introduction to Italian cuisine , you certainly can not forget the wine , including quality products from all over the country.

Every Italian region has its own wine production, in fact , a tradition linked to the history and customs of the area.

Italian Wines may rightly be considered among the best in the world.

Piedmont reds to whites in Trentino grappa and prosecco from Veneto , the dessert of Sicily and Sardinia , the variety and territorial climate allows the production of wines with very different characteristics .

Of course, each wine has its own characteristics of this body and can be matched to specific products of gastronomy.

One of the most interesting things in this sense is the ability to pair wines and food products, the right recipe with the right wine.

This operation not only can be made ​​between products related to the same territory , but thanks to the wide variety of tastes and flavors that characterize Italy from north to south , it is possible to constantly invent new combinations to give rise to combinations

Italian cuisine

The Italian cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political changes , with roots dating back to the fourth century BC The kitchen itself was influenced by Italian cuisine Etruscan , ancient Greek , ancient Roman , Byzantine , Jewish and Arab . Important changes were had with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of new ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes , bell peppers and maize , now fundamental in the kitchen but were introduced in amount only in the eighteenth century. Italian cuisine is known for its regional diversity , abundance in taste and seasoning , it is also considered the most famous in the world , with international influences , so that U.S. broadcaster CNN ranks first among the most popular cuisines worldwide.

The main feature of Italian cuisine is its extreme simplicity, with many dishes made ​​from 4 up to 8 ingredients. Italian cooks rely on the quality of the ingredients rather than the complexity of preparation. Dishes and recipes are often created by grandmothers were more than a chef , so many recipes are suited to home cooking. Many dishes that were once known only in the region , have spread across the nation . Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine , with many variations and specific legal protection , the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO ) . Even the coffee , especially espresso , has become important in the kitchen.

Italian cuisine abroad 

It is one of the kitchens that are offered by most restaurants in the world, although often Italians are not satisfied with how restaurants prepare dishes Italians abroad. If one of the reasons is the difficulty of finding typical Mediterranean products (or their high cost in countries where such products have to be imported ) , another reason is paradoxically its simplicity.

Often abroad (especially in Anglo-Saxon countries ) is expected to be a plate full of good ingredients , and you can not resist the temptation to add to make more complex dishes , or not to give the impression of a dish prepared carelessly the eyes of customers ( in the case of a restaurant ) . Even the distinction between all-Italian "first" and "second" plate does not help for this purpose, especially in those countries where the habit of a single dish is well established.

So the first very simple pasta are avoided or presented in a more " rich ," adding ingredients. For example, the pizza margherita is rarely purchased when compared with other more tempting pizzas on the menu, then you add some ingredients , even if slight , without considering the sauces (eg garlic sauce ) that are given together with the pizza ( practice this , totally absent in Italian cooking ) .

Just Garlic is often touted as a characteristic ingredient of Italian cuisine ( with garlic cream , garlic bread etc. . ) Where the Italian cuisine of any region uses it as intense as seemingly emerges from the restaurants abroad.

Another feature of Italian culture and cuisine is not to be considered at two different meat and vegetables, but all are equally important ingredients to be combined with serenity. In many countries, the meat is more important and then a meal without meat is considered poor , so it is more difficult to find the kinds of pasta without meat even at the cost of adding chicken meat, almost never used for a first in Italy