Most people’s idea of Italian cuisine is a combination of tortellini, minestrone, spaghetti, and lasagna. If you visit Italy with such a terrifying view of Italian cuisine, you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of dishes that Italians eat.
The reason for this variety is simple. Italy has nineteen regions, each with its own cuisine. Also, Italian cuisine changes with the seasons. Fresh ingredients are of paramount importance in an Italian kitchen. That is why you will discover that summer cooking is different from winter cooking. Read More
Northern Italian cuisine
For the most part, Americans are familiar with the part of Italian cuisine that is typical of northern Italy. All heavy plates loaded with cheese and rich sauce come for this reason. You will enjoy your stay in northern Italy if you enjoy the Italian food available in the United States.
Even if you’re familiar with Northern Italian cuisine, you’ll be amazed at the wonderful differences between authentic Northern Italian food and Italian dishes available in America.
Southern Italian cuisine
Southern Italian cuisine is different. The people of southern Italy use more fish in their diet. This variant of Italian cuisine is called ‘Mediterranean food’.
Southern Italian dishes are generally lighter and healthier. Southern Italians are the healthiest people in the world due to their eating habits. One of the factors that makes the southern Italian diet so healthy is the use of olive oil in most of its dishes.
Spices in Italian cuisine
Don’t limit your ideas about Italian cooking to a few spaghetti and meatball dishes. Italian cuisine is rich, complex and diverse. More spices find their way into an Italian dish than just garlic.
Many people have the misconception that Italians use a lot of spices in their food. This is because in the United States people who have not been to Italy or tried Italian cuisine cook Italian food.
Italian restaurant Sydney only use spices to enhance the natural flavor of certain dishes. Also, the nature of Italian food depends on the seasons and because of this, Italians are not very reliant on the use of spices. Their meats, pastas and sauces often have their own fresh flavor. However, travelers have found that Northern Italians use more spices in their food than Southern Italians.
When thinking about Italian cuisine, it is very important to realize that there is no such thing as a standard Italian cuisine. With nineteen regions, there are nineteen varieties of Italian cuisine. Each region has its unique cooking style, its dishes with local vegetables and animal products. Despite the variations, a traveler anywhere in Italy will find that something is known about Italian cuisine, and this comforting sense of familiarity is what makes Italian cuisine a popular favorite in most parts of the world.
Italian cuisine is one of the most interesting and simple cuisines in the world and is appreciated by almost everyone, young and old, Italian and non-Italian. The main reason for this rating is undoubtedly because it is very varied and offers many options to satisfy all wishes. Another reason is also because Italy is a country with such an ancient history and for many centuries the influx of different people who have traveled through Italy have left their mark. Nowadays, when people talk about the Mediterranean diet, the first cuisine that comes to mind is, of course, Italian cuisine. So how does the Mediterranean diet translate into Italian recipes you can make at home? Let’s take a look at some recipe groups:
Italian Pasta Recipes:
All Italians love pasta and eat it practically every day. They often eat it twice a day, for lunch and breakfast. The reason for this love is that the Italians have created a wide variety of pasta shapes that can be accompanied with a wide variety of sauces and spices that can literally satisfy the desires of everyone in the family. Spaghetti is of course the most popular form of pasta, but many others are quickly catching up. Lasagna, Ravioli, Rigatoni, Tortellini are just a few that need to be mentioned.
