Italian cuisine

Italian cuisine is extremely varied: the country of Italy was only unified in 1861, and its cuisines reflect the cultural variety of its regions and its diverse history (with culinary influences from Greek, Roman, Norman and Arab civilizations). Italian cuisine is regarded as a prime example of the Mediterranean diet, and is imitated all over the world.

To a certain extent there is really no such thing as Italian cuisine in the way that we understand national cuisines to be. Each area has its own proud specialities, primarily at Regional level, but also even at Provincial level.

Regional differences

Roman cuisine, for example, uses a lot of pecorino (sheep's cheese) and offal (frattaglie), while Tuscan cooking features white beans, meat, and unsalted bread; the pizzas of Rome are thin as crackers, while Neapolitan and Sicilian pizza is thicker. Northern Italian dishes tend to be somewhat influenced by French and German cuisines. Piemonte and Lombardia each grow their own different kind of rices, which are used to make risotto. The North of Italy is the home of polenta. Emilia-Romagna is known for lasagna and tortellini (stuffed pasta), mortadella, prosciutto, and parmigiano. Naples (Napoli) is the home of pizza, mozzarella and pastries (babà, sfogliatelle). Calabria's cuisine uses a lot of hot pepper for its distinctive salami. Sicily is the home of gelato (ice cream) but its cuisine also has many influences from Arab cuisine too (lemon, pistachio) and also includes fish (tuna, swordfish). Sardinia is famous for lamb and pecorino.

Northern versus Southern Italian cooking

As a general rule, northern and southern Italian cuisines are differentiated primarily by the cooking fat and style of pasta commonly used. Northern Italian cuisine (other than on the coast) favors butter, cream, Mascarpone cheese, risotto and fresh egg pasta, while Southern Italian cuisine tends toward Mozzarella cheese (usually from buffalo), olive oil and dried pasta. Southern Italian cuisine also make greater use of the ubiquitous tomato, and it is often hard to credit that it has been around for a comparatively short period.

Traditional menu structure

A traditional Italian menu consists of:

l'antipasto - hot and cold appetizers
Il primo ("First Course"), usually consists of a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup. There are usually abundant vegetarian options.
Il secondo ("Second Course"), the main dish, usually fish or meat (Pasta is never the main course in a traditional menu). Traditionally veal is the most commonly used meat, at least in the north, though beef has become more popular since World War II and wild game is very popular, particularly in Tuscany.
Il contorno ("Side Dish") may consist of a salad or vegetables. A traditional menu features salad after the main course.
Il dolce ("Dessert")
Il caffè ("Coffee") (espresso) and liquors/liqueurs (grappa, amaro, limoncello)

One notable and often surprising aspect of an Italian meal, especially if eaten in an Italian home, is that the primo, or first course, is usually the more filling dish, providing most of the meal's carbohydrates, and will consist of either risotto or pasta (both being excellent sources). The secondo, or second course, which in French or British cuisine really is the main course, is often scant in comparison. The exception to this tends to be in Tuscany, where a traditional menu would see soup served as a primo and a hefty meat dish as the secondo.

External links

Recipes