| Italian cuisine is as varied as the regions of Italy. | | | | grooves are supposed to hold the sauce onto the |
| Although Italy was officially unified in 1861, the food | | | | pasta, meaning that this pasta is good with runnier |
| reflects the cultural variety of the country's regions | | | | sauces. Then there is the group of pasta made up of |
| with culinary influences from Greece, Roman, Gallic, | | | | long thin strands, which includes the most common |
| Germany, Turkish, Hebrew, Slavic, Arab, Chinese and | | | | type of pasta, spaghetti. Typically you eat this type of |
| other civilizations. In this sense, there really is no one | | | | pasta by coiling its long thin strands around a fork. |
| Italian cuisine because each area boasts of its own | | | | Other long thin pastas are tagliatelle, fettuccine and |
| specialties. Not only is the food of Italy highly | | | | linguini, which are all varieties of flattened spaghetti. |
| regionalized, but a high priority is also placed on the use | | | | Extremely thin strands of pasta are called vermicelli |
| of fresh available produce. | | | | (meaning 'little worms'). Yet another group of pasta is |
| Although traditional Italian dishes vary by region, they | | | | made of flat sheets (lasagna) or tubes (cannelloni), |
| also do not follow strictly to a North/South pattern | | | | which are either layered or stuffed with meat and |
| either. The north tends to use more butter, creams, | | | | cheese fillings. Some pastas have 'pockets' to hold the |
| polenta, mascarpone, grana padano and Parmigiano | | | | sauce inside them instead of outside like ravioli or |
| cheeses, risotto, lasagna and fresh egg pasta, while | | | | tortellini, which are soft sheets of pasta rolled around |
| the south is more tomato and olive oil based cooking, | | | | meat or cheese. Italians cook pasta of all kinds, |
| along with mozzarella, caciocavallo and peconrino | | | | whether fresh or dried, in boiling water until al dente ('to |
| cheeses, and dried pasta. Coastal and central regions | | | | the teeth', meaning still a tiny bit hard in the centre. It is |
| often use tortellini, ravioli and prosciutto in their cooking. | | | | then served immediately in a bowl with sauce or |
| Even pizza varies across the country. In Rome the | | | | cheese. |
| crusts are thin and cracker-like, while Neapolitan and | | | | 3. SECONDO (second course) - this is usually the main |
| Sicilian pizzas have a thicker crust. | | | | dish of fish or meat. Veal, pork and chicken are |
| For most Italians, pasta is the first course in a meal | | | | traditionally the most common and are often pan-fried |
| with the exception of the far north where risotto or | | | | or casseroled. Beef is used as steaks (bistecca), while |
| polenta is the norm. Vegetables, grains and legumes | | | | lamb (agnello) is roasted on special occasions, such as |
| play a regular part of many Italian diets with meat | | | | Easter and Christmas. Fish and other seafood are |
| often not being a regular part of everyday meals, Olive | | | | often used as main courses. |
| oil is usually seen in its dark green state (from its first | | | | 4. CONTORNO (side dish) - this may be a salad or |
| pressing) in the south, where in the north a more | | | | cooked vegetable. Salad is traditionally served with the |
| refined, golden oil is seen. | | | | main course. Common vegetables are beans (greens |
| Basically, Italian cuisine consists of a combination of | | | | and pulses), potatoes (often sautéed), and |
| vegetables, grains, fruits, fish, cheeses and a some | | | | carrots as well as salads. |
| meats, with fowl and game usually seasoned or | | | | 5. FORMAGIIO AND FRUTTA (cheese and fruit) - this |
| cooked with olive oil (with the exception of the far | | | | is the first dessert course and the fruit and cheese are |
| north). La cucina povera, the food of the poorer Italian | | | | usually served together. Grapes, peaches, apricots and |
| people of the southern coastal area, has shaped a diet | | | | citrus fruits are a major product of Italy's agricultural |
| popular for centuries but now there is a resurgence of | | | | industry and are common. |
| this "poor people's food", the Mediterranean diet, which | | | | 6. DOLCE (dessert) - the cakes and cookies course |
| is now being touted as the model around which we | | | | Italians produce many sweet desserts and 'sweet |
| should restructure our eating habits. | | | | treats', including Amaretti, almond-flavoured meringues, |
| Breakfast is considered a minor meal in Italy, often | | | | which Australians call macaroons, Panforte, a sweet |
| consisting of nothing more than a bread roll and milky | | | | semi-hard 'strong bread' based on nuts and containing |
| coffee (café latte). Traditional lunches tend to be | | | | dried fruit (a classic Christmas treat from Siena), and. |
| larger, have several courses and are eaten slowly. | | | | Pannettone, a very rich bread-cake (another |
| Italian children don't go to school in the afternoon, and | | | | Christmas treat). |
| because of the heat, many small businesses close | | | | 7. CAFFÉ (coffee) - which is usually espresso |
| from midday until about 4pm which makes lunch the | | | | coffee |
| social meal of the day. | | | | 8. DIGESTIVE (liqueurs) - which may be grappa, |
| The traditional menu structure in Italy consists of | | | | amaro, or Limon cello. The wine industry has been |
| basically eight courses, but the long traditional Italian | | | | important to Italy for centuries and the most common |
| menu is typically kept for special occasions such as | | | | drink associated with Italy is wine. Until recently, and |
| weddings, with everyday fare including only the first | | | | even now in the countryside, most Italians would make |
| and second courses, with the side dish being served | | | | their own red or white house wine after the grape |
| with the second course. As an exception to this order, | | | | harvest. This would be drunk at every lunch and dinner. |
| a unique course, Piatto unico, can replace the first or | | | | Even children are given wine to drink, but it is usually |
| second course with, for example, pizza. | | | | watered down with mineral water. Before dinner many |
| The traditional menu consists of: | | | | Italians drink an amaro (bitter) to stimulate the digestive |
| 1. ANTIPASTO - which are hot or cold appetizers, | | | | system, while after dinner they may drink sweet wines, |
| literally it means "before the pasta"; consists of a | | | | such as marsala (from Sicily). Children are also |
| varied combination of colorful foods. The most popular | | | | sometimes given Marsala, beaten with a raw egg and |
| ingredients are melon or tomatoes served with | | | | sugar into zabaglione, to strengthen them. |
| prosciutto cut into very thin slices. Lettuce, such as the | | | | PIZZA |
| slightly bitter endives or rocket, or other green leaves, | | | | Modern pizza has evolved from pizzas made by |
| such as the aniseed-tasting fennel, are typically used | | | | peasants in Naples, Italy, but more than a few |
| as a garnish, placed around the edges of the serving | | | | Mediterranean peoples can claim to have 'invented' the |
| dish. Salami, mortadella, coppa and zampone, | | | | pizza. In ancient times many civilizations created dishes |
| manufactured meat products, are common in antipasti. | | | | of flat bread with various herbs and toppings. As a |
| The artistry of the food is as important to Italians as | | | | staple for the poor, it was a matter of necessity that |
| the taste. For example the reddish colour of salami | | | | food could be eaten without utensils, and that the 'plate' |
| provides a good contrast to the green lettuce. Fish and | | | | it was served on could be eaten as well. They made |
| other seafood may also be used in the antipasti | | | | a bread crust from flour, water and yeast, topped it |
| course and, of course, olives and artichokes are also | | | | with olive oil, herbs, cheeses, sometimes even |
| common servings, as are mushrooms (fungi) seasoned | | | | leftovers, and baked the whole thing in a stone oven. |
| with salt, pepper and lemon juice. | | | | Given that most pizza connoisseurs today consider |
| 2. PRIMO (first course) - which usually consists of a | | | | the tomato sauce to be the key ingredient, it may be |
| hot dish such as pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup, | | | | surprising that pizza pre-dates the introduction of |
| with many vegetarian options. There are many types | | | | tomatoes to Europe. Tomatoes reached Italy by way |
| of pasta, each type usually named after its shape with | | | | of Spain in the early 1500s but were thought to be |
| common types including spirali (spirals), farfalle | | | | poisonous. It was several decades later that tomatoes |
| (butterflies; sometimes described as 'bow-tie-shaped'). | | | | topped a flatbread in the form of a pizza. |
| Penne (hollow tubes) and conchiglie (shells). Different | | | | Italian cuisine is very popular in all its forms and is |
| shapes are supposed to be better with the different | | | | imitated all over the world. Look for a few Italian |
| types of sauces. Spirals are two strips of pasta twirled | | | | recipes on June's Recipes page, and visit our |
| around each other and are used with the heavier | | | | Marketplace to find Italian cookbooks and herbs and |
| sauces, such as those containing minced meat and | | | | spices to make your families Italian dishes more |
| vegetables. Rigatoni is cylinders or tubes, with a wide | | | | authentic. |
| diameter and grooves (or lines) on the outside. The | | | | |