Italian cuisine |
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This is a list of Italian foods and drinks. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek and ancient Roman cuisines. Significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and maize, now central to the cuisine, but not introduced in quantity until the 18th century. [2] [3]
Italian cuisine includes deeply rooted traditions common to the whole country, as well as all the regional gastronomies, different from each other, especially between the north, the centre and the south [4] of Italy, which are in continuous exchange. [5] [6] [7] Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated with variations throughout the country. [8] [9] Italian cuisine offers an abundance of taste, and is one of the most popular and copied around the world. [10] The most popular dishes and recipes, over the centuries, have often been created by ordinary people more so than by chefs, which is why many Italian recipes are suitable for home and daily cooking, respecting regional specificities. [11] [12] [13]
Italy is home to 395 Michelin star-rated restaurants. [14] [15] The Mediterranean diet forms the basis of Italian cuisine, rich in pasta, fish, fruits and vegetables. [16] Cheese, cold cuts and wine are central to Italian cuisine, and along with pizza and coffee (especially espresso) form part of Italian gastronomic culture. [17] Desserts have a long tradition of merging local flavours such as citrus fruits, pistachio and almonds with sweet cheeses such as mascarpone and ricotta or exotic tastes such as cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. Gelato, [18] tiramisu [19] and cassata are among the most famous examples of Italian desserts, cakes and patisserie. Italian cuisine relies heavily on traditional products; the country has a large number of traditional specialities protected under EU law. [20] Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, as well as the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine varieties in the world. [21] [22]
Note: the "Other foods and drinks" section is necessary to list foods without a specific placement.
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A great number of pizza varieties exist, defined by the choice of toppings and sometimes also crust. There are also several styles of pizza, defined by their preparation method. The following lists feature only the notable ones.
Rice dishes are very common in northern Italy, especially in the Lombardy and Veneto regions, [27] although rice dishes are found throughout the country.
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Considering the large number of Italian cheeses, only the most famous ones are listed below.
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Most important ingredients (see also: Italian herbs and spices):
Molise is a region of Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise together with Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the newest region in Italy. Covering 4,438 square kilometres (1,714 sq mi), it is the second smallest region in the country, after the Aosta Valley, and has a population of 313,348.
Tortellini is a type of stuffed pasta typical of the Italian cities of Bologna and Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region. Traditionally it is stuffed with a mix of meat, Parmesan cheese, egg and nutmeg and served in capon broth.
The province of Parma is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its largest town and capital is the city of Parma.
In Italian cuisine, ragù is a meat sauce that is commonly served with pasta. An Italian gastronomic society, Accademia Italiana della Cucina, documented several ragù recipes. The recipes' common characteristics are the presence of meat and the fact that all are sauces for pasta. The most typical is ragù alla bolognese. Other types are ragù alla napoletana, ragù alla barese, ragù alla veneta, and so on.
Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Roman times, and later spread around the world together with waves of Italian diaspora. Significant changes occurred with the colonization of the Americas and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, maize, and sugar beet—the latter introduced in quantity in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known and most widely appreciated gastronomies worldwide.
Laurenzana is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata. It rises on a spur between the torre Camastro and the wood surrounding the Serrapotamo valley.
Uruguayan cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from several European countries, especially of Mediterranean foods from Spain, Italy, Portugal and France. Other influences on the cuisine resulted from immigration from countries such as Germany and Scotland. Uruguayan gastronomy is a result of immigration, rather than local Amerindian cuisine, because of late-19th and early 20th century immigration waves of, mostly, Italians. Spanish influences are abundant: desserts like churros, flan, ensaimadas yoo (Catalan sweet bread), and alfajores were all brought from Spain. There are also various kinds of stews known as guisos or estofados, arroces, and fabada. All of the guisos and traditional pucheros (stews) are also of Spanish origin. Uruguayan preparations of fish, such as dried salt cod (bacalao), calamari, and octopus, originate from the Basque and Galician regions, and also Portugal. Due to its strong Italian tradition, all of the famous Italian pasta dishes are present in Uruguay including ravioli, lasagne, tortellini, fettuccine, and the traditional gnocchi. Although the pasta can be served with many sauces, there is one special sauce that was created by Uruguayans. Caruso sauce is a pasta sauce made from double cream, meat, onions, ham and mushrooms. It is very popular with sorrentinos and agnolotti. Additionally, there is Germanic influence in Uruguayan cuisine as well, particularly in sweet dishes. The pastries known as bizcochos are Germanic in origin: croissants, known as medialunas, are the most popular of these, and can be found in two varieties: butter- and lard-based. Also German in origin are the Berlinese known as bolas de fraile, and the rolls called piononos. The Biscochos were re-christened with local names given the difficult German phonology, and usually Uruguayanized by the addition of a dulce de leche filling. Even dishes like chucrut (sauerkraut) have also made it into mainstream Uruguayan dishes.
Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots that date back to the Greco-Roman period, which was enriched over the centuries by the influence of the different cultures that controlled Naples and its kingdoms, such as that of Aragon and France.
Roman cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of the Italian city of Rome. It features fresh, seasonal and simply-prepared ingredients from the Roman Campagna. These include peas, globe artichokes and fava beans, shellfish, milk-fed lamb and goat, and cheeses such as pecorino romano and ricotta. Olive oil is used mostly to dress raw vegetables, while strutto and fat from prosciutto are preferred for frying. The most popular sweets in Rome are small individual pastries called pasticcini, gelato and handmade chocolates and candies. Special dishes are often reserved for different days of the week; for example, gnocchi is eaten on Thursdays, baccalà on Fridays and trippa on Saturdays.
Venetian cuisine, from the city of Venice, Italy, or more widely from the region of Veneto, has a centuries-long history and differs significantly from other cuisines of northern Italy, and of neighbouring Austria and of Slavic countries, despite sharing some commonalities.
Bolognese sauce, known in Italian as ragù alla bolognese or ragù bolognese, is a meat-based sauce associated with the city of Bologna. It is customarily used to dress tagliatelle al ragù and to prepare lasagne alla bolognese.
Lombard cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of the Italian city of Lombardy. The historical events of its provinces and of the diversity of its territories resulted in a varied culinary tradition. First courses in Lombard cuisine range from risottos to soups and stuffed pasta, and a large choice of second-course meat or fish dishes, due to the many lakes and rivers of Lombardy.
The traditional cuisine of Abruzzo is eclectic, drawing on pastoral, mountain, and coastal cuisine. Staples of Abruzzo cuisine include bread, pasta, meat, fish, cheese, and wine. The isolation which has characterized the region for centuries has ensured the independence of its culinary tradition from those of nearby regions. Local cuisine was widely appreciated in a 2013 survey among foreign tourists.
Apulian cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of the region of Apulia in Italy. Starting from the Middle Ages the permanent residence of the nobility in the region gradually declined, which caused the disappearance of their noble cuisine over time. As the common people suffered from poverty, their culinary tradition adapted to use cheap and simple foods. Bread, vegetables and pasta have the leading role in the cuisine. Fruits, fish and wine are consumed frequently as well, but meat plays a minor role. The food of Apulia is known as a prime example of cucina povera, characterizing its simplicity rather than its quality. Moreover, the simple dishes allow the quality of their local and seasonal ingredients to take center stage.
Ligurian cuisine consists of dishes from the culinary tradition of Liguria, a region of northwestern Italy, which makes use of ingredients linked both to local production, and to imports from areas with which, over the centuries, the Ligurians have had frequent trade.
Piedmontese cuisine is the style of cooking in the Northern Italian region of Piedmont. Bordering France and Switzerland, Piedmontese cuisine is partly influenced by French cuisine; this is demonstrated in particular by the importance of appetizers, a set of courses that precede what is traditionally called a first course and aimed at whetting the appetite. In France these courses are fewer and are called entrée.
The cuisine of Basilicata, or Lucanian cuisine, is the cuisine of the Basilicata region of Italy. It is mainly based on the use of pork and sheep meat, legumes, cereals and vegetables, with the addition of aromas such as hot peppers, powdered raw peppers and horseradish. The local gastronomy is, for historical-cultural reasons, typically peasant, based on simple recipes and on the culture of reuse, in particular of meat and bread.
Pasta 'ncasciata is a celebratory baked pasta dish originating in the Sicilian comune (municipality) of Messina; however, today there are numerous versions from every province of Sicily and Calabria. Ingredients vary according to the region as well as personal preferences. For example, while the dish usually uses two types of cheese, béchamel sauce may be used in lieu of one of the cheeses. It was traditionally baked in a dish placed over, as well as covered by, hot coals. The dish was made more well known by Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano.
Emilian cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of the Italian region of Emilia. As in most regions of Italy, more than a cuisine, it is a constellation of cuisines that, in Emilia, represents the result of nearly eight centuries of autonomy of the Emilian cities, from the time of the municipalities to the unification of Italy.