Italian cuisine has evolved significantly over the centuries, shaped by various regional influences and the availability of local ingredients. It is characterized by distinct regional specialties: Northern Italy favors rich, creamy dishes and seafood, Central Italy is known for its olive oil and pasta, while Southern Italy is famous for its spicy tomato sauces and desserts. Each region boasts unique dishes that reflect its geography, history, and agricultural products.

1. History
Italian cuisine has evolved over the centuries.
It has been influenced by different factors such as:
neighboring regions, conquerors, political changes and
the discovery of the New World which has brought new
products into our country.

2. Each area has its own
specialties, primarily at
regional level, but also at
provincial level. The
differences dependn on
the geographical
position, whether a
region is close to the sea
or the mountains, and on
economics factors.
Italian cuisine is also
seasonal with priority
placed on the use of
fresh ingredients.

3. We have a diversity of regional
dishes so Italian cousine can be
devided into three different areas:

4. Northern Italian cuisine is
characterized by the use of butter (or
lard), rice, corn (for polenta) and
cheese for creamy sauces. In
general it is preferred to use fat
ingredients to make the typical
recipes such as “polenta e
osei”(small birds), the famous risotti
like “Risotto alla milanese” (with
saffron), Risi and Bisi (Rice with
beans)
In this part of Italy, seafood and
shellfish are very popular too, as
lakes, rivers and streams provide
carp, trout and other types of fish to
make delicious seafood recipes.

5. Much of what the rest of the world considers
Italian food is from the central regions of Italy.
This area is world famous for its specialties such
as its smooth olive oil, cheeses, cold meats
(row ham) and rich tomato sauce.

6. Some of the typical recipes of this area
are: “Bucatini all'amatriciana” pasta
with tomato, onion, bacon and a dash
of cognac;spaghetti alIa carbonara with
a creamy egg and cheese sauce
dusted with black pepper.
Meat dishes include Abbacchio al forno
(roast lamb) and fiorentina beef steak.
Favourite vegetable dishes include
artichokes (carciofi) alIa Giudea
(Jewish style) or alla Romana - cooked
in oil with garlic and parsley.
(Jewish ghetto in Rome)

7. Bruschetta is another delicious
very simple dish. It is made of
toasted bread with tomato, garlic
and olive oil.
Panzanella is another way to
prepare bruschetta as you can
see from the picture.

8. From pizza to the countless
types of dried and fresh pasta,
the food of the south is the soul
of Italy. Here you will find rich
and spicy tomato sauces and
the almost exclusive use of
olive oil in cooking. In fact
some of the best olive oil
comes from the southern part
of Italy.

9. Our island Sicily is rich in
fruit and vegetables :
lemons, blood oranges,
tangerines, olives,
almonds. Caponata is an
antipasto or starter made
with aubergines, olives,
capers and celery. Ceci or
chick peas have played an
important role in Sicilian
history and are well
represented in the diet.
Panella is a fritter made of
chickpea flour. It’s popular
street food in Palermo and
is often eaten in a bread
roll. Panelle are believed
to be of Arabic origin.

10. Other typical
“street” snacks
are sfinciune, a
kind of pizza
topped with
tomato,
anchovies and
onion, and pani
c'a meusa, a
sandwich filled
with calf spleen
and lung cut in
small pieces.

11. Pasta is an everday meal in Sicily
and often served with a rich spicy
tomato sauce and sea food. Sicily
loves seafood with popular dishes
including grilled swordfish ,
finocchio con le Sarde (fennel with
sardines) and seppia (cuttlefish)
served in its own black sauce with
pasta.

12. Arancini di riso
The Arancini di riso are fried balls of
rice stuffed with meat and cheese.
Here’s the recipe:
Cook the rice, then add saffron and
stir, put then 125 grams of butter, 3
beaten eggs, mix and let it cool.
Meanwhile, fry the onion finely
chopped, add meat, peeled tomatoes,
salt, pepper and cook it over low heat.
Boil the peas, drain and fry in
remaining butter. When the sauce is
ready add to it the peas and mix well.
Take a little mixture of rice, forming a
ball. Make a little hole in the rice ball,
and put the filling in it. Cover it with
more rice, rub the croquettes in flour,
eggs beaten with salt, then in
breadcrumbs and deep fry in oil.
Other types of Arancini are stuffed
with dark chocolate or ham and
mozzarella cheese, or ham and
bechamelle sauce.

13. Sicilian cuisine is also
a triumph of delicious,
mouth-watering,
traditional desserts:
the famous cassata,
which is complicated
to make and delicious
to eat, made with
some of the main
ingredients of the
local patisserie art
such as ricotta
cheese, candied fruit
and almonds.

14. Cannoli, (plural) in Sicilian, are Sicilian
pastry desserts. The singular is
cannolo (or in the Sicilian language
cannolu), meaning “little tube”.
Cannoli consist of tube-shaped shells
of fried pastry dough, filled with a
sweet, creamy filling, usually
containing ricotta cheese and candied
fruit.
Marzipan is another dessert that you must
try. It is made of almond pastry, colorful
and impressive to see, bursting with
calories, shaped in different types of fruit,
vegetables and other fanciful and bizzarre
forms.