Italian cuisine is extremely localized and varies widely between regions of Italy. Traditional Italian dishes also differ significantly from Italian-American cuisine, which includes dishes like chicken parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs that were invented in America. In Italy, menus strictly follow seasonal ingredients and traditional combinations that have been established over time. Pasta is usually cooked al dente, or with a slight firmness still remaining, and olive oil and balsamic vinegar are primarily used for salads rather than bread dipping.

1. What is Italian Food?
A guide to the most delicious food on earth

2. There really isn’t “Italian Food.” Italian cuisine is
extremely localized and regional. What you
will find in Italy instead is, Roman food, Tuscan
food, Umbrian food etc.

3. Campanilismo
Italians tend to identify first
with the town where they are
from. From where their bell
tower – campanilio - is.
Then the region of the
country and only then as
Italian.

4. Chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs
.
and pasta Alfredo are Italian-American
inventions. You will not find any of these on a
menu in Italy.
photo credit: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/

5. What you see is what you
get
At the pizzeria in Italy, there is are no stuffed
crusts or pineapple toppings and if you order
pepperoni you will find bell peppers on top of
your pizza pie.

6. There is no mixing, matching and making of
your own pizza combination. The combinations
you
see
on
the
pizza
menu
combinations that are available.
are
the

7. The pasta shape and sauce is also long bound
by tradition, with certain types and shapes of
pasta known for complementing each other.

8. There are over 450 pasta shapes in Italy and
almost as many types of sauce.

9. Oil and Vinegar
On many American restaurant tables, you find
olive oil and balsamic
vinegar for mixing and
bread dipping.

10. The only place that you will find olive and vinegar
together in Italy is on
your salad, which is
pretty much the only
salad dressing choice.

11. If you are visiting Italy in the autumn, during the
olive oil harvest, you may be lucky and get to
taste the new oil on toasted bread that has
been drizzled with the
sharp, green oil and
a little bit of salt.

12. If you would like some type of a bread appetizer
ask for bruschetta – pronounced as bru-SKETTa - and you will get
toasted bread with chopped
tomatoes or pate or truffles,
depending on the region you
are visiting.

13. Al Dente
Your pasta is not undercooked. It was cooked
that way on purpose. Italians cook their pasta to
a perfect consistency, called
al dente – to the tooth.

14. It has a bit of a bite, it should not have a crunch,
just a slight firmness. Cooked al dente, pasta
contains less starch than rice! This is one of the
many secrets to how Italians eat pasta almost
every day and
still stay slim.

15. Take note that marinara sauce in Italy usually
means it contains seafood.

16. Food is Seasonal
We have talked about the regionality of food, it is
also important know what is in season.

17. Walk through a local vegetable market and take
note of what you see for sale.

18. Only those items are what
should
be
restaurant
on
your
menu.
That
means no juicy strawberries
in
November
clementines
in
or
tart
August.
Italians enjoy the bounty
that each season brings.

19. For more information
about travel to Italy,
visit our website
www.touritalynow.com
or call our travel experts
at 800.955.4418.