Interested in knowing about the types of food that form the cuisine of Italy? Read on to find out what the major items in the cuisine are and why there is so much variety in the Italian cuisine.
If you have been thinking that Italian food is all about pizza and spaghetti then it is about time that you educate yourselves to get the facts straight. By no means is the cuisine of Italy restricted to these two items and nor is it a blend of straight forward dishes that sound and taste very similar to each other. Rather there is no such cuisine which is as rich and diverse as you will find the Italian cuisine to be. This aspect of the cuisine of this boot shaped country is only known to those who have bothered to take an in depth look into what the country really has to offer.
The land that is known as Italy is a fairly large piece of the Earth with varying typography and climatic conditions. This is one of the reasons that we find each region of Italy to have a distinct way of cooking. Then within these regions reside many communities and you will find that each community stands out from the other in terms of its cooking. Everything from the making of cheese and bread as well as sausages is different in each community. The diversity of the Italian cuisine really comes into light when you ask ten different people about the recipe for making pasta sauce and you will get ten different answers all telling you how to make the best pasta sauce.
The types of Italian food
The most popular food item of Italy is pasta. When you analyze the variety of pasta recipes that you will be able to find in the country you get an idea as to why and how Italy’s cuisine is as extensive as it is. Each region does not only have its own favorite pasta dish rather they use different kinds of pasta as well. For example the southern areas are fond of eating hard boiled spaghetti whereas the Northern regions are known to like soft egg noodles. The different kinds of pasta are also available and used in different sizes.
Pizza is of course also amongst the most popular ideas to originate out of Italy. The city of Naples is the place responsible for introducing the world to pizza. Each region however has its own twist to the making of pizza. The region of Bologna is credited for the discovery of tortellini and the most famous rice dish of Italy risotto belongs to Milan.
One of the major reasons behind the variance and diversity of the Italian cuisine is the country’s geography. Italy has rich and dense forests on the mountains that separate it from the rest of Europe along with naked rocks and cool foothills. You will also be able to find vast fertile valleys and arid plains. This is furthered by the long strip of Mediterranean coastline. All these regions are home to different climatic conditions which influences the availability of ingredients and the choices that people make. Given the fact that the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Turks have all had their influence on the people of the country we find the Italians to have an extensive library of dishes that form its cuisine.
