Italian food has quite a reputation of being regal and enriching. While mainly famous for their pizzas and pasta, Italian food also has ample mouth watering sea food and meat dishes, apart from some wonderful desserts and cheeses.
Food in Italy is a way of spending quality time and bond with family and friends. Italian cuisine is about attention to detail that goes to making each dish just perfect. Italian food varies from region to region and are generally simple and straightforward to prepare. Some of the favored ingredients used in lots of Italian recipes include potato, bell pepper and tomato. Cheese is considered a necessary ingredient and is utilized majority of Italian dishes.
It has often been noted that Italy is a place of great regional variations - and that is certainly true, indeed the country was only unified in 1861 - and this fact is reflected in the diversity of Italy's regional cuisine. Over the centuries Italy has ben invaded many times by different countries, Italy has also been involved in heavy trade and indeed this shows in the range and origin of its cuisines.
Lets take a brief gander on some of the Italian cuisines:
- Lasagna, balsamic vinegar, mortadella, polenta, polenta, tortellini are a few of the native Italian cuisines. Before you ask let me give a short description of the all food mentioned. Mortadella is pork sausage that is cut, hear cured and served cold. Polenta is a dish made using boiled commeal and tortellini is stuffed pasta.
- Tuscan cuisine used white beans, meat and bread.
- Pizzas and Mozzarellas originated from Naples.
- Many Roman and Italian cuisines generously use cheese made from sheep's milk, also knows as pecorino.
- Salami, a preferred Italian dish originated in southern Italy.
- Sardinia is well-known for its lamb and pecorino (cheese made out of sheep's milk).
- Touch of Arab influence is noticeable in Sicilian cuisines that use an abundance of pistachio and lemon. seafood is particularly good here with swordfish and tuna based delicacies being more prominent.
For additional details and videos on pasta recipes and other Italian dishes please look at Italian Recipes
You might also want to look at Indian Recipes
