Have a taste of Italy’s cuisine

To say that Italian food is primarily pasta and pizza is quite wrong.

Foods in Italy is quite varied, especially with their regional differences. For example, pasta is still the main course of each meal for most Italians except those in the far north regions of Italy. Olive oil is normally dark green in the south, but it is more refined and golden in color in the north.

Italian cuisine is a combination of beans, nuts, grains, vegetables, fish, fruits, and cheeses. Meats are normally cooked or seasoned with olive oil. Wine is also a staple in any meal. Italy is one of the major producers and consumers of wine.

Some of the popular foods in Italy are beans and nuts, breads and pastries, fruits and vegetables, meats, olive oils, and risotto. Cannellini beans are often called as the white Italian kidney beans. These beans add flavor to minestrone or Pasta e Fagioli. Pinoli, or pine nut, is used in almost any type of cuisine either as the main ingredient or as accent to pasta, particularly in pesto sauce.

The yeast-based bread Focaccia is often flavoured with fresh herbs, cheese, and tomatoes. The Italian biscuit biscotti are traditionally flavoured with almonds and spices. Meant as ‘twice baked’, biscotti are great with morning or after dinner coffee and wine.

Risotto, or rice, is a popular ingredient in the Lombardy region. Carnaroli is called the king of Italian rice, and is the best rice to use in making a risotto.

Pancetta is the Italian bacon and is the key ingredient in Spaghetti alla Carbonara. It is seasoned with peppercorns and wine. Salami, on the other hand, is a combination of lean pork, spices, and garlic. They go hand-in-hand with Focaccia sandwiches.

Now you know, that Italian cuisine is much more than just Pasta and Pizza.