Italian Food...Buon Appetito!

The pleasures and love of Italian cuisine are knownlife. Not only in the language and music, but also in the
the world over. Italian cookery and recipes vary fromcookery.
region to region, and on the whole it is very healthySome original and unique types of ingredients and
and nutritious, using natural ingredients that are incooking originated from the North; Balsamic vinegar
season.(Modena), pesto (Liguria), and tortellini (Bologna) to
Most traditonal and 'speciality' dishes as we knowname but a few! Other food characteristically eaten
today, are on the whole derived from simple peasantin the North is Polenta, that can be eaten in many
cookery, for example the Pizza, which could be founddifferent ways, e.g fried and even in a polenta cake.
a couple of centuries ago on the streets of NaplesDishes in the North tend to be a bit 'heavier' than
being sold by street vendors to those that had nothat in the South, (think the ingredients used for
cooking facilities of their own at home.Spaghetti Carbonara compared to the classic healthier
Although there are essential ingredients that everyand lighter tomato sauces of the South!)
Italian kitchen should have, (including basil, garlic andCentral Italy is very diverse, and such regions as
olive oil!), the most important ingredients are passionRome, Florence and have little in common. Some
and creativity.examples to be found all around central Italy are
Italians take great pride and pleasure in their food,Porchetta (pig stuffed with rosemary and fennel),
and cooking and eating habits can vary from regionpork, lamb, black truffles and porcini mushrooms.
to region, even from village to village. Each place hasCuisine in the South is characterized by the
their own unique dishes and ingredients, and even theabundance use of fish, aubergines, peppers, olives,
traditional dishes that are so popular all over Italy arethe spicy ingredient pepperoncino, and first and
cooked in different ways depending which region youforemost the tomato, which has a huge industry in
go to. For example, if you eat a lasagne from Naples,Naples. In the Naples and Campania regions, there is
it doesn't have the bechamel sauce as you wouldsome Spanish and French influence to be found in the
expect in the more traditional lasagne. It also hascookery. Pizza and pasta are especially popular and
small meatballs (or polpette)as oppposed to mince,traditional, the Pizza Margherita having been born in
and also salami and eggs.Naples. In Apulia, they have a diet rich in fish (mussels
The different regional cooking depends on a numberand oysters being a speciality)and vegetables. The
of factors, not only as to what ingredients are mostorecchiette (little ears)pasta is also from Apulia.
abundant each region, but also historical factors.Although the cuisine varies greatly all over Italy, there
Naples, for example, was founded by the Greeks,is one thing you can be sure of, and that is enjoying
and this had some influence on the Neapolitan way ofyour food! Buon Appetito!