Italian Cuisine From A To Z

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Italian cuisine, which everyone associates with pizza and all kinds of pasta, is not limited to this. In fact, Italians eat a lot of antipasti, which is everything else that does not include pasta.

The menu depends a lot on which part of Italy you are in. Here is some useful information about what Italians eat in different regions of Italy.

Northeastern Italy: Here the food is dominated by fresh fish and seafood specialties. This is not surprising, because in addition to the sea, fish is also obtained from the world-famous Lake Garda.

Peas, asparagus and zucchini that grow in this region are often present in the menu. Meat and cheese are also present at the table. The paste is common, but the so-called polenta made from corn flour is more preferred. Characteristic of the menu of Northeastern Italy, which includes Venice, are:

Antipasto di Fruti di Mare (plateau of seafood, flights with olive oil and lemon juice), Risi e Bissi (risotto cooked with peas and bacon), Carpaccio (beef sprinkled with Parmesan), Fegato ala Veneciana (traditional Venetian dish), which is beef liver served on a canapé of onions), Tiramisu (the most famous Italian dessert) and Risotto ale Sepi (risotto with sepia ink, which gives a very dramatic black look to the rice).

Northwestern Italy: Rice is mostly grown in this part, which is why, along with pasta and pizza, risotto is often present in the daily lives of Italians.

Nuts, truffles and cheese are also dominant, and perhaps the biggest feature is that, unlike all other parts of Italy, where it is cooked mainly with olive oil, melted butter is often used here.

Here are some specialties of northwestern Italy: Osobuco (beef with tomato sauce), Farinata (a type of thin bread), risotto ala Milanese (rice with onions, white wine and Parmesan) and Panettone (similar to Easter cake, originating from Milan).

Central Italy: It is characterized by the use of olive oil, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms, ham and all kinds of salami. The specialties are: Crostini (round breads spread with garlic or tomato sauce or anchovy caviar), Cannelloni (stuffed pasta) and Cantuccini (sweet dessert from Tuscany).

Southern Italy and the islands: Unlike the rest of Italy, where pizza and pasta predominate in the menu, the emphasis here is on fresh vegetables and fresh seafood, which is why the diet of Italians in the South is considered particularly healthy.

Here are some of the most popular dishes: Fruti di mare (a dish of all kinds of seafood, flights with olive oil and lemon juice), Antipasta of grilled vegetables, Sicilian box office (ice cream with ricotta cheese) and all kinds of small biscuits and pastries.