Italian Cuisine

When we think of Italian cuisine, the first thought that comes to mind is Pizza. Yes, Italian Pizza is renowned the world over. But there are other culinary delicacies from Italy that also linger on our palates. Italian cooking also changes with the regions of Italy. For example, the Pizza crust in Rome is thin, while in the Neapolitan and Sicilian regions is thick.

In Italy, each province has its own style of cooking based on the region’s crops. In Northern Italy, the food is prepared with lots of butter, cream, risotto, fresh egg pasta and Parmigiano Cheese. Southern Italian cuisine makes use of Mozarella cheese, olive oil, dried pasta and tomatoes.

In Rome they prefer to use a lot of pecorino or sheep milk cheese, while in Tuscany they prefer white beans, meat and unsalted bread. North Italy is well known for various types of stuffed pastas like lasagne and tortellini while Naples is known for Pizza and mozzarella. In Calabria, they prefer using a lot of hot pepper and capsicum. Sicily is famous for its gelato or ice cream, and their cuisine also uses lemon and pistachio and fish. Sardinia is famous for its lamb dishes.

A traditional Italian meal will consist of the following courses:

• Anti-Pasto: This consists of hot and cold appetizers.
• Primo: This has dishes like pasta, risotto, or even soup. This is the first course.
• Secondo: This contains the main dish of fish or meat.
• Contorno: This is the side dish of salad or vegetables. A traditional Italian menu will feature salad after the main course.
• Dolce: This is the dessert course.
• Caffee: Here you will be served a cup of espresso.
• Liqueurs: This course is also referred to as the "Coffee Killer" course where you will be served grappa or amaro.

Italian cooking is based on wheat products such as bread and pasta and the food is prepared in such a way that their natural taste is preserved. This makes the food light and healthy. There are several cooking techniques used to make this wonderful Italian food. But most of all the stress in Italian cooking was to keep the cooking style simple and easy to prepare. Italian cuisine, therefore does not need a lot of attention and can be made fast.

Foods such as pastas and rice are cooked in hot water. If vegetables have to be fried, they are sautéed in oil or fat. Sometimes, food is browned in hot fat and then cooked in flavoured liquids like broth or wine. Italian cooking also uses a lot of aromatic vegetables and seasonings – the most well known being Oregano. Food is also grilled over a charcoal fire.

Food in Italy is thus cooked depending on the regional foods available and the prevalent customs of cooking. The cuisine thus depends on the people and the regions of Italy.