The History Of Italian Food

The parochialism and infighting between local authorities, duchies and small states that have marked our history have an impact on the image of our kitchen: the inability to make a system, typical of the Italian mentality, somehow prevents the Italian cuisine to appear as a great national cuisine, but as a set of small regional cuisines, the sum does not reach the absolute value it deserves.

Another problem arising from this approach is cultural narrowness of Italians if they are too often in the prior backyard, thinking that there is no better than the one that offers their territory and what their mother's kitchen prepares home. This lack of openness can not do the Italians a people further back, in terms of food culture, compared to other countries, where the various cuisines of the world have been in contact with each other by making the taste of the public and open the mentality of the people.

If you are traveling to Italy, you need to make sure to try some regional Italian food. While some Italian foods are considered to be "staples," there are numerous dishes that are popular in just one region. And regional Italian food not only varies between north and south Italy, but also from one city to another.

Pan Forte

An example of regional Italian food is pan forte. This is a fruitcake that is sweetened with honey and has been served in Siena since the middle ages. Another treat is ricciarelli, a chewy amoretti with orange. In Siena you can find these treats displayed every holiday. However, if you should drive a half hour away to Florence, you will not find much of either, especially not freshly made. Those who do buy it say it is a treat from Siena alone.

Lack Of Travel

One of the reasons for the major differences in regional Italian food is the affect that many Italians did not travel prior to World War II - that was something only the clergy or nobility did. Because of this, the food can vary from one town to another quite dramatically. So even most regional cuisines are actually local and the cooking techniques may vary. While the regional Italian food can vary significantly from one town to another, the biggest distinctions come between the northern and southern parts of the country.

Fat

Today olive oil is used throughout the country, but this is a more recent trend. Most of northern Italy is too cold to grow olives, and therefore much of that region used butter for cooking in its place. The central and southern regions of Italy cook mostly with olive oil, though some regions also used rendered lard.

Pasta

One big difference that can be seen in the regional Italian food is the kinds of pasta that are used. Before industrialization, much of the pasta in the south was made from durum wheat, water, and a little salt. The warmer air and sunlight allowed the pasta to dry faster. Even though dry pasta factories are everywhere today, many people still feel that southern Italy is the best place to go. Central and northern Italy is better known for their fresh pastas, and they use eggs, flour, and salt. They are also better known for stuffed pasta varieties, and used few flat or dry types of pasta.