ITALIAN FOOD

It is no accident that Italian cooking is so popular, for this is a cuisine rich in flavor and depth. A very little known fact is that Italian cookery is nothing like what we here in America think it is. Authentic Italian cooking is very different than what we eat here, in fact, it is better.

Italy is a country in western Europe that is well known for its food. Italy is divided into two parts, northern and southern. Each part has a very different cuisine. Italy is also divided into twenty regions or provinces, each with a specific food found mostly in that area.

Northern Italy is very different from southern Italy because of geography. The geography of both the north and the south are very different, creating different cuisines. The south is mainly coastal, so fish is the main food. The north is mountainous in some parts, meaning rabbit, veal, chicken, and lamb are the main sources of food. The north also uses white cream sauce on the pasta, while the south uses almost only tomatoes. The south usually gets its seafood from the Adriatic or Mediterranean Seas.

Many people believe that pasta originated in Italy, but this has been found to be untrue. Marco Polo traveled to China and brought noodles back to Italy. The Chinese noodles can be dated back to the year 1 B.C. Pasta consists generally of wheat and water, making it high in carbohydrates.

Italy has a unique ice cream called gelato. Gelato is very soft and sweet. It melts rather quickly, but is still well liked around Italy. Gelato contains a large amount of sugar, making it extremely sweet.

The twenty regions of Italy are Sicily, Emilia-Romania, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, Valle d Aosta, Veneto, Abruzzi, Latium, Marche, Molise, Tuscany, Umbria, Apulia, Basilica, Calabria, Capania and Sardinia.

Some of the regions are known for certain foods, Piedmont is known for its cheeses, Tuscany is known for its mushrooms, and all of Southern Italy is known for its seafood.

The progression of a meal would be an antipasto, similar to our appetizer, followed by a pasta course. A pasta course includes any pasta, rice (risotto), polenta, gnocchi, or soup containing any of the above, such as a minestrone. A main course- meat, chicken, or fish - is served at this point, but with little side dishes, possibly a simple vegetable or roasted potatoes. A little salad, cheese, fruit, and coffee complete the menu. Dessert is not very often at an everyday meal, but is eaten at other times throughout the day.