: Typical Products
Regions of Italy
: Typical Products
Homeland for the Mediterranean diet, for espresso and spaghetti. A land of gastronomists like Astusi and Carnacina, of masters of bon ton like Monsignor Giovanni della Casa and refined oenologists like Veronelli, Italy offers a rich and varied oenogastronomy, which is the result of deeply heterogeneous climatic and historic conditions, as well [Read more...]
Regional Channels:
Homeland for the Mediterranean diet, for espresso and spaghetti. A land of gastronomists like Astusi and Carnacina, of masters of bon ton like Monsignor Giovanni della Casa and refined oenologists like Veronelli, Italy offers a rich and varied oenogastronomy, which is the result of deeply heterogeneous climatic and historic conditions, as well as of a composite melting pot of ethnic groups.
Some theorize a background distinction: butter cooking in the Centre-North and olive-oil cooking in the Centre-South. Yet such a habit presents its full exceptions. We know that the pummarola ‘n coppa on Spaghetti and pizza Margherita were born in Naples, Fontina comes from Valle d’Aosta, Gorgonzola from Lombardy. Grana cheese is Padan (the Po valley), yet Parmigiano comes from Reggio Emilia. Taleggio and Provolone pertain prevailingly to Lombardy-Venetia. Liguria offers us pesto, Focaccia with Recco cheese and cake Pasqualina. From Tuscany, here you are bistecca fiorentina (T-bone steak), Chianti, the noble Brunello, as well as a dense, green and tasty olive oil, best with Ribollita made of pulse and cereals. Piedmont combines the truffle of Alba with wines like Barbera, Barolo and Dolcetto. Veneto replies with Valpolicella. As for cold cuts, remarkable the smoked Speck from South Tyrol, Bresaola from Valtellina, Salami from Milan, S.Daniele raw ham and cotechino (mortadella, culatello) from Emilia. And so on, tasting from region to region. Yet on a highets quality level.
On the other hand, already on the banquets of the ancient Romans, where they had plenty of cereals and honey melted into wine, the strong flavours of the Mediterranean Sea fused with very simple ingredients and traditional dishes, like bread and buns. People say that the idea to combine tomatoes to pasta came from the porters of Trapani in the seventeenth century, whilst it is a debated question whether it was Marco Polo to import spaghetti from China, or if they already existed. The monopoly of sugar was due to the Serenissima di Venezia. Yet with the Renaissance it was a luxuriant blooming of marmalades, jams and high confectionery. While herbs, flavourings and spices derive rather from the great expeditions to the East. Cooking and table that Italy offers today are hence the result of endless contaminations.
