If you
were asked to think of Italian
food, the likelihood is that
you automatically think of
spaghetti, lasagna or pizza.
This is very much Americanized
Italian cuisine as there are
many more popular options found
in Italy itself. Each region of
Italy boasts its own
specialties, some of which have
never made it across the
Atlantic to the States.
Once
incredibly popular dish found
in Italy is minestrone soup.
This soup is made up largely of
beans ¡V which are commonly
used in Italian cooking.
Other popular ingredients are
nuts ¡V especially pine nuts.
This nut is used in pasta
dishes and in many common
desserts. It is however most
known for appearing in pesto
sauce and pesto sauce is of
course as Italian as they
come.
Another
popular ingredient found in
many Italian recipes is rice.
Risotto is renowned throughout
Italy and of course rice is the
main ingredient which cannot be
substituted. Risotto is
essentially rice mixed with a
broth, vegetables and Italian
spice to create a flavorsome
and traditional dish. Italian
people take a lot of pride in
their risottos. Rice is also
found in a number of soups and
stews throughout the
country.
Of all
ingredients used in
Italian cooking, olive oil
has to be the one found in
virtually everything. The
best olive oil is actually
extra-virgin olive oil and
many chefs throughout the
country rely on this to
make their dishes extra
special. The main
difference between extra
virgin olive oil and
virgin olive oil is the
amount of acid. To be
classed as an extra-virgin
olive oil, the oil must
contain no more than one
per cent acidity.
Virgin olive oil is not
allowed more than two per
cent acid contained within
it. Extra virgin
olive oil is without doubt
the most popular oil and
is not only used in
cooking sauces and the
like, but is also used as
salad dressings and a dip
for bread.
We cannot
talk about Italian food without
mentioning the breads and
pastries. Bread is very
important in the Italian diet
and is used as an appetizer, a
side dish for a main meal, and
a dessert. The more popular
kinds of bread are all
flavored; whether it be with
herbs, cheese, sun-dried
tomatoes or something else,
plain bread just isn¡¦t as
exciting. Popular desert bread
is the biscotti ¡V literally
meaning ¡¥twice baked¡¦.
It is actually more like a
biscuit than bread and is
usually topped with almonds and
flavored with spices. Fruit can
also be added to the bread with
cherries being the most popular
choice. Biscotti are actually
used a lot in Italian cooking
and are often served for
breakfast with coffee or after
dinner as a treat.
This
article literally scrapes the
surface of popular Italian
foods, but as you will already
be able to see there is a lot
more to Italian cooking than
just pasta, sauce and pizza. If
you ever get the chance to
travel to Italy, you may
actually be surprised at what
is served in restaurants,
because you will find that it
is very different to what you
would find in restaurants in
America. However if you
are unsure what to order, stick
to what you know and maybe add
one or two of the items found
here to your favorites
list.
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Of all
ingredients used in
Italian cooking, olive oil
has to be the one found in
virtually everything. The
best olive oil is actually
extra-virgin olive oil and
many chefs throughout the
country rely on this to
make their dishes extra
special. The main
difference between extra
virgin olive oil and
virgin olive oil is the
amount of acid. To be
classed as an extra-virgin
olive oil, the oil must
contain no more than one
per cent acidity.
Virgin olive oil is not
allowed more than two per
cent acid contained within
it. Extra virgin
olive oil is without doubt
the most popular oil and
is not only used in
cooking sauces and the
like, but is also used as
salad dressings and a dip
for bread.
