All about Italian food

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.

 
Italian food - Google News
Italian food - Google News

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