The Italian cuisine is as diverse as the varied regions of Italy. Although Italy was officially unified in 1861, the food, the diversity of the regions of the country is reflected with culinary influences from Greece, Romans, Gauls, Germany, Turkish, Hebrew, Slavic, Arabic, Chinese and other civilizations. In this sense there is really no one Italian cuisine because each area has its own specialties. Not just the food in Italy is highly regionalized, but also a high priority is placed on the use offresh produce available.
Although traditional Italian dishes vary by region, not necessarily follow them to a north-south pattern does not. The North tends to use more butter, cream, polenta, Mascarpone, Grana Padano and Parmigiano cheeses, risotto, lasagna and fresh egg noodles, while the south more tomato and olive oil, cook with mozzarella cheese and dried pasta Caciocavallo and peconrino. Coastal and central regions often tortellini, ravioli and prosciuttoin her kitchen. Even pizza varies across the country. In Rome, the crusts are thin and cracker-like, while Naples and Sicily pizzas have a thicker crust.
For most Italians, pasta is the first course in a meal with the exception of the far north, where risotto or polenta is the norm. Vegetables, cereals and legumes play an integral part of many Italian food with meat often do not become a regular part of daily meals, olive oil is usually seen in its dark green state (since the firstPresses) in the south, where seen in the north a more refined, golden oil.
Basically, Italian cuisine is a combination of vegetables, cereals, fruit, fish, cheese and seasoned some meat, poultry and game, with most or cooked with olive oil (with the exception of the far north). La cucina povera, the food of the poorer people of the southern Italian coastal region has shaped a diet popular for centuries but now there is a resurgence of this "poor man's food," theMediterranean diet, which is now being touted as the model to which we should restructure our eating habits.
Breakfast is included as a small meal in Italy, often consisting of nothing more than a bread roll and milky coffee (café latte). Traditional Lunch tends to be larger, multiple courses and ate slowly. Italian children do not go to school in the afternoon, and because of the heat, many small companies make in the near midday to about 16.00 clock after lunchsocial meal of the day.
The traditional menu structure in Italy is composed of eight courses, in fact, but is the long held traditional Italian menu typically for special occasions such as weddings, including cooking with only the first and second gear, with the supplement is the second course served. As an exception to this order, a unique course Piatto unico, the first or second gear to replace, such as pizza.
The traditional menu isby:
1st Antipasti - what hot or cold appetizers are, literally it means "before the pasta", consists of a varied combination of colorful dishes. The most popular ingredients are tomatoes, sliced melon served with ham or very thin slices. Lettuce, such as the slightly bitter endives or rocket, or other green leaves, such as the aniseed-tasting fennel are usually used as a garnish, placed around the edges of the plates. Salami, mortadella, coppa and zampone producedMeat products are common in antipasti. The art of eating is as important as the taste Italian. For example, the reddish color of salami offers a good contrast to the green salad. Fish and other seafood can be used and, of course, of course, olives and artichokes are also common in portions of antipasti, such as fungi (mushrooms), seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
2nd Primo (first course) - which is usually out of a hot dish such as pasta, risotto, gnocchi,Polenta or soup, vegetarian with many options. There are many types of pasta, any kind shall, in its current form with including Spirali (named spirals), farfalle (butterflies, sometimes referred to as "bow-tie-shaped" section). Penne (hollow tubes) and conchiglie (shells). Various shapes are better with the different types of sauces. Spirals are two strips of pasta twirled around each other and are used with the heavier sauces, such as with meat andVegetables. Rigatoni's cylinders, or tubes with a large diameter and grooves (or lines) on the outside. The grooves are to keep the sauce on the pasta, which means that this is good pasta sauces with fluid. Then there is the group of pasta is made of long thin threads, which includes the most common form of pasta, spaghetti. Normally eat this kind of coiling its long thin strands of pasta around a fork, prick. Other long thin noodles are tagliatelle, fettuccine and linguini, allVarieties of flattened spaghetti. Extremely thin strands of pasta hot pasta (means "little worms"). Another group consists of flat sheets of pasta (lasagna made) or tubes (cannelloni), which are either layered or stuffed with meat and cheese fillings. Some have pasta "pockets" to keep the sauce in them, rather than have rolled out such as ravioli or tortellini, the soft sheets of pasta with meat or cheese. Italians cook pasta of all kinds, whether fresh or dried, in boilingWater until al dente ("to the teeth", that is still a little heavy in the middle. It is then served immediately in a bowl with sauce or cheese.
3rd Secondo (main course) - this is usually the main course of fish or meat. Veal, pork and chicken are traditionally the most common and are often the pan fried or baked. Beef steak is used (bistecca), while lamb (agnello) is roasted on special occasions such as Easter and Christmas. Fish and other seafood are often used as the mainCourses.
4th CONTORNO (Supplement) - this can be a salad or cooked vegetables. Salad is traditionally served with the main course. Common vegetables beans (Greens and pulses), potatoes (often sautéed), carrots, and salads.
5th FORMAGIIO AND FRUTTA (cheese and fruit) - this is the first and the dessert, fruit and cheese are served together in the rule. Grapes, peaches, apricots and citrus fruits are a major product of the agricultural industry in Italy andtogether.
6th Dolce (dessert) - the cakes and cookies, of course, Italians produce many sweet desserts and sweet treats, including macaroons, almond-flavored meringues, which Australians call macaroons, panforte, a sweet semi-hard 'strong bread' based on nuts and contain dried fruit (a classic Christmas treat from Siena), and. Pannettone, a very rich cake-bread (another Christmas treat).
7th Caffè (coffee) - that is usually Espresso
8th Digestive system (liqueur) - thecan Grappa, Amaro, and Limon cello. The wine industry is important to Italy for centuries and the most common drink Italy has been associated with wine. Until recently, and even now in the countryside, the Italians were the most of their own red or white House wine by the grape harvest. This would be drunk at every lunch and dinner. Children are also given to drink wine, but it is mostly water with mineral diluted. Before dinner many Italians drink Amaro(Bitter) to stimulate the digestion, while dinner can drink the sweet wines for as marsala (from Sicily). Children are also sometimes given marsala, beaten with a raw egg and sugar into zabaglione, to strengthen them.
PIZZA
Modern Pizza has pizza by farmers in Naples, Italy had developed, but can claim more than a few Mediterranean peoples have "invented" the pizza. In ancient times, many civilizations created dishes flat bread with variousHerbs and toppings. As a staple food for the poor, it was a matter of necessity that food could be eaten without utensils, and that the "board" they could be consumed on the same was served. They made a bread crust from flour, water and yeast, topped with olive oil, herbs, cheese, sometimes even leftovers, and the whole baked in the oven.
Since most pizza lovers to consider today the tomato sauce, the key is, is it surprising that pizza pre-dates theIntroduction of tomatoes to Europe. Tomato to Italy via Spain in the early 1500s but were thought to be toxic. It was a few decades later, that tomato topped a flatbread in the form of a pizza.
The Italian cuisine is very popular in all its forms and is imitated all over the world. Would you not in the Italian cuisine in your kitchen are now what?
