The beauty of Italy is not limited to its majestic architecture, rich history and local attractions. It extends to the amazing ability of Italians to create real masterpieces around them, not only in art, but also in cooking.
And all because they are very scrupulous about the cooking process and the choice of the right ingredients. Seasonal products are always preferred here. After all, they win both by their taste and useful properties. By the way, culinary experts say that the key to the success of the Italian national cuisine is not only this.
It’s about time. They learned to appreciate the taste and beauty of skillfully prepared dishes back in the days of the Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD). Then all over the world there was a fame about the feasts with countless delicacies, which were arranged by the Roman emperors. It was then that Italian cuisine began to emerge. Later, her recipes were improved and supplemented, passed the test of time and gradually diverged to other countries.
As a result, in the 16th century, cooking in Italy was elevated to the rank of art. At this time, the Vatican librarian Bartolomeo Sacchi published a unique cookbook “On true pleasures and well-being”, which was in great demand among Italians. Later it was reprinted 6 times. And it was after its release in Florence that schools began to appear in which culinary skills were taught.
One of the features of Italian cuisine is its regionality. Historically, there have been significant differences between the northern and southern cuisines of Italy. The first was fabulously wealthy, which is why it became the birthplace of exquisite cream and egg pasta. The second is poor. However, they learned how to cook amazing dry pasta and pasta, as well as amazing dishes from inexpensive but nutritious ingredients. Much has changed since then. However, the differences in the dishes of northern and southern cuisines are still preserved in taste, which is now achieved using various seasonings, less often ingredients.
The main products of Italian dishes:
- Fresh vegetables – tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, asparagus, zucchini. And fruits – apricots, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, citrus fruits, apples, blueberries, peaches, grapes, plums;
- fish and seafood, especially shrimp and oysters;
- cheeses, as well as milk and butter;
- from meat they love beef, lean pork or poultry. Although Italians often replace them with cheese;
- olive oil. It was highly appreciated by the ancient Romans. Today, it is sometimes replaced with pork fat. However, sunflower oil is not used in Italy;
- herbs and spices – basil, marjoram, saffron, cumin, rosemary, oregano, sage, garlic;
- mushrooms;
- beans;
- cereals, but rice is preferred;
- walnuts and chestnuts;
- wine is the national drink. A jug of wine is an obligatory attribute of the Italian table.
Time had practically no influence on the methods and traditions of cooking in Italy. As before, they prefer to stew, boil, fry or bake here. And also cook the whole meat for the stew. As the cooks of the Roman Empire once did.
You can endlessly talk about Italian cuisine. Nevertheless, a number of the most famous and popular dishes stand out in it, which have become its “calling card”. Among them:
Pesto is a favorite sauce of Italians, made with fresh basil, cheese and pine nuts and seasoned with olive oil. By the way, in Italy they are very fond of sauces, the recipes of which are in the hundreds, if not thousands.
Pizza. Once this dish conquered the whole world. In its classic version, tomatoes and cheese are laid out on a thin round cake. All this is seasoned with spices and baked. Although in fact there are a huge number of variations of pizza recipes, including in Italy itself. Even the cake is made thin in the south of the country, and thick in the north. Oddly enough, scientists call Greece the birthplace of pizza.
Since ancient times, the Greeks have been famous for their baking talents. They were the first to start spreading cheese on flat cakes made of unleavened dough, calling this dish “plakuntos”. There are a lot of legends swarming around its creation and distribution. Some of them say that from time to time the Greeks added other ingredients to the cake, calling it “plaque” in this case. Others tell of Roman legionnaires who came from Palestine and showed the amazing picea dish. It was flattened bread with cheese and vegetables.
One way or another, but in the 35th century, pizza spread throughout Europe. This happened thanks to the Neapolitan sailors. Hence the name of one of the types of pizza. By the way, he is also protected by law in Italy. It indicates the size of the “correct” Neapolitan pizza (up to XNUMX cm in diameter), the type of yeast, flour, tomatoes and other ingredients used in its preparation. Pizzeria owners who comply with all these requirements are entitled to mark their dishes with a special STG mark, which is a guarantee of the authenticity of a classic recipe.
By the way, in Italy, in addition to pizza, you can also find a dish called “pizzaioli”. This is the term used by masters who know the ancient secrets of cooking.
Paste. A dish that is also associated with Italy.
Risotto. When preparing it, rice is stewed in broth with wine and meat, mushrooms, vegetables or seafood are added.
Ravioli. They resemble our dumplings in appearance, but differ in fillings. In addition to meat in Italy, they put fish, cheeses, seafood, cottage cheese, vegetables.
Lasagna. A dish consisting of several layers of dough, minced meat, sauce and cheese.
Caprese. One of the popular salads made with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil and basil.
Gnocchi. Dumplings from semolina or potato grits.
Polenta. Cornmeal porridge.
Another option for polenta.
Minestrone. Vegetable soup with pasta.
Carpaccio. Slices of raw fish or meat in olive oil and lemon juice.
Another option for carpaccio.
Pancetta. A dish made from pork belly dried in salt and spices.
Frittata. Baked vegetable omelet.
Bruschetta. Croutons with cheese and vegetables.
Grissini and ciabatta. Breadsticks and sandwich buns that have been baked since the XNUMXth century.
In Chiabat.
Biscotto. Cracker.
Tiramisu. Dessert based on mascarpone cheese and coffee.
Italian cuisine is incredibly varied. But its uniqueness is that Italians never stand still, inventing or borrowing something new. And not only chefs, but also ordinary people who want to contribute to the history of the development of the culinary arts of their country. So, for example, our favorite ice cream was also created by an Italian architect by profession.
And Italian cuisine is also considered one of the healthiest. It implies minimal heat treatment during cooking and the use of only high-quality products. Ideally, a variety of vegetables and fruits. They also like durum wheat pasta with a minimum of calories and fat. In addition, seasonings are widely used in Italy.
All this variety is the highlight of Italian cuisine. However, as well as the secret of excellent health and longevity of Italians. On average, women live here up to 85 years, and men – up to 80. In Italy, they practically do not smoke and do not drink strong alcohol, with the exception of wine in moderation. Therefore, only 10% of Italians are obese.
However, scientists explain these numbers not so much by the useful properties of Italian cuisine as by the desire of Italians themselves to live a long and healthy life.
Based on materials Super Cool Pics