I T A L Y ‘ S S P E C I A L I T I E S Italy is well known not only for its art and natural beauty but also for its gastronomy. Here are some Italian food specialities.

LET’S START FROM PASTA Traditionally, Italian cooking is based on the Mediterranean diet in which pasta plays an important role. We can say that pasta is the symbol of Italy and now it is popular all over the world. The Italians eat pasta every day and it’s what they miss most when they are abroad. Pasta is not just spaghetti but it is made in hundreds of shapes and it is cooked in many ways. Each shape has a name. Here you can see some shapes:

GNOCCHI Gnocchi are often listed among pasta dishes but they have different ingredients and mode of preparation, and cook faster than normal pasta. They are made from smashed boiled potatoes and flour, then shaped into little balls with a depression on one side. They are cooked in salted boiling water, removed when they rise to the surface, drained and served with all sorts of sauces, usually tomato sauce

PIZZA Also pizza is a symbol of Italian cooking. It is simply made with flour, yeast, salt and water, but it can be topped in many ways, so there are many kinds of pizza. The most common is Pizza Margherita topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. It was made for the first time for an Italian queen, whose name was Margherita, when she visited Naples. This pizza is in fact called Margherita after that Queen. In a way it is considered patriotic because the topping resembles the Italian flag with its colours of white (given by the mozzarella cheese), red (given by the tomatoes) and green (given by the basil). Considered for centuries food for the poor, pizza is now known worldwide, although the pizza eaten everywhere in the world is something different from Italian pizza

MOZZARELLA Mozzarella is a kind of fresh cheese, very soft and with a milky taste. Real mozzarella is made from buffalo milk but it is possible to make it from any type of milk. In this case the taste and the texture are different. The breeding of the buffaloes is done in Campania Region and this is why mozzarella is a typical Neapolitan cheese. It is better to eat mozzarella the same day it is made or the day after. Later than that it will lose its softness and the taste will change. As you can see in the picture, mozzarella is usually made in ball shape. It is used in summer salads and it is an ingredient in many cooked dishes. For example, it is essential for the topping of Pizza Margherita

PARMESAN CHEESE Parmesan cheese is considered the best Italian cheese. It is highly nutritious because it is very rich in proteins, lipids, calcium and phosphorus. It also has vitamins and mineral salts. Proteins are more than in any other type of cheese. It is recommended in diets and for children and old people. Parmesan has always played an important role in Italian cooking. It can be served as table cheese or as dressing on pasta and rice, or as a dessert together with fruit, or cut in small squares with cocktails and aperitifs. It is also an ingredient in many dishes

And now Desserts The following are typical of Naples and Sicily STRUFFOLI Struffoli is made and eaten at Christmas. It’s just small pastry balls fried and dressed with honey. On top there are often candies and candied fruit PASTIERA Pastiera is a kind of cheesecake which is made only for the Easter season by the Neapolitans. It has a base of pastry filled with ricotta cheese, grain, eggs, cream and orange flowers essence. Delicious!

BABA’ Baba’ and Naples are only one thing and the Neapolitans are considered the best babà makers. As you can see, the cakes have the shape of a mushroom. Once they are baked, they are soaked in a syrup made with rum sugar and water

ICE CREAM Italian ice cream is well known for its high quality. Ice cream is made from milk, eggs, sugar and natural flavourings Many ice creams are made from yoghurt. The most common flavours are vanilla, chocolate, nuts, coffee, and any kind of fruit. The great variety of flavours make it difficult to make a choice when buying some. It is usually served in cones, cups, or waffle sandwiches, and also as toppings on fruit salads. Although ice creams are today industrially produced, the best are the ones hand-made by the thousands of ice cream shops all over Italy

CANNOLI and CASSATA Cannoli and Cassata are Sicilian desserts but they are popular all over Italy. Their taste is not just delicious but it’s paradise. Cannoli are tube-shaped shells of fried pastry filled with sweetened ricotta cheese cream blended with chocolate and pistachio. Cassata is a sponge cake layered with sweetened ricotta cheese cream, covered with marzipan and icing, and decorated with candied fruit. Both cannoli and cassata are of Arab origin and date back to the time of Arab domination over Sicily from the 9th to the 11th century

WINE Along with France, Italy is the world’s largest producer of wine. Grapes are grown in almost every part of Italy, with more than 1 million vineyards under cultivation. Each of the 20 Italian regions is proud of its wines which differ from all the others in colour, acidity, body, aroma, age, taste, depending on the kind of grapes grown in that region. Both red and white wines fall into 2 categories: TABLE WINES and QUALITY WINES. Table wines are lower quality wines, suitable for everyday drinking at meals. Quality wines are of a greater quality level. Some of the most famous Italian wines are Chianti, Aglianico, Sangiovese, Corvo, Trebbiano, Tocai. But the list is endless.

LIMONCELLO Limoncello is a typical Neapolitan liqueur. It is made from lemons. That’s why it is yellow in colour. The best lemons are those which are grown along the southern Neapolitan coast. The lemons are picked, washed and peeled. The rinds are put into pure alcohol. After a few days water and sugar are added, never chemicals or artificial colours. The final taste is simply delicious. Limoncello is usually served chilled.