1. World Food Wednesdays Italy Wednesday 11 th May 2016

2. Italy Italian Flag

3. Italy

4. Italy and has a largely temperate seasonal climate; due to its shape, it is often referred to in Italy as lo Stivale (the Boot). With 61 million inhabitants, it is the 4th most populous EU member state. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino and Vatican City. The capital city is Rome. Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and the eighth largest economy in the world. It enjoys the highest life expectancy in the EU. As a reflection of its vast cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51 World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is one of the most visited countries.

5. Italian Cuisine Italian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity, with many dishes having only four to eight ingredients. It is noted for its regional diversity, abundance of difference in taste, and it is probably the most popular in the world, with influences abroad. The North of Italy (Milan) is known for its risottos, the central/middle of the country (Bologna) is known for its tortellini and the South (Naples) is famous for its pizzas

6. Today’s Theatre Bar Dish is Sicilian Spaghetti alla Norma Italy This is a beautifully simple, classic Sicilian pasta dish – it’s incredibly satisfying, full of flavour, and feels like a great big hug in a bowl. It also contains two of your five-a-day (bonus!). The aubergine takes on the most amazing texture, the capers and pecorino add a lovely saltiness to the sweet tomato sauce and the chilli flakes give it a lovely warmth.