Introduction
Italian cuisine is famous around the world for its delicious and healthy food. It includes thousands of varieties of recipes for different dishes with various ingredients. In Italy, culinary traditions are passed down from generation to generation. One of the features of Italy is the different culinary traditions in each region of the country, which have been formed over the centuries. Italian cuisine occupies one of the first places in terms of the quality and the beneficial properties of the dishes. The distinguishing feature of Italy and its cuisine is in the cooking process and the culture of the meal.
Food and Beverages Commonly Used
The common Italian foods are pizza, typical appetizers, and desserts of Italian cuisine. Appetizers on the Italian table are mainly various types of cheese and frittata, that is, fried appetizers. Other popular foods are lasagna, minestrone, tortellini, ravioli, risotto, spaghetti and carpaccio. Common beverages in Italy are different sorts of regional wines. Wine production is mainly carried out in the country’s north, where the world-famous Chianti and the slightly less popular Marsala wine are produced. Of course, not only is wine consumed in Italy, but coffee is also widely drunk with meals – espresso, cappuccino, or latte.
Meal Patterns and Eating Customs/Habits
It is not customary in Italy to eat in a hurry, so “fast foods” are not popular there. For breakfast in Italy, it is customary to drink natural coffee or latte. Lunch is full of various dishes and includes an appetizer, a first course, a second course, fruit, and the usual coffee. The first course includes pasta, risotto, or vegetable soup, and the second – meat, fish, or cheese with a vegetable side dish. Almost always, lunch and dinner are accompanied by wine and end with a fruit and fennel dessert. Italians often dine out, so the restaurant culture is very developed there.
Diet Evaluation
Italian cuisine is very simple and much lighter than US food since it uses mostly simple ingredients. Italian diet is one of the healthiest and most balanced, and the principles of Italian nutrition underlie the Mediterranean diet (Artese et al., 2021). Italians use wheat bread, not toast bread, which is popular in the US. In general, when compared to the US, the Italian diet is healthier because it contains natural products. Commonly, US cafes and households favor such foods as fast-food, bacon fried in processed oil, sweets, and beverages that contain a high amount of sugar. Dietary restrictions in the Italian diet include fried, oily foods, low-quality bread products, and processed sugars.
Salt, Fiber, and Fat Intake
An Italian diet contains a high amount of fiber products in its cuisine. Fiber, when eaten excessively, may lead to reduced sugar levels in the blood and flatulence (Ocvirk et al., 2019). Fats also take place in the Italian diet, mostly in olive oil. However, there are not many processed oils in the cuisine, which is beneficial for health. Italians do not usually use too much salt in their dishes since they add more different seasonings. Salt can retain moisture in the human body; that is why it is important to maintain enough amount of salt consumed. Lack of salt can lead to dehydration of the body; in severe cases, hyponatremia can develop with a lack of salt in the body.
Food for Special Occasions
The festive menu in Italy differs from the everyday one and includes special dishes for every occasion. For example, on Christmas Eve, fish delights are served on the table: oysters, carpaccio from various seafood, grilled eel or swordfish, sea bream, baked trout, etc. Side dishes of vegetables and potatoes accompany everything. The special occasion meal ends with desserts named Pandoro or Panettone. Yet on Christmas itself, different dishes with meat are served. Various sorts of wines are also served on special occasions and celebrations.
Cooking Methods
Many dishes of Italian cuisine are prepared with wine, stewed, soaked in wine, and marinated. Most Italian cuisine recipes require minimal heat treatment and a simple preparation method. In this way, one can feel the natural taste of the products. Most commonly, dishes in Italy are boiled, stewed, baked, or smoked. For instance, pasta products are boiled, meat is smoked or stewed, and dishes such as pizza and desserts are baked in ovens. However, cooking methods vary from region to house or even from house to house.
Additional Facts
One of the features of Italy is the different culinary traditions in each region of the country, which have been formed over the centuries based on common products in a particular area. Italians prepare very tasty natural ice cream, numbering several dozen types. Many wines are produced in Italy – red, rose, white, dry, semi-dry, carbonated, etc. As a rule, Italians rarely go for a combination of seafood and cheese. In general, they are very zealous about violating the canons of Italian cuisine. However, commonly, true Italian cuisine follows a strict recipe adopted in one region, a city, and sometimes even a family.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Italian cuisine is not only popular around the world for the unique taste of the dishes but also for its healthy approach. The diet is natural and light for the body, including whole products and simple cooking methods. Eating customs and habits in Italy are also special, which can be traced from the common eating trends in the region. Italian cuisine is rich in different types of foods and beverages, which are now beloved by many other countries. Recipes of dishes can vary in different parts of Italy, mostly because of geographical factors. Nevertheless, each dish tends to have some peculiarities in cooking and selection of ingredients.
References
Artese, M. T., Ciocca, G., & Gagliardi, I. (2021). Analysis of traditional Italian food recipes: Experiments and results. In International Conference on Pattern Recognition (pp. 677-690). Springer, Cham.
Ocvirk, S., Wilson, A. S., Appolonia, C. N., Thomas, T. K., & O’Keefe, S. J. (2019). Fiber, fat, and colorectal cancer: New insight into modifiable dietary risk factors. Current gastroenterology reports, 21(11), 1-7.