Italy

Italy

                      Italy extends from the southern side of the Alps in Europe all the way down the boot-shaped Italian Peninsula to its very toe in the Mediterranean Sea. It includes Sicily the large island across the straits of Messina & Sardinia.

                      Olives, the source of Italy’s famed olive oil, grow in abundance on the trees climbing the sides of the Apennine Mountains that from the backbone of the entire peninsula.

                       Most of Italy is either on the coast or very close to the sea; the Tyrrhenian Sea lies on the west, the Mediterranean & Ionian seas to the south, and the Adriatic Sea to the east. This large amount of water has a somewhat moderating effect on the climate but the southerly location of much of Italy results in summers   that can get uncomfortably hot.

👉 Food Patterns

                                ‘’Love of the goof life’’ Food & family are firmly implanted in the hearts of Italians.

                                 The tantalizing aromas that waft dishes created with wonderful olive oil, garlic, tomato, balsamic vinegar, mushroom, and perhaps a bit of pesto simply entice the lucky diners. Don’t forgot the wonderful Italian Bread, often washed down with a hearty reed wine. Then if there is still a bit of room for it, a  gelato may be the perfect ending to a leisurely and sensually gratifying dining experience. 

REGIONAL CUISINES :-

👉 Northern Italian:- Meals that might be served elegantly in northern Italy in such cities as Milan & Venice traditionally feature generous servings of meat ( eg. Veal, pork, game or lamb ). Rich sauce often accompany them. Meat plays a less prominent role in household with limited income.

                                                 Butter, lard & olive oil are used generously in cooking. Risotto, prepared with Arborio or other specialty short-grain rice, & Polenta made with cornmeal.  Wine is an essential accompaniment to meal except breakfast.

👉 Central Italian:- Meals in central Italy ( from Tuscany & Umbria south to Rome) include pasta , vegetables meat  ( veal , pork or seafood ) bread , cheese & Wine. Olive oil is an essential in Tuscan kitchen. Beans frequently occurs in menus, favored cooking herbs include sage, rosemary, thyme & marjoram.  Chianti  ( an expensive red wine ) , Porchetta  ( whole suckling pig stuffed with fennel, peppercorn & garlic ) , Pecorino ( sheep’s milk cheese ), Ricotta  ( made from whey of cow’s milk ) used in Tuscany.

👉 Southern Italian :- Southern Italy, including the island of Sardinia & Sicily, is noted particularly for its Mediterranean diet that features olive oil, pasta, bread, some meat & cheese, vegetables ( tomatoes & eggplant) and wine. Pork is usual meat; the craggy, rocky terrain of the region is more compatible with rising pigs than cows.

 👉 SPECIALITIES :-

                                   The food choices available throughout Italy are truly amazing. Creative ways of using the various flavourful ingredients from the local farms have fostered this broad menu.

👉 Pastas:- Pastas may be made at home and used fresh, or they may be purchased from local shop , which features a dazzling array of shapes, dimension, and even a choice of colour. The name of some pasta are spaghetti, ziti, penne capellini, fusili, lasagne, tortellini, cannelloni, ravioli, lumache, manicotti, tagliatelle & macaroni.  

👉CHEESE :- Cheese are a mainstay of Italian menus and cooking. Hundreds of small cheese-making operation lovingly produce a vast a vast array of cheese, ranging from hard to soft. 

Parmigiano ( parmesan ) best known Italian cheese, Romano – a sharp cheese made from sheep’s milk , is very hard cheese. Provolone & gorgonzola ( a blue-veined , sharp cheese ). Pizza seems to call for mozzarella , Mascarpone is an unripen cheese that can be blended readily with liqueurs or a bit of honey & served along with fresh or candid fruit.

👉 Oil & Vinegar :- Olive oil of excellent quality come from Tuscany, the south, the Piedmont & Emilia-Romagna near the coast, and the northern Apennine Mountains. Although cooking in the south uses olive oil extensively, butter is the more common fat in northern Italy. Nevertheless , northerners also use plenty of olive oil.
                                  Northern Italy also contributes balsamic vinegar , a special vinegar that has been adopted by gourmet in other countries as well. This vinegar is made by boiling special sweet white grapes in a copper pot to eliminate more than half of the water and make a thick syrup.

👉  Meat:- Among the best-known meats from Italy prosciutto, the thin slices obtained from Parma hams. Parma hams, which come from the northern Italian region near Bologna, are made by salting and then drying for about six months, producing a delicate flavour and a reddish colour. Sausages are not surprisingly made in and around Bologna. Among the varieties are Toscana, Salami, Mortadello & pepperoni. Veal is a very popular meat and is prepared in a variety of ways, including the popular veal scaloppini, veal parmigiana, and osso buco ( braised veal shanks ).

👉 SOME FAMOUS ITALIAN DISHES or RECIPES :-

1. Manicotti with Ricotta filling
2. Marinated Mushrooms
3. Osso Buco   
4. Saffron Risotto  
5. Pesto
6. Zabaglione