Italian Specialty Foods

italyMost people immediately think of pizza and pasta whenever they think of Italian cuisine.  This is because these are traditional Italian food in the United States.  However, over the course of time these foods have become a lot less specialized than they use to be.  Just take a trip around the world and you will see that there are a lot of people, who aren’t even Italian, who are making pizza and pasta.  Italian food is popular around the world; this is why so many people have heard of lasagna, tortellini, and ravioli today. Actual Italian food in Italy has a lot more variety.

The Regions Of Italy

Italy is full of unique food.  Each region has its own specialties, some of which are actually quite unusual.  For instance, the Lombardy region is known for rice, which has made its way into a lot of soups and, of course, risotto.  Lombardy is especially known for Tortelli di Zucca (ravioli filled with pumpkin).

The Piedmont region focuses more on local ingredients such as nuts and fungi.  One of their well-known dishes is Carned cruda all’albese (steak tartar served with truffles).

The Calabria region is known for Melanzane alla Menta (eggplant marinated in mint).

Regardless of which region you travel to, you will find specialties that are based upon the food that was traditionally available within this region.  These are usually as follows:

  • Coastal areas-fish, rice, and butter
  • Inland areas-meat, olive oil, pasta

Italian Food Specialties

There are a lot of herbs and spices used in Italian specialty dishes that are common among all the regions.  Some of the most popular herbs and spices include garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, and oregano.  Other Italian specialties that are known of throughout the world include bread, wine, and coffee.  These breads not only include those that are used in making pizza and pasta but they also include breads such as ciabbata, pita, and piadina, which are known throughout the world.

Now that information is being so easily shared, it is rare to find a country that has specialized foods that cannot be found anywhere else.  This is true in Italy as well.  There are no specialty foods found in this country anymore.  However, their food is still based around the regional variations that exist throughout the country.  Some of the prime examples of this are pizza and pasta.  While these dishes will always be linked to Italy, they are no longer exclusive to that country.

Another factor in Italian specialty foods being prepared and served worldwide is that it is easy to learn how to cook Italian food. It can be done by the following methods:

  • Specializing in Italian cooking in a cooking school
  • Local Italian cooking classes
  • Italian cook books
  • Online Italian recipes
  • Italian recipes passed down from family and friends
  • Videos that teach Italian cooking
  • Learn Italian cooking in Italy

With it so easy to learn how to cook and find Italian recipes, more people are trying their hand at Italian cooking. For those who don’t want to cook, there are ready-made Italian dishes available at a super market and Italian restaurants.

When you live in the Miami, Florida or Davie, Florida area you can eat authentic Italian food at Mama Jennie’s Italian Restaurant and Catering. You can eat in at their family owned and operated Italian restaurant or order out.

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