When most people think of Italian food they think of dishes of spaghetti, lasagna, minestrone, and tortellini. This is a very general view of Italian food and if you were to travel to Italy you would be very shocked by the Italian food that they eat. The primary reason for that is that there are more than nineteen regions in Italy, all serving up their own change on Italian food. Furthermore, Italian food is very seasonal and depends on the freshest ingredients, so the cuisine in summer will be very different than the winter cuisine.

The Italian food that most Americans are familiar with comes from the northern parts of Italy. Here is where the wealthy dishes full of cheese and heavy on the sauce come from. The meats that are most commonly used here are beef and pork. If you like the Italian food you can find in America, than the northwards area of Italy is the location for you. This food will be most familiar, but it will still offer an exciting change from the Italian food found in the United States. Also, do not let the stereotypical view of Italian food just being spaghetti and meatballs slow you down. Actually few folks in Italy basically eat spaghetti and meatballs. The Italian food that is actually found in Italy is much more complex and diverse and will rely on more spices than just garlic.

As you move further south in Italy you’ll find the cuisine changes. In the south there’s more fish used. Regularly this make of Italian food is named Mediterranean food. The dishes here are much lighter and are fitter generally. The people in the southern half of Italy are amongst the healthiest in the world and it is due in great part to the types of Italian food that they eat. A primary reason this Italian food is so healthy is usually because they use olive oil to cook the majority of their food in.

One of the great misconceptions about Italian food is that it uses too many spices in overwhelming quantities. This myth probably pops up out the import of Italian food to America where it is frequently cooked by folks who haven’t ever been to Italy, far less eaten authentic Italian food . While spices are used in Italian food, they are meant to be an accent to the natural flavor of the dish. The indisputable fact that Italian food is seasonal makes it less sure to depend on heavy spices since there’s a strong fresh flavour about the meat, sauces, and pastas. However, travelers will find that the food in the northern regions of Italy do use a little more spice in their Italian food than the southern regions.

Therefore when thinking of Italian food it’s very important to recollect that there’s no state standard of the cuisine. With nineteen regions there is a vast diversity in dishes. Each region boasts their own unique take on Italian food, showcasing their native crops and livestock. However, all throughout the country travelers will taste that certain something; will feel that comforting familiarity; that makes Italian food one of the most popular cuisines in the world.

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