Italy tourist information

Italian cuisine as a national cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Its roots can be traced back to the 4th century BC. The cuisine changed significantly with discovery of the New World which helped shape much of what is known as Italian cuisine today with introduction of items such as potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper and maize, which are all central parts of the cuisine but were not introduced in scale until the 18th century.

Ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) (regulated appellation) laws. Coffee, and more specifically espresso has become highly important to the cultural cuisine of Italy.

Regional cuisines
Each area has its own proud specialties, primarily at regional level, but also even at provincial level. These regional variances can come from the influence of a bordering country (such as France or Austria), vicinity to the sea or mountains as well as economic progress. Italian cuisine is not only highly regional, but is also distinguished by being very seasonal with high priority placed on the use of fresh, seasonal produce.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Capital City is Trieste
Friuli-Venezia Giulia shares many traditions with the bordering former Yugoslavia. The famous San Daniele del Friuli hams come from this region. Carnia in the northern region is known for its bacon and Montasio cheese. Collio, Grave del Friuli, and Colli Orientali are regional wine favorites. The dishes of the region take on the influence of Austrian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and Croatian dishes. Beer halls of the region feature Viennese sausage, goulash and Bohemian hare.

Many of the desserts of the region are flour based, such as strudels. Polenta is a staple and it finds its way into many variations including stirred dishes, baked dishes and can be seen served with sausage, cheese, fish, or meat. Dishes made with pork are often seen and can often be spicy and are often prepared over the open hearth called the fogolar.

Veneto - Capital City is Venice
Veneto is well known for risotto.It is a dish where the added ingredients differ by according to location, with fish and seafood being added closer to the coast and pumpkin, asparagus, radicchio and frogs' legs appearing further away from the Adriatic. Beans and other legumes are seen in these areas with the dish pasta e fagioli being a unique combination of beans and pasta. Veneto features heavier dishes using exotic spices and sauces. Ingredients like stockfish or simple marinated anchovies are found here as well. Less fish is eaten in Veneto and more meat and sausages are preferred such as the famous sopressata and garlic salami. High quality vegetables are prized here with red radicchio from Treviso being prized as well as asparagus from Bassano del Grappa.

Lombardy - Capital City is Milan
Rice is a popular ingredient in Lombardy often found in soups as well as risotto. Cheese is a popular course with robiola or crescenza, taleggio, gorgonzola (from the namesake town) and grana padano being particularly important (the vast plains of central and southern Lombardy allowing for intensive cattle-raising). For the same reason Butter is a popular ingredient over oil, and cream in generous amounts are often seen. Single pot dishes are popular here with the working class which take less labor to create. In the areas of Bergamo, Brescia, and Valtellina polenta is popular. In Mantua village festivals feature tortelli di zucca (ravioli with pumpkin filling) accompanied by melted butter and followed by turkey stuffed with chicken or other stewed meats.

Piedmont - Capital City is Turin
Piedmont is a region where seasonal gathering of nuts, fungi, cardoons as well as seasonal hunting (especially wild game) and fishing takes place. Truffles, garlic, seasonal vegetables, cheese and rice are all important staples to the region's diet. Wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, and Barbera stand out in this area as well as fine sparkling wines. Gorgonzola and Castelmagno are prized cheeses of the region. Filetto Baciato is the regions style of prosciutto made from pork fillet or other lean portion of pork marinated in white wine, coated with a salami paste and stuffed into a casing to age for six months.

Liguria - Capital City is Genoa
Liguria highly supports the use of local ingredients, the dishes found in this region will all feature the utmost freshness found in the local produce. Fresh herbs and vegetables as well as seafood find their way into the cuisine. Savory pies and cakes are popular in the region. Onions and olive oil are found often in the cuisine which were helpful in their addition to vitamin C for the sailors who may have been lacking in the vitamin on long journeys.

The Ligurians, constricted by a lack of terrain suited to wheat productions, made the most of chick-pea in farinata (plain or topped with onion, artichokes, sausage, cheese or young anchovies) and polenta-like panissa. Hilly or mountainous districts used chestnuts as a ready source of carbohydrates and sugar. Ligurian pastas include corzetti from the Polcevera valley, pansoti, a triangular shaped ravioli filled with vegetables, piccagge, pasta ribbons made with a small amount of egg and commonly served with artichoke sauce or pesto, trenette, made from wholewheat flour cut into long strips and served with pesto, boiled beans and potatoes, and trofie, a Ligurian gnocchi made from wholegrain flour or white wheat flour, made into a spiral shape and cooked with beans and potatoes and often tossed in pesto.

Emilia-Romagna - Capital City is Bologna
Emilia-Romagna is well known for its cured hams and mortadella are popular charcuterie items of the region. Parmesan cheese proliferates in the cuisine and different meats including game meats can be found here. Pasta is quite popular in the region. The region of Parma offers exquisite ham and culatello. Bologna offers its top quality mortadella as well as lasagna and tortellini but the home of tortellini is Piacenza. Aceto balsamico tradizionale or balsamic vinegar is produced by legal traditions by old-style producers.

Tuscany - Capital City is Florence
Simplicity is popular in the cuisine in Tuscany. Legumes, bread, cheese, crisp vegetables, mushrooms and fresh seasonal fruit are popular food items. Olive oil is an integral ingredient in Tuscany made from the Moraiolo, Leccino, Frantoio, and Pendolino olives. White truffles from San Miniato are a distinct specialty that appear in October and November. Beef of the highest quality come from the Chiana Valley, specifically a breed known as Maremma used for the famed t-bone steaks known as Florentine steak. Pork is another integral protein to the Tuscan cuisine.

Lazio - Capital City is Rome
Hearty pasta dishes find their way into the cuisine of Lazio, like the renowned amatriciana pasta dressing, based on spicy red pepper and guanciale, a kind of bacon-like cold cut (with more meat and less fat). The region prides itself on being able to use the lesser known cuts of pork and beef in tasty dishes, with examples in preparations like the entrail-based pajata and coda alla vaccinara. While these are memento to the ingenuity of plebeians and peasants having to make-do with little resources several other dishes are derived from the tables of Roman patricians, Popes and cardinals, thus relying on much more prized and valuable ingredients. Some Jewish influence can also be seen in the cuisine, with Jews having been part of Roman milieu since the times of Vespasianus. Local vegetables, especially globe artichokes, are popular in the Roman cuisine.

Campania - Capital City is Naples
High-quality produce of Campania includes tomatoes, peppers, spring onions, potatoes, artichokes, fennel, lemons and oranges which all take on the unique flavor of the volcanic soil of the region. The Gulf of Naples offers top-quality fresh fish and seafood. Durum wheat is used in the production of the region's pastas. The mozzarella is highly prized here as it is of the highest quality coming from buffalo milk. The traditional pizzas of the region are extremely well known and take advantage of the fresh vegetables and cheese found there. Desserts are not to be overlooked, with pastiera, sfogliatelle and rum-dipped baba being the most famous ones.

Apulia - Capital City is Bari
The northern portion of Apulia uses copious amounts of garlic and onion. The region is known for its dried pasta made from durum wheat flour. Fresh vegetables come in the way of tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, potatoes, spinach, eggplants, cauliflower, fennel, Belgian endive, as well as legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans. Apulia is the largest producer of olive oil in Italy. The closeness to the sea brings a proliferation of fish and seafood to the table, especially oysters, and mussels. Goat and lamb are seen on the table here occasionally as well.

Sicily - Capital City is Palermo
Sicily is another region filled with culinary influences because of its location. The influence of the Ancient Greeks can be found here: Dionysus has been said to have introduced wine to the region. The Romans later conquered the island and introduced lavish dishes based on goose.

The Byzantines introduced sweet and sour flavors while during the 10th and 11th centuries the Arabs brought apricots, sugar, citrus, sweet melons, rice, saffron, raisins, nutmeg, clove, black pepper, and cinnamon which are all still seen in the cuisine today. The Normans and Hohenstaufens introduced a fondness for meat dishes. The Spanish introduced numerous items from the New World including cocoa, maize, turkey, tomatoes and other produce items. Tuna, sea bream, sea bass, cuttlefish, swordfish and other seafood available off the coastline is an integral part of the modern cuisine.

Sardinia - Capital City is Cagliari
Sardinia was a region once fought over fiercely by many powers, the coastal cuisine of fish and seafood has only flourished after much history had passed as the inhabitants of the region wisely kept away from the coastline so highly cherished by invading traders of the area. Today rock lobster, scampi, squid, tuna, sardines and other seafood and fish figure prominently into the cuisine. Suckling pig and wild boar figure prominently, often roasted on the spit or boiled in hearty stews of beans, vegetables and thickened with dry bread rounding out the meal.

Fresh herbs such as mint and myrtle are popular in dishes as well. Sardinian bread is made in a drier format, which keeps longer than high-moisture breads as well, examples include civraxiu, coccoi pinatus, a highly decorative bread and pistoccu made with flour and water only, meant to travel distances with herders but served at home often with tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and a strong cheese.

Meal structure
Meals are structured in a cyclical order in Italy and invariably contain no fewer than 3-4 courses. Meals are seen as a time to spend with family and friends instead of immediate sustenance, as such the regular daily meals can be a bit longer than other cultures. During holidays, many family feasts will last for many hours, if not the entire day.

In many homes today the traditional Italian menu is kept for high days and special events (as weddings) while the everyday menu only includes the first and second course, the side dish and coffee. One notable aspect of an Italian meal, is that the primo or first course, is usually the more filling dish and will consist of either risotto or pasta, both being rich in carbohydrates. Modern Italian cuisine also includes single courses (all-in-one courses), providing carbohydrates and proteins at the same time (e.g. pasta and legumes).

• Aperitivo - aperitif usually enjoyed as an appetizer before a large meal. Popular drinks include Campari, Cinzano, Byrrh, Suze, and Vermouth.
• Antipasti - literally "before (the) courses", hot or cold appetizers
• Primo - "first course", usually consists of a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup.
• Secondo - "second course", the main dish, usually fish or meat. Traditionally veal, pork and chicken are the most commonly used meat, at least in the North, though beef has become more popular since World War II and wild game is very popular, particularly in Tuscany. Fish are those which are caught locally.
• Contorno - "side dish", may consist of a salad or cooked vegetables. A traditional menu features salad along with the main course.
• Formaggio e frutta - "cheese and fruits", the first dessert, usually served together
• Dolce - "dessert", such as cakes and cookies
• Caffe - coffee/espresso
• Digestivo - "digestives", liquors/liqueurs (grappa, amaro, limoncello) sometimes referred to as ammazzacaffe ("coffee killer")

Dining out
Italy offers many options for dining out or getting a drink. Each type of establishment has a defined role and traditionally sticks to it. Below is a listing of various dining and drinking establishments one might find in Italy.

• Agriturismo - Working farms that often offer accommodations and meals. Often the meals are served to guests only. Marked by green and gold sign with a knife and fork on it.
• Bar/Caffe - Popular locations which serve coffee, soft drinks, juice and alcohol. Traditional hours are from 6am to 10pm. Common foods sold include brioche, panini, tramezzini or spuntini (snacks) which can include olives, potato crisps and small pieces of frittata.
• Birreria - A bar that offers beer found in central and northern regions of Italy.
• Frasca/Locanda - Friulian wine producers that often open for the evening and many stay open late offering food along with their wines.
• Osteria - Focused on simple food of the local region, usually only having a verbal menu. Many are open at night only but some open for lunch from 12:30 to 3pm. They will then reopen at 7pm for dinner with a late closing time.
• Paninoteca - Sandwich specialty shop open during the day.
• Pizzeria - Wood fired pizzas are a specialty of Italy.
• Polentaria - A regional establishment seen in limited number in the northern part of Italy above Emilia-Romagna.
• Ristorante - Often offers upscale cuisine with more refinement along with printed menus.
• Spaghetteria - Originating in Napoli, offering pasta dishes and other main courses.
• Tavola Calda - Literally "hot table", offers pre-made regional dishes ordered from a queue, often served on a tray. Most open at 11am and close late.
• Trattoria - A dining establishment often family run with inexpensive prices and an informal atmosphere.

Coffee
Italian style coffee (caffe), also known as espresso is made from the same coffee beans as any other style of coffee. However, beans prepared for espresso are usually roasted dark, and are often a blend of coffee beans of various origins. Common misconception is that espresso contains more caffeine than coffee but the opposite is true. The longer roasting period for the beans extracts more of the caffeine and thus giving espresso roast beans less caffeine content. The modern espresso machine invented in 1937 by Achille Gaggia uses a pump and pressure system with water heated up to 194-203 degrees F and forced with high pressure through a few grams of finely ground espresso roast beans with a pressure of nine bars in 25-30 seconds resulting in about 25 milliliters or two tablespoons of liquid.

Home espresso makers are much more simplistic, but work under the same principle. La Napolentana is a four part stove-top unit with grounds placed inside a filter loosely, the kettle portion is filled with water and once boiling, the unit is inverted to drip through the grounds. The Moka per il caffe is a three part stove-top unit that is placed on the stove-top with loosely packed grounds in a strainer, the water rises from steam pressure, and is forced through the grounds into the top portion. It is unlike a percolator in that the brewed coffee is not re-circulated.

It is usually served in a demitasse in relatively small quantity. Caffe macchiato is a topped with a bit of steamed milk or foam; ristretto is made with less water, and is stronger; cappuccino is mixed or topped with steamed, mostly frothy, milk. It is generally considered a morning beverage; caffelatte is generally equal parts espresso and steamed milk, similar to cafe au lait, and is typically served in a large cup. Latte macchiato (spotted milk) is a glass of warm milk with a bit of coffee.

Wine
Italy produces the largest amount of wine in the world. It is also the largest exporter and consumer of wine as well. Two-thirds of the wine produced is bulk wine used for blending in France and Germany. The amount of wine distilled into spirits in Italy exceeds the production of wine in the entirety of the New World. As seen, although Italy produces the largest amount of wine in the world, approximately 25% of it is of quality that is labeled and put into bottles for individual sale. Fine wine is made in most regions of Italy. Much like the variety of regional cuisines of Italy, the wines are extremely varied as well with twenty separate wine regions.

The top wines in Italy are highly appealing and are generally extremely food-friendly wines. Those producing great wines have been attempting to wash away the old image of jug wines so often associated with Italian wine production. In order to promote this process the Italian government created a number of laws to regulate the wine industry. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) law passed in 1963 regulates the place of origin.

The laws associate with DOC have been regularly updated. One of the updates in 1980, created the Denominiazione di Origine Controllatta e Garantita (DOCG). DOCG is reserved for only the best wines in Italy. These laws regulate place of origin, quality, production methods and the type of grape used to produce the wine. The designation of Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) is a slightly less restrictive designation regulating place which is considered to help a wine maker graduate to the (DOC) level.