Italian cooking is a rich array of unique and flavorful dishes from every corner of Italy. Eating an Italian meal is considered a ritual: gathering family, wine, and food. In this Mediterranean country, cooking traditions are like telling a long and beautiful story. It is passed down from generation to generation.
Italian Cuisine
This type of cooking consists of traditional ingredients and meals that individuals consume in Italy. While cheeses, sauces, and pasta is considered the most popular and are staples of every table in the country, every region have its own flavorful and unique dishes and ingredients that contributed to the influence of this type of cooking.
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A short history
While the upper classes in the Ancient Roman Empire had feasts of fish, roasted game, exotic foods, and wine, the lower classes ate what is known today as the Mediterranean diet: seasonal vegetables, cheeses, and olive oil. After the fall of Ancient Rome, every region in the country created its own cooking identities that are still very relevant in today’s modern Italian culinary world. Think of Sardinia’s seafood, Naples and Rome’s pizza, and Milan’s risotto. Today, popular restaurants, trattorias, and pizzerias featuring authentic italian food restaurant north myrtle beach sc can be found in almost every corner of the country.
Traditional ingredients used in this type of cooking
These important ingredients are staples in this type of cooking and create the foundation of traditional and modern Italian cooking.
Olive oil (extra virgin)
While olive oil is usually used not only in Italy but in other countries as well, good quality olive oil (extra virgin) is also used as a garnish to various foods to add a peppery flavor. It is also used as a dip for bread like focaccia or can be drizzled in salads.
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Balsamic vinegar
Real balsamic vinegar is traditionally made in Emilia-Romagna or Modena. This well-aged and dark vinegar is used in dressings and marinades.
Garlic
This small but valuable bulb is considered one of the most popular ingredients, not only in Italy but all over the world. In Italy, it is usually sautéed in extra virgin olive oil to create a unique and packed with-flavors cooking base.
Pasta
This ingredient might be the most popular export if this country. It is a mixture of salt, water, olive oil, eggs, and flour. There are different varieties of pasta based on the region they are from, shape, and size. Famous varieties include thin and long strands of pasta known as spaghetti; the tube-shaped ones from Liguria called penne; thin pasta ribbons from the region of Bolognia called tagliatelle; the flat and long pasta from Rome called Fettucine; the unique wide and flat ribbons from Tuscany called pappardelle.
Sauces
People usually think of Marinara (garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and onion) when talking about Italian sauces. It is the country’s most popular sauce. Another popular sauce is Pomodoro. The name literally translates as “tomato” in Italian. It uses the same ingredients as its marinara cousin but is much smoother and thicker. Another famous and delicious sauce is Bolognese.
It is made of meats like lamb, beef, and pancetta and simmered in wine and tomato sauce. Another one is pesto. It is made of garlic, basil, pine nuts, grated parmesan cheese, and olive oil blended together into a thick green sauce. It is served over fish, pasta, or spread on bread.
Fresh tomatoes
This fruit is brought to the country in the sixteenth century. The people in Italy first thought this fruit to be poisonous. Today, these things are the heart and soul of restaurants like Zona Blu Italian that offer foods from this side of the planet.
Oregano
Dried leaves of this plant add an earthy and unique flavor to pizza, grilled meats, marinara sauce, and salad dressings.
Capers
Capers or copper is pickled flower buds of the Flinders rose bush. These salty and small green orbs are popular ingredients in dishes like puttanesca sauce and chicken piccata.
Porcini mushrooms
In this part of Europe, porcini mushrooms are found under oak and pine trees, especially in the region of Tuscany. Porcini, either dried or fresh, are added to risotto sauces or simmered in wine sauces to add body and texture to various dishes.
Basil
This leaf is a fragrant and flavorful green herb with a minty and smokey taste. It is also considered the most popular herb in this type of cuisine. It is usually used in Caprese salad and tomato sauce, as well as the primary ingredient in pesto sauce.
