While there is general consistency in the ingredients Italian chiefs use, each region features some spectacular specialties. There is a north-south divide in the country’s cookery and other recipes that are distinctive to central Italy. Let’s dive into some of these mouth-watering culinary delights.
Northern Italy
Olive oil appears less often in the dishes of northern Italy; butter, other dairy products, and lard are much more common. It is said that occupying forces from Austria via the 18th century Habsburg empire and those from France heavily influenced this trend. We’ll look at food in several north Italy locations.
Aosta Valley
This is a tiny geographical area in northwest Italy where the food is somewhat reminiscent of French, German and Swiss cooking. There are heavy stews, lots of cheese dishes and a type of cornmeal porridge. Local produce and fresh meat are easily procured with many farmers and hunters making this area their home.
Emilia-Romagna
The Emilia-Romagna region has a disparate landscape where cheese is made, meats cured, olives grown, and wild fruits and vegetables harvested. This type of food makes for the melding of marvelous flavors. Dishes use ingredients like balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, or special cheeses. The tradition behind this cuisine dates to the ancient Byzantine and Roman times.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
This eastern part of Italy features considerable geographic diversity, with arid plains, rich farmland, rocky hills, and mountainous areas. Many rivers flow through this part of Italy to the Adriatic Sea. Recipes from Austria, central Europe, and Venice have impacted the distinctive dishes of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Liguria
What is special about Liguria is its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The result is a plentiful supply of seafood that, when paired with mushrooms and the other wild ingredients that can be harvested locally, make for amazing aromas and fantastic flavors.
Central Italy
Farming is a longstanding custom in central Italy. This region has mixed landscapes, with hills, mountains, rivers, and access to the sea. Incredibly, dishes hearken back to those made in the 4th century BCE. Since that time, the cuisine has benefited from sustainable farming practices, the introduction of new crops, and the attention of some high-profile chefs. Here is a taste of what’s on offer in the regions of central Italy.
Abruzzo
This inland area has mountains, valleys, and wild landscapes. The cuisine respects Abruzzo’s peasant heritage with a focus on vegetables more so than meat and not wasting anything. Dishes have borrowed from French, Sicilian, and Spanish cooking.
Lazio
Lazio is referred to as the “heart of Italy.” Due, in part, to its geography, food in these parts is shaped by cuisine from throughout the country. This region is a stunning blend of water and land, with many lakes, rivers, and mountains. Customary cooking dates to the ancient Etruscan civilization.
Le Marche
The unique aspect of the cuisine in this region of central Italy is that it’s mostly vegetarian. The abundance of ingredients readily available in this mountainous land by the sea help to sustain the tasty characteristic of the fare in Le Marche.
Tuscany
In this part of central Italy, traditional dishes are simple. However, the generous use of local ingredients in the food results in robust and beautiful flavors. The countryside here is made up of clear lakes, dense pine forests, and the coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Native ingredients like grapes, and chestnuts feature often in recipes.
Southern Italy
Food in southern Italy is what non-Italians think of as typical of the country. Cuisine largely relies on seafood and farmed produce. The less-fertile soil in this part of Italy, coupled with a history of conquest and trade, is reflected in local specialties. Following are a few examples.
Basilicata
Basilicata’s countryside is twisting costal terrain at the country’s southern edge by the Tyrrhenian Sea. Dishes rely on meat, seafood, and vegetables with hot peppers a typical ingredient. The impact of other cultures coming to Italy’s shores is evident in recipes.
Calabria
Calabria is in the southwest of Italy. As a coastal area, its cuisine has been influenced by many ancient peoples, including Greeks, Byzantines, and Romans. Seafood and seasonal or preserved vegetables give Calabria’s dishes their special quality.
Molisa
This is a relatively young region, where recipes continue to evolve. Agriculture is predominant in this small costal part of the country, and the rugged, mountainous landscape also impacts the cuisine.
Puglia
Puglia is at the southwest tip of the Italian peninsula. The land is arid along this coast. Olives and olive oil are important ingredients in the dishes created here. Moreover, there is a wide variety of cookery, reflective of other cultures landing in Puglia’s ports.
In Closing
Italian cuisine is diverse, highly dependent on the ingredients on offer in particular regions, and reflective of centuries of fascinating history. No matter what food you sample, it will be an exciting and rewarding experience.