The Diversity of Italian Cooking

Italian cooking is one of the favorites of both cuisine enthusiasts and the ordinary designated cook at home, worldwide. Although most people think that Italian cooking is all about pasta and pizza, there is a whole lot more this cuisine has to offer.

Italy does not have only one kind of cooking. Instead, Italian cooking from one town may be different from the next city. This is due to the region's rich culture and diversity of cooking.

Every town, valley and community has a unique way of making pasta sauce, sausages, breads, specialty cheese and various kinds of Italian cooking recipes. This is the reason why plenty of Italian chefs offer a unique kind of cooking compared to the 500 other Italian chefs.

One of the reasons why Italian cooking is so popular because no other country provides a cooking style so divided into different tastes and styles for each city. This is also the reason why Italy holds only one Italian language even though they have a plethora of dialects spoken.

The different kinds of Italian cooking are a result of the region's own history. The cities of Italy have been divided for many years, while each city contributing to its rich culture.

The Roots of Italian Cooking

The roots of Italian cooking can be traced back with the Magna Grecia. During this time, Italian cooking was simple - they used only salted fish, pork, olive pickles, lupins, dried figs, lentils and cickpeas. However, when it came to banquets and other occasions, food preparation during Magna Grecia was more varied, which included honey, soups, sweets and different kinds of nuts.

During the Republican Era, Italian cooking was based on honey, cereal, dried fruits, vegetables, breaks, cakes, fish, milk and fresh fruits. This era introduced cheese as part of the Romans' diet. When the Imperial age came, the locals ate a more variety of food, including wine, olives, grapes, eggs and milk for breakfast and fish, fowl, goat, veal or pork for dinner.

When explorers brought rice, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, maize and coffee to Europe, the entire Italian cooking changed its path, to a richer combination of ingredients. During the Renaissance period, cooking was more focused on preparation of different kinds of food, from roast or boiled meats to refined salads and sugar cane.

Italian cooking in the 20th century is a result of intense changes in Italy. Today, not only do chefs focus on preparation, they also study conservation of foods and distribution of ingredients.