A Flavor Legend with a Mediterranean Soul: Italian Cuisine

Italian cuisine is one of the cuisines that have turned cooking into an art. It has brought all the blessings of the Mediterranean geography to its cuisine. Its origins date back to the 4th century BC and its sources of inspiration are Roman, Byzantine, Ancient Greek, Jewish and Arabic cuisines. The first known printed cookbook in history was written by an Italian named Bartolomeo Scappi. Let's take a look at the details of this rich cuisine that has made the whole world fall in love with it.

Italian cuisine is one of the cuisines that has turned cooking into an art form. It has brought all the blessings of its Mediterranean geography to its cuisine. Its origins date back to the 4th century BC and its sources of inspiration are Roman, Byzantine, Ancient Greek, Jewish and Arabic cuisines. The first known printed cookbook in history was written by an Italian named Bartolomeo Scappi. Let's take a look at the details of this rich cuisine that has made the whole world fall in love with it.

Pizzas, Pastas and Yeast Breads

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Italians pioneered other cuisines of the world, especially in pastry. Although similar pizzas were made much earlier in Ancient Greece, it was the Italians who brought pizza to life, so to speak. It is said that pizzas, which are the first food that comes to mind when Italy is mentioned, emerged as a result of poor people wanting to consume a food that was both filling and delicious. The Mozzarella and basil Margarita pizza was the result of Queen Margarita's suggestion to a Neapolitan pizza chef and was loved by the Queen because it had the colors of the Italian flag.

Napoli, is still the city where pizza is best made. Millions of tourists flock to Naples every year to taste this delicacy. Marinara, quattro formaggi made with four types of cheese, pepperoni pizza and pizza capricciosa made with mushrooms, artichokes and ham are examples of other delicious pizzas.

Macaroni is an important element of Italian culinary culture. It is made in two ways: fresh and dry. Dry pasta is eggless pasta that can be stored for up to two years. Fresh pasta, on the other hand, can only be stored for a few days and is suitable for immediate consumption. Al dente, or undercooked, is preferred. There are hundreds of pasta types depending on the ingredients, the way they are prepared and cut. The most famous ones include spaghetti, penne, lasagna, ravioli, tortellini served with parmesan and fettucini, which is recommended to be consumed with cream.

As for sauces, which are indispensable for pasta, there are many different types of sauces, from those prepared using meat juices to those flavored with aromatic basil, saffron and minced meat. Neapolitan, bolognese, milaneze, siracusana and pesto sauces are some of the most popular sauces in the kitchen.

Let's talk about the hearty breads that form the basis of Italy's pizza culture... Ciabatta bread with olives prepared with greens such as rosemary and thyme, friselle bread served with cheese and tomatoes and served as an aperitif especially in restaurants, and pandoro bread, which is prepared in the shape of a star and fermented many times, are examples of the most popular Italian breads. Not to mention foccaccia bread, also known as the ancestor of pizza. It is baked with products such as cheese, Mediterranean greens and olives. Considering that olive oil is used in the production of all these breads, we can say that they are light as well as filling.

Light and Delicious Italian Desserts

The Italians also showed their culinary expertise in desserts. Milky, light, aromatic desserts are the perfect complement to a nice dinner. We guess there is no one who hasn't heard of tiramisu, a dessert made with mascarpone cheese, flavored with granulated coffee and served with cocoa. Considering its flavor, it definitely deserves this popularity!

Another example of an Italian dessert is panna cota. Panna cotta, which takes a very short time to make, means cooked cream in Italian. It is a milky dessert with few ingredients. It can be flavored with blackberry, strawberry, raspberry sauce.

Made with egg yolks, sugar and sweet wine, Zabaglione is a dessert that can be served with catnip biscuits. There are also variations with other alcoholic beverages such as cognac.

Cannoli, unlike other Italian desserts, is fried. However, you should not think that it is a heavy dessert. Because the fried dough, which is open at both ends, is filled with a light cream made with ricotta cheese (curd cheese is fine for those who can't find it) and powdered sugar. Topped with pistachios, chocolate chips or candies for decoration.

If you are interested in the cuisines of other countries besides the unique Italian desserts, you can check our article 10 Most Delicious Cuisines of the World.

Coffees and More...

Espresso, which is the main ingredient of almost every coffee and can be consumed on its own, is the most important drink that Italians introduced to the world coffee culture. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that without espresso, we would not have the coffees we consume now. Drinking a strong espresso after meals is indispensable for Italians.

Perhaps the most important thing to know about Italian cuisine is that Italians see food as a time for socializing, gathering and spending time with close friends. This maximizes the enjoyment of the meal. This must be the reason for long dinners.