Italy has a rich past, at one time, parts of the country were occupied by Etruscans, Spanish, French, Greek, Arabs, Austrian and Germans. Such occupations inevitably shaped the cuisine of Italy today. Italy was made up of separate and disputing states, till it was unified in 1861 by Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Northern Italy
The Romans who ruled Italy and at one time almost all of Europe, for about a thousand years has left a lasting effect on Cookery in Italy, they brought in a lot of local customs and foods of the countries they conquered.Respect for the basic produce and a feeling for the freshness and quality of the ingredients determines the lively seasonal variety of dishes. As result the range of products on offer is extensive and high in quality. Unadulterated taste and inspired simplicity are the main characteristics of Italian cookery, as well as health and economical attitude towards food and eating habits
2. ITALY
Culinary purposes –
• the country can be loosely
divided into the South, Central and
North.
•Northern Italy is bordered by
France, Switzerland, Austria and
Solvenia.
• Central and Southern Italy is
bordered by the Mediterranean
Sea, a position that holds great
historical importance in terms of
exploration and trade.
3. Northern Italy
• Romans ruled Italy for about 1000 years
• Port city of Venice – centre of trade with Middle
East – sugar, coffee and spices
• Western areas of North have influence of French
and Swiss in their cuisine.
• Northern Italy – cuisine dominated by meat and
Seafood
• The green pastures (Alpine)produce a lot of milk,
butter and cheese, e.g. Gorgonzola (veined PDO
Italian blue cheese, made from unskimmed cow's
milk) and Mascarpone (soft Italian acid-set cream
cheese).
4. Piedmont
• a region of Italy bordering France and
Switzerland, sits at the foot of the Alps.
• It’s known for sophisticated cuisine and wines
such as Barolo.
• Risotto staple food - Italian rice dish cooked
with broth until it reaches a creamy
consistency (broth can be derived from meat,
fish, or vegetables).
• Many types of risotto contain butter, onion,
white wine, and Parmesan cheese.
5. • Popular cooking techniques – boiling, stewing
and braising
• Use a special oven called Fogher – used for
spit roasting
Risotto
Fogher
6. • Popular pasta shapes of this region include -
anolini, cappelletti, lasagna, tagliatelle tortelli
and tortellini.
• Other specialties of this region is the
Parmigiano- Reggiano(Cheese), Prosciutto di
Parma (Ham), and Aceto Balsamico
Tradizionale(vinegar)
7. • Anolini - traditional
stuffed egg pasta from
Parma (Emilia-
Romagna), made with a
filling of stewed beef.
• They are served with
broth made by cooking
beef and capon for a
long time.
• Lasagna is a type of
pasta, possibly one of
the oldest types, made
of very wide, flat
sheets.
8. • Cappelletti are ring-
shaped Italian stuffed
pasta so called for the
characteristic shape
that resembles a hat.
Tagliatelle is a traditional type
of pasta from the Emilia-
Romagna and Marche regions
of Italy.
Individual pieces of tagliatelle
are long, flat ribbons that are
similar in shape to fettuccine
and are traditionally about 6
mm wide.
9. Other specialties North Italy
• Parmigiano- Reggiano
• Parmesan is an Italian
hard, granular cheese
produced from cows'
milk and aged at least
12 months.
• It is named after two of
the areas which
produce it, the
provinces of Parma and
Reggio Emilia.
• Prosciutto di Parma is made
from high-quality pork legs.
• The meat is covered in salt
and left to rest for a few
weeks.
10. Traditional balsamic vinegar (or aceto
balsamico tradizionale)
• Type of balsamic vinegar produced
in Modena and the wider Emilia-
Romagna region of Italy
• Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (TBV) is
produced from cooked grape
must, aged at least 12 years, and
protected under the
European protected designation of
origin (PDO) system, fetching higher
prices.
11. Central Italy
• Etruscans – migrated from Asia – advanced
civilization
• Renaissance – first cooking school founded in
florence
• Catherine of Medici – shaped culinary and
exported to France
• Known for its livestock – beef, goat, lamb –
gritted, spit roasted/ deep fried
12. Southern Italy
• influenced by Greeks and Arabs from North
Africa.
• The regional cuisine began in Southern Italy
with the arrival of the Greeks in 415 BC.
• The Greek introduced wheat cultivation,
Bread making, olives, honey and nuts.
• Romans ruled later but did not contribute
much to cuisine except for the introduction of
fava beans.
13. • Sicily - foot of Italy -145 Km from the African
continent, conquered by the Arabs - bought in
exotic ingredients and planted citrus trees -
also introduced the notion of combining
sweet and sour flavours.
• Saffron, nuts, rice, couscous, sugar cane and
ice cream are just a few of the contributions
from the Arab world.
• Olive oil is the preferred fat of the region.
14. Naples
• ankle of the Italian leg is a very historical place
• Gateway for the entry of Catalan Cookery.
• Pizza‗s home is the Neapolitan area of Southern Italy.
• The great difference in Italy‗s climate and geography
are favourable to many different agricultural forms.
• Superb cheese is produced from Cow‗s milk in the
north, the south has cheese made from sheep‗s milk
which is just as excellent Northern recipes use butter
and cream, the central provinces used lard and olive oil
and the south is predominately olive oil.
15. Conclusion
• Respect for the basic produce and a feeling for
the freshness and quality of the ingredients
determines the lively seasonal variety of
dishes.
• As result the range of products on offer is
extensive and high in quality.
• Unadulterated taste and inspired simplicity
are the main characteristics of Italian cookery,
as well as health and economical attitude
towards food and eating habits.
