It’s More Than Pizza and Pasta: 4 Facts About Italian Food
Italian food has a warm spot in the hearts of most food lovers. When someone says Italian food, most of us spontaneously think of pizza and pasta. However, there is more to the Italian cuisine that just the two Ps. Dishes travel from one place to another, marrying with other cultures that may result in an outcome slightly different from what it originally was. So, here are 7 facts to learn about the Italian cuisine that will pique your interest:
SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS ISN’T AN ITALIAN DISH
This actually comes like a shock to everyone who reads it; it’s one of the most popular dishes around the world, yet people mistakenly believe it to be Italian when it’s not. This dish is rather a creation of the American household without a single trace to an Italian background. In fact, most authentic Italian dishes don’t come with meat as a topping, except for al Forno dish.
GARLIC DRENCHING DOESN’T EXIST IN ITALY
Interestingly, every Italian restaurant around the world serves garlic bread to the side of any order. But then again, that’s not the case in Italy, they actually serve plain bread. Seasoning and flavor aren’t as strong in Italy as it is presented in Italian restaurants around the world. They rather depend on mixing fresh, flavorful ingredients to give their authentic dishes a remarkable taste.
ITALIANS DON’T FILL UP BEFORE LUNCH
Breakfast is deemed to be an important meal in most countries, but not in Italy. Drinking their coffee with milk is just how they roll. Filling up before lunchtime isn’t an Italian characteristics and the same applies to appetizers. Unlike most of the world’s Italian restaurants, bread isn’t served to snack on while your food gets ready. Instead, it is there to absorb the extra sauce left on your plate when you’re done. It is known as “Fare la Scarpetta.“
PEPPERONI IN ITALY ISN’T MEAT
Pepperoni in Italy means bell pepper while in other countries it actually means that the American version of salami. Well, again, pepperoni pizza is an American invention that somehow people misguidedly linked to the Italian cuisine.
