The Italian gastronomy is wide spread around the globe, and is held in high regard, because of its simplicity and yet tasteful flavors. Italy’s favorable climate makes it possible, to grow high quality fruits and vegetables, which can be turned into great meals. The fact, that for Italians, eating is a social activity, played a huge part in shaping their cuisine and traditions. For most people, pizza is the first traditional Italian food that pops up in their head, but there are a lot of more interesting and lesser known meals we can find in Italian restaurants.
Pastas
The most famous Italian foods beside pizza, are the varying kinds of pasta dishes, which also emphasize the statement, that the Italian cuisine is simple yet refined. The various pastas are always freshly made and boiled, until it reaches the so called „al dente” consistency, which means it is still a bit crispy, then they coat it in fresh olive oil. The finished pastas are usually served with a sauce or dressing, made from fresh tomatoes. Other than these pastas, in Italian restaurants, we can also come across various filled pastas. These pastas are usually filled with minced meat or a cheesy ragout. To top these great dishes off, pasta meals are served with a cheese topping, which is also a product that Italians are famous for.
Meats
Italians also like meats, especially sausages and hams. The Parma ham, for example, is a central component, of the Italian cuisines appetizers.
Because of the sea, that surrounds Italy, all kinds of seafood can be find in their meals, especially in risotto and pasta dishes. In towns, further away from the sea, the consumption of cow, sheep, goat, turkey and venison meat is more popular. In the best Italian restaurants, all of these meats can be found, and are a part of the core menu.
Seasoning
The use of spices in the Italian cuisine widely differs from that of Hungarian meals. The dishes are always soaked in olive oil, and for the seasoning, they use a wide variety of herbs. Basil is often used together with tomato, to emphasize its flavors, but oregano and rosemary are also frequently used in Italian dishes. From the combination of herbs and olive oil, Italians created the pesto, which suits pasta dishes the most. The most common topping is parmesan cheese, but it can be substituted with other types of cheese.
Desserts
As mentioned before, cheeses are very dominant in Italian meals, so much so, that they have their own place in desserts too. Mascarpone is the most commonly used cheese in desserts, as it is the main ingredient of Italys famous dessert, the Tiramisu. Besides the mascarpone, there is also the ricotta, which can also be found in a lot of Italian desserts. Italy is also famous for their Panna cotta, which also proves the simplicity and beauty of their cuisine.
These are the most iconic foods of the Italian cuisine. They are diverse, simple and tasty, no wonder so many people love them all around the globe. Fortunately, nowadays you don’t have to travel to Italy, to taste these authentic Italian foods, because you can try them at Oinos, Budapests favourite Italian restaurant. At Oinos, only the best quality ingredients are used, to make authentic Italian meals for the customers.
