Food

Food in the Tuscany region of Italy has been defined by its elegant simplicity for millennia. Their expectations for quality are very high. Rather than create overly complex dishes with exotic ingredients, Tuscans expect to eat produce that…

Liguria can be found on the Italian Riviera, along the northwestern coast of Italy. The climate in this mountainous region is mild, perfect for growing vegetables, olives and grapes. Liguria cooking is known for the simple flavors of fresh…

Foreigners thinking of luxurious Italian food usually think of classic Emilia Romagna cuisine. The land of plenty is known for its flavorful produce dishes. Bright green asparagus is served with Parmigiano Reggiano and melted butter. The…

Friuli Venezia Giulia cooking is known as a composite of Fruilian peasant fare, sophisticated Venetian food and influence from the Slavic and Austrian cultures. Despite these vastly different styles of cooking, this region manages to merge…

Trentino Alto Adige cooking draws as heavily from its Germanic roots as it does from its Italian heritage. Most of the dishes are hearty and come from the peasants of the region. Over many years, the residents of this autonomous region in…

Veneto cooking has influences from around the world. The dishes are known as exotic and exciting by many. From seafood and livestock to produce from lush gardens, the Veneto cuisine is widely varied. Radicchio rosso is prized for its use in…

Lombardia cuisine has roots in many different cultures, resulting in extravagant dishes. Lombardia cooking traditionally uses generous amounts of butter, cream and lard, but recently has been converting recipes to olive oil. The first food…

Piedmont's cuisine is famous for the immense variety of antipasti. In any other area, these filling dishes and the ubiquitous grissini, or meter long breadsticks, would qualify as main courses. The famous bagna càuda (or bagna caôda) begins…

French, Swiss and Piedmont influence has created Aosta Valley cuisine, an entirely unique set of dishes despite being the smallest region in Italy. The climate high in the mountains is bitterly cold, due to being located in the Alps. The…

Like much of Europe, Italian cuisine traces back to 4 BC. Today, while Italy is one country politically, there are twenty distinct regions with unique dietary preferences and local recipes, developed through centuries of historical division…