Regional Italian Specialties

1. Regional Italian Specialties World Foods

2. General Information • Due to transportation people throughout Italy can now buy foods that were once strictly regional. • North meat is less expensive and moderately spiced compared to southern Italy. • Southern cooking is what we find in America because our restaurants are Neapolitan (from Naples) which is in the south. • North is the home of pasta bolognese – fat ribbon shaped and contain egg • South is home of pasta naploetania – tubular and egg free

3. Northern Italy • Minestras – soups • Stuffed pastas and rich meat sauces • Known for its sausages like mortadella • Parma ham a popular appetizer • People serve risottos, gnocchi - dumplings, and polenta – porridge made of corn meal, instead of pasta. • Risotto is a rice dish made with butter, onion, stock or wine, and parmesan cheese.

4. Northern Italy • In Northern areas Austrian influence is evident in items like apfelstrudel and crauti • Other specialties include: • chicken cacciatore – chicken hunter style with tomatoes and mushrooms • minestrone soup - made with onions, carrots, zucchini, celery, cabbage, rice, and seasonings • ossobuco – veal hock with rice • Video clip

5. Central Italy • Roman origins • Most familiar with spaghetti carbonara, • Video clip • Enjoy lamb the most • Invented cheesecake making their crostatadi ricotta (cheese pie) • In Tuscany cooks use home grown vegetables, beans, and charcoal-grilled meats • Cenci (deep fried pastry) and panforte (honey cake flavored with cinnamon) are sweets with central Italian origins

6. Southern Italy • Serve pasta with rich tomato sauces flavored with meat, seafood, or vegetables • Pasta varieties include: fusilli (pulled spirals), orecchetta (little ears), riccidi donna (ladies curls), spaghetti, and lasagne. • Tomatoes and mozzarella are two of Southern Italy’s major agriculture products. • Popular dishes include stuffed lasagne, pizza, soffritti, eggplant napoli, and zucchini parmesan

7. Italian Meals • Typically eat a light breakfast and a hearty noon meal. • Antipasto – an appetizer Examples include parma ham, anchovies, celery, radishes. • Minestra may follow or replace an antipasto • A main course of meat, poultry, or fish usually follows the soup. • A vegetable accompanies the main dish • Fruit and cheese end a meal • Evening meal is light. Soups, omeletes, or risottos are popular