List of Italian foods and drinks

Spaghetti alle vongole
Italian cuisine
History
Regional cuisines
Lists
See also
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Pizza pugliese (left) and pizza Margherita (DOC) (right)
Spaghetti alla carbonara
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert.

This is a list of Italian foods and drinks. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek and ancient Roman cuisines. Significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and maize, now central to the cuisine, but not introduced in quantity until the 18th century.[1][2]

Italian cuisine includes deeply rooted traditions common to the whole country, as well as all the regional gastronomies, different from each other, especially between the north, the centre and the south[3] of Italy, which are in continuous exchange.[4][5][6] Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated with variations throughout the country.[7][8] Italian cuisine offers an abundance of taste, and is one of the most popular and copied around the world.[9] The most popular dishes and recipes, over the centuries, have often been created by ordinary people more so than by chefs, which is why many Italian recipes are suitable for home and daily cooking, respecting regional specificities.[10][11][12]

Italy is home to 395 Michelin Star-rated restaurants.[13][14] The Mediterranean diet forms the basis of Italian cuisine, rich in pasta, fish, fruits and vegetables.[15] Cheese, cold cuts and wine are central to Italian cuisine, and along with pizza and coffee (especially espresso) form part of Italian gastronomic culture.[16] Desserts have a long tradition of merging local flavours such as citrus fruits, pistachio and almonds with sweet cheeses such as mascarpone and ricotta or exotic tastes such as cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. Gelato,[17] tiramisu[18] and cassata are among the most famous examples of Italian desserts, cakes and patisserie. Italian cuisine relies heavily on traditional products; the country has a large number of traditional specialities protected under EU law.[19] Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, as well as the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine varieties in the world.[20][21]

  1. ^ "The Making of Italian Food...From the Beginning". Epicurean.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  2. ^ Del Conte, 11–21.
  3. ^ Tomarchio, R. (2014). Sicily Culinary Traditions. Mnamon. p. 1. ISBN 978-88-98470-43-3. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  4. ^ Related Articles (2 January 2009). "Italian cuisine". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  5. ^ "Italian Food – Italy's Regional Dishes & Cuisine". Indigo Guide. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Regional Italian Cuisine". Rusticocooking.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Cronistoria della cucina italiana" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Piatti regionali a diffusione nazionale" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  9. ^ "How pasta became the world's favourite food". bbc. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 22 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Individualità territoriale e stagionalità nella cucina italiana" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Regole e stagionalità della cucina italiana" (in Italian). 2 December 2016. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Nonne come chef" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy in 2024, by region" (in Italian). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Michelin Guide 2024 - Italy - Two new 3 Michelin stars restaurants". Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  15. ^ The Silver Spoon ISBN 88-7212-223-6, 1997 ed.
  16. ^ Marshall, Lee (30 September 2009). "Italian coffee culture: a guide". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  17. ^ Jewkes, Stephen (13 October 2012). "World's first museum about gelato culture opens in Italy". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  18. ^ Squires, Nick (23 August 2013). "Tiramisu claimed by Treviso". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  19. ^ Keane, John. "Italy leads the way with protected products under EU schemes". Bord Bia. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  20. ^ "L'Italia è il maggiore produttore di vino" (in Italian). 25 November 2018. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  21. ^ "L'Italia è il paese con più vitigni autoctoni al mondo" (in Italian). 3 June 2017. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.