Why Is Italian Cuisine so Tasty? History, Features, and Interesting Facts

Italian cuisine is one of the world’s most popular. People love the delicious breads, pastas, soups, and desserts associated with this peninsula. Many restaurants have burst on the scene claiming to feed you authentic or traditional Italian, but how many people know the difference between the real deal and just another impostor? Here you can learn about some hallmarks of Italian cuisine, as well as their origins. Buon appetito!

Wine, olives, and grains (the Mediterranean Triad) have always played a central role in Italian kitchens. This dates back to ancient times before the Roman empire, when the peasantry ate what was cheaply available. Farro (also known as spelt) was a grain commonly used to make porridges which may have been an ancestor of modern polenta, popular in northern Italy (now known as a porridge made with coarsely ground corn). Herbs such as oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, and sage became popular additions to food, a tradition that continues today. These foods, with produce, legumes, and cheese comprised the bulk of an average person’s diet, with meat reserved to special occasions and the wealthy. Fish was plentiful and often featured in dishes, such as the zuppa di pesce (fish soup) made by fishermen from bits of unsold fish that needed to be eaten before they spoiled.

Food on the island of Sicily developed somewhat differently, due to heavy Arabian influence beginning in the 9 th century when the Arabs’ colonization began. They brought dried pasta as a convenient staple to eat on the go, and it soon spread to Naples, Genoa, France, and Spain. Today pasta is enjoyed in numerous shapes and forms (spaghetti, manicotti, ravioli, tortellini, macaroni, lasagna, etc.) often served with a sauce, cheese (such as Ricotta, Parmesan, or mozzarella), and sometimes meat or vegetables such as spinach or artichokes. Even risotto, a ubiquitous Italian mixture of short-grain rice, sautéed vegetables, broth, and flavoring, is also attributed to the Arabs introducing it to Sicily during the colonial period.

Spices and dried fruit also became key parts of the cuisine from this cultural diffusion, as did almonds. In fact, Sicily’s famous dessert, cassata (made of sheep’s milk ricotta mixed with sponge cake, sugar, candied fruit, and a blend of almond flour and sugar, is Arabian in origin. The Arabs are even presumed to have aided the development of gelato, a dessert made with fruit juice and sugar, chilled in ice and salt that is now famously referred to as “Italian ice”.

After the fall of Rome (due to the invasion of Barbaric tribes from northern Europe who introduced butter and beer), during the early Middle Ages, food became more austere throughout much of Italy. The Catholic Church restricted consumption of meat and rich foods, but by the later Middle Ages had loosened these rules. Sugar cultivated in Sicily along with almonds introduced by the Arabs led to the creation of desserts such as marzipan and sugared almonds. Our modern concept of lasagna also has its origins in this era. It began in Naples with noodles attributed to ancient Greece.

The Renaissance started an era of prosperity and trade which led to the development of more new dishes. Many practices from Roman times were re-introduced, like that of presenting meat as though the animal providing it were still alive. Braising meat and cooking it in rich sauces also made a comeback. The Medici family of Tuscany was famous for creating lavish yet tasteful meals of fresh game and cheeses. Caterina de Medici loved food and new creations so much, she brought an entourage of their chefs to France with her when she married Henri II of Orléans. Bechamel sauce and French onion soup, commonly ascribed to France, may actually be Italian in origin.

Experimentation flourished in a time of free thought and new discoveries. Potatoes and corn were introduced by Columbus’ voyage to the Americas and began to be cultivated in Italy. Turkey also came from the Americas and due to their popularity in Italy began to be raised domestically there. The tomato, despite its modern ubiquity in Italian dishes, also originally came from the Americas and was brought to Italy around the 1500s but took longer to catch on. It was considered exotic, potentially dangerous, and left to the poor who had few other choices of food. Eventually, in the early 1800s, people began to make a tomato sauce to serve atop pasta and pasta al pomodoro, one of Italy’s most famous dishes was born. Pizza began as an inexpensive way to feed the poor and in the late 1800s was popularized by Queen Margherita, who endorsed the one topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil she was served by a baker to celebrate the unification of Italy. It became world-famous when Italian immigrants brought it to America and it was widely embraced in its new home. Today there are numerous chain restaurants like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Quiznos, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars, as well as mom-and-pop establishments to deliver this beloved food to millions of hungry consumers worldwide. After World War II, veal and chicken became much more popular in Italian kitchens at women began to work and have less time to cook. These began to replace the traditional polenta and legumes, which took much longer to cook. Fast and already-prepared foods became more popular, but not to the exclusion of traditional fare. Cooks also began to experiment with new recipes as part of the nouvelle cuisine movement, which embraced creative, quick meals made with local items. Tiramisu (which means “pick me up”), originally a Venetian dessert composed of ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, and espresso, became popular in the 1960s and achieved fame as another of Italy’s signature dishes.

Italy is world-famous for its delicious foods and the rich history behind them. Its food is so much more complex than spaghetti and meatballs. Next time you’re eating at an Italian restaurant, don’t be afraid to ask about their pizza Margherita, lasagna, or zuppa di pesce. If they don’t serve it you can be reasonably assured they are not the real deal.