Flavours of Italy

The mere mention of Italian food conjures up tempting images of cheese dripping pizzas, spaghetti and pastas. However, the authentic Italian cuisine is a lot more than these sumptuous and popular dishes. They represent only a miniscule part of the diverse and multiregional styles that make up Italy's holistic gastronomic scenario.

The Aromatic History 

The culinary legacy of Italy is deeply indebted to cross-cultural influences of people and societies from over three thousand years that slowly defined the Italian peninsula as a geographical, political, and cultural entity. It is said that the Italians had initially absorbed ancient Greek cooking styles into their culinary culture.

The imperialism of the ancient Roman civilisation gave a fillip to the diversity in Italian cooking. As Roman ships brought fine wines, quality wheat, exotic spices and other ingredients from across the then known world, the kitchens of the Italians became more and more cosmopolitan. The Italians got their ingredients from all across the then known world, which also included the far away oriental land of China.

It is not surprising to note that Italian cuisine actually encompasses an amalgamation of culinary influences of various cultures and civilisations. It has the influence of Greek, the Gallic, Slavic, Arab and Turkish culinary traditions.

Even now many food historians claim that pasta was imported from China, though the contesting claim that it was Italy's local produce which was consumed during Etruscan and Roman times is equally strong. The cuisine of Sicily also has traces of culinary influence of the Arabs. Overall, due to myriad culinary influences, the tastes of ancient Italians became truly globalised for their times; a tradition which still continues till date.

Hence the geographically defined area recognised today as modern day Italy has a cuisine as diverse and multifaceted as its long, complex history.

Diversity of Rich Tastes