facts about italian cuisine (with pictures) | ehow - around the world in 80 dishes restaurant birmingham

Italian cuisine is famous for its variety.
Italian food, usually made of fresh ingredients from recipes from generations, is an integral part of Italian tradition and one of the country's major cultural exports.
Almost every international city has restaurants offering Italian cuisine, and almost every bookstore has Italian cooking books.
Although many people associate Italian cuisine with some standard dishes, such as pizza and pasta with Italian meat sauce, the cuisines in various parts of Italy actually have a great diversity.
The origin of Italian food dates back to the 4 th century BC.
Typical dishes of ancient Rome include boiled grains, lentils, chickpeas, beans, sweet wines, fish, fruit and bread.
The spice trade after the Crusades has had a huge impact on Italian cuisine and has brought improvements in taste and food preservation.
In the time of exploration, Italy's diet included many important foods, including tomatoes from the New World and coffee from Turkey.
During the Renaissance, Italian food was enriched and developed.
In the 17 th, 18 th and 19 th centuries, the nobles will enjoy a rich feast in most social activities.
Soon after, the cafe culture developed.
In the 20 th century, Italian cuisine has undergone many changes in production and storage.
Although Italian dishes in different regions do differ greatly, there are many ingredients that are considered essential in Italian dishes.
In traditional Italian meals, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, mozzarella cheese, limotta, pamigiana, capers, tomatoes, sausage and different kinds
In northern Italy, butter is usually more popular than olive oil, and rice and corn are more common than pasta.
Typical rustic wild meat, such as rabbit or quail, is common in the north.
The most iconic and widely recognized Italian cuisine comes from the central region, including Tuscany and Rome.
This area is home to the world.
Famous for cheese, olive oil, bacon and tomato sauce.
Southern Italy is home to pizza, rich in chili sauce and some of the best olive oil in the world.
The chefs cook almost exclusively in olive oil in the area.
Traditional meals begin with wine and bread and olive oil or butter.
The first dish is usually pasta or risotto.
The second dish, the second, is something more substantial, such as fish or meat, served with vegetables.
A salad is then provided to purify the palate and help with the digestion process by cutting off the fat in the meat or fish.
Finally, the dessert is il doce, followed by espresso or after-dinner drinks like grappa.
Italian meals are usually long and slow, sometimes up to more than five hours.
Italian cuisine has great influence all over the world, especially in places of Italian origin.
In the United States, for example, a new dish called Italian --
Thanks to the influx of Italian immigrants, American cuisine developed in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries.
Argentine cuisine is also deeply influenced by Italian cuisine, the result of Italian immigrants during World War II.