Italian cuisine, whose roots go back thousands of years, undoubtedly has the richest and at the same time the most famous dishes in the world. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most famous dishes that come to mind in the world when it comes to Italian cuisine, which has similar features to our cuisine because we are a Mediterranean country.
If we leave aside our rich food culture shaped around Turkish, Anatolian and Ottoman cuisine and look at the world Italian cuisine will appear. The Italian cuisine, whose roots date back thousands of years and was shaped by the influences of the society during its lifetime, is today considered one of the most famous and richest culinary cultures in the world.
So, wherever you go in the world today, you will definitely encounter an Italian cuisine restaurant. Of course these while some make dishes according to original recipes some have diversified their meals according to the needs of the modern world. Let’s first take a brief look at the history of Italian cuisine and see some of its most famous dishes around the world.
The roots of Italian cuisine go back to before Christ:
Experts consider the beginning of Italian cuisine as the 4th century BC. After the discovery of the Americas This food culture, which has become even richer, gains certain standards in the 19th century and has become traditional since then.
When we examine the Italian cuisine, it is possible to say that the Etruscans, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Rome, Byzantium, Jews and Arabs, whom we can call Ancient Italians, had influence. After meeting with potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and corn Olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and basil have a special place in this developing food culture.
The most famous dishes that come to mind when it comes to Italian cuisine:
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Risotto
- Lasagna
- Tortelli and tortellini
- gnocchi
- arrosticini
- Timballo
- Vitello Tonnato
- Coda alla Vaccinara
- Baccalà alla Vicentina
- minestrone
We learned from American movies: Pizza
Of course, it is impossible to write an article about Italian cuisine and not put pizza first. Pizza means Italy. So much so that pizza is recognized by UNESCO. Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity It is a recognized national symbol. The original pizza is Napolitan Pizza, even though there are countless variations today. Earlier in our article here, we told the interesting story of the emergence of Napolitan Pizza.
You can also make it at home: Pasta
Another dish that comes to mind when it comes to Italian cuisine is, of course, pasta. Pasta, which is a national symbol unique to the country as much as pizza, It originated in Sicily and from there spread to the whole country and then to the whole world. Naples and Imperia are the pasta capitals of Italy. You get the best of spaghetti in Rome, and the king of bolognese in Bologna, where it was invented and named after. Of course, you can also make it at home.
Like water rice: Risotto
Risotto is an Italian dish that is as unique to the country as pizza and pasta, but it is not known whether it is difficult to prepare. It has not become fast food like others. One of the most important reasons why everyone can’t do it according to their wishes is that the rice used in risotto is Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone varieties grown in northern Italy. We can say that our rice is a little watery.
What Garfield loved: Lasagna
Lasagna, which is similar to pasta in the oven, but made in a very different way. It is among the flavors that come to mind in the world when it comes to Italian cuisine. After the bolognese pasta, the Bolongans said, let’s see what it would be like to make a flat pasta and put some meat in it, and they discovered this dish. While it is possible to vary, it is impossible to make lasagna without bechamel sauce, celery, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and meat or ground beef.
Stuffed pasta: Tortelli and tortellini
Of course, once the Italians discovered pasta, they immediately started to diversify it. Tortelli and tortellini are also types of pasta, but It is stuffed just like our ravioli. The most important feature of tortelli is that it is cooked in broth. Tortelli, on the other hand, is filled with potatoes and pumpkin, served with cheese and butter is drizzled over it.
From the most diverse flavors: Gnocchi
Gnocchi, a traditional Italian dish, is made after the potato is made into dough. It is made by cooking it in small balls. It is possible to encounter a different Gnocchi recipe in every village of Italy, but in general, eggs, cheese and spinach are common ingredients in all of them.
Shish kebab you know: Arrosticini
Of course, pasta and pastries are not the only dishes of Italian cuisine. A meat dish called Arrosticini, native to the Abruzzo region of the country We are sure it will sound familiar to all of you. While making arrosticini, lamb meat is cut into small pieces and skewered and cooked on the barbecue. Yes, our shish kebab you know.
It is made to evaluate the leftovers from yesterday: Timballo
It is possible to say that timballo, a flavor unique to Northern Italy, is a kind of pastry. The purpose of timballo, which is usually performed in crowded families, is to evaluate the leftover food. For Timballo, first a dough is rolled, then literally whatever is at home is added and the dough is closed and cooked. It’s that simple.
A slightly interesting flavor: Vitello Tonnato
Not a dish for Vitello Tonnato, a flavor unique to the Piedmontese region of northern Italy. It would be more correct to say an appetizer, It’s a very interesting appetizer. To prepare Vitello Tonnato, first tuna fish, anchovies and capers are added to a mayonnaise-like sauce and mixed. Then this mixture is spread on the sliced cold beef and served. We do not know if cold red meat, seafood and mayonnaise are suitable.
It needs to be cooked for days: Coda alla Vaccinara
One of the pieces we threw in the trash on Eid-al-Adha. oxtail It is evaluated in Italy and turns into a dish called Coda alla Vaccinara. To cook Coda alla Vaccinara, they put the oxtail in a casserole, add a liter of red wine on top, chop onions, celery and carrots and cook for at least two days. This interesting dish is the favorite menu of the holidays, especially in Rome.
A seafaring flavor: Baccalà alla Vicentina
Baccalà alla Vicentina, a dish unique to Vicenza, one of the port cities of Italy, by traders who spent months at sea It was invented in the 16th century and its recipe is preserved even today. To make baccalà alla Vicentina, they first pound the freed cod fish until soft and soak it in running water for two days. When they are sure that it is well softened, they add anchovy, milk, onion and Parmesan cheese and cook it on low heat. According to the eaters, it tastes just like the ocean.
A type of soup: Minestrone
For Minestrone, which until recently was the first dish that comes to mind when it comes to Italian cuisine, especially in countries with a lot of Italian immigrants. a kind of soup possible to say. To make minestrone, they add Parmesan cheese, beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions and different vegetables to the pot and fill it with broth. Depending on the region where it is made, rice or pasta is added to it.
When it comes to Italian cuisine, it comes to mind all over the world. some of the most famous dishes we listed. Of course, it is not possible to list all the dishes in a whole culinary culture here, but at least you have a few recipes to tell when the topic of Italian cuisine comes up.