Gourmet food

The famous “dessert stomach” was probably invented in Italy because, never mind the three savory courses that form a standard Italian meal, many are the traditional sweet foods that we indulge in at the end of a friendly session around the table. Starting from the most famous of all Italian desserts, Tiramisù , it is interesting to know that, back in the 19th century, this powerful, coffee-flavored sponge cake used to be allegedly served as a “tonic” to the customers of a local brothel in Treviso. If this were true, it would not come to a surprise then that its other…

The full list of Italian cheese excellences protected by the European Union with the PDO mark (Protected Designation of Origin, DOP in Italian) - which certifies that every step of the production process takes place in a specific region - includes 50 different types of cheese. Among them, Parmigiano Reggiano is undoubtedly the most famous one. Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua. Its production is strictly regulated and supervised by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium which ensures that, for a start, cattle are fed on locally grown forage without using silage,…

Italian dry cured ham - locally known as prosciutto crudo - is a high quality product prepared in the most traditional way, respecting the strictest food safety standards. The best varieties are certified with the European PDO mark (Protected Designation of Origin, DOP in Italian) which guarantees that each step of their production adheres to the procedural guidelines of the local Consortium that preserves the original recipe. The eight types of ham that gained the PDO certification are: Prosciutto di Parma DOP (simply called “Parma” in Italy), Crudo di Cuneo DOP, Prosciutto di Carpegna DOP, Prosciutto di Modena DOP, Prosciutto…

Although mainly known as a country producing some of the world's best wine, over the last decade Italy has started to become famous also for craft beers. Up until 20 years ago, the country’s beer reputation relied on major brands which produce tasty beer yet made for mass consumption. Thanks to a handful of visionary men from Lombardy and Piedmont, who decided to fight the cultural bias linked to brews, a brand new movement of Italian craft beer was born: the same one that is now making Italy Europe's most vibrant beer scene. Since 1996, when the first microbreweries moved…

One of the pleasures of the Italian food culture is that each meal is treated as a serious matter, following unwritten rules that are meant to add extra joy to the enjoyment of food itself. Slow is the word, especially at dinner time during weekends when the clock does not seem to tick as fast as during work days. If a proper meal is divided into three courses (starter, pasta, main course), its final part is another ritual in itself: first dessert, then espresso coffee and finally a digestive liquor. Simply put, digestivo is an alcoholic drink served at the…

Famous for being an essential ingredient in Tiramisu, mascarpone is an Italian triple cream cheese prepared with unskimmed cows' milk. Because of its high perishability, in the past mascarpone used to be produced only during the winter season; nowadays, of course, it is available all year round. Despite being classified as cheese, mascarpone is not exactly a real one because its preparation does not involve the use of rennet: it is obtained from milk cream to which citric acid or lemon juice are added to help it solidify; the resulting curd is then gently heated until it reaches the perfect…

Famous for its mild taste, Stracchino is a fresh cheese produced in northern Italy – mainly in Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto - using whole cow’s milk and raw curd. It usually comes in square slabs, one to two inches thick, that may vary in size and it is always wrapped in paper to keep its natural moisture. Low in calories and in fat, Stracchino is rich with high-quality proteins, phosphorus and vitamins; its nutritional values - together with its enjoyable soft texture and delicate flavor of milk - make it the perfect complement in a healthy meal. Besides its flavor,…

Whether we are entertaining or just looking for a savory snack, cured meats always make for an easy, healthy option to us an Italy. Out of the over 700 varieties of charcuteries available in Italy, there are two that are particularly appreciated by food lovers all over the world: prosciutto and bresaola. Prosciutto generically means ham in Italian: what is usually called prosciutto abroad is cured ham (prosciutto crudo). Although it has many regional variations - several of which are true food excellences covered by the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP), such as San Daniele from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Cinta…

Potatoes, flour and eggs: it only takes a few ingredients to make one of the most loved main courses in Italy, Gnocchi. Shaped like dumplings, their preparation is similar to pasta as they are cooked in boiling water and then served with the preferred sauce. The information about the origin of their name are rather debatable: some say that the word gnocchi comes from nocca, which means knuckle in Italian; other sources claim that it derives from the ancient Lombard knohha, that used to indicate a wood knot. Although their etymology is still unclear, it is interesting to notice that…

Among all the Italian cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano is probably the most famous all over the world. There is another one though which may be less popular abroad but that definitely plays an important role in the cooking routine of many Italians: Pecorino. Generally speaking, Pecorino is the name given to all Italian cheeses made from ewe's milk; its name comes from pecora which in Italian means ewe. Specifically, it refers to three main varieties from central Italy and the island of Sardinia which enjoy the DOP* seal: Pecorino Sardo from Sardinia, Pecorino Toscano from Tuscany and Pecorino Romano from Lazio.…

There is something about Italy that makes this country so special: it is not just the abundancy of art or the variety of landscapes, it is its food. The beauty of it is that each region has its own recipes and they are all so tasty that a trip to Italy could easily be organized as a culinary tour of the so-called Bel Paese (beautiful country) via its most traditional dishes. Starting from the North-West of the country, one of the most popular is pasta with Pesto Genovese. Typical of the city of Genoa (Genova, in Italian), from which it…

It is almost impossible to discuss Italian food without mentioning the three Ps that make it so popular all over the world: pasta, pizza and pane (bread). To be fair, there is a fourth element that should be added to this list as it has become more and more popular in recent years: focaccia, a delicious flatbread that looks like pizza but resembles bread in its preparation. Despite being so up and coming worldwide both as a healthy street food and a posh substitute for bread in top-rated restaurants, the Latin origin of its name (panis focacius literally means bread…