7 Surprising Italian Food Facts You Need to Know

The beautiful scenery and long history of Italy have made it a world-famous place for both its art and culture and its delicious food. People all over the world love Italian food, which has a lot of different flavors and area specialties. 

Italian food has a lot of different tastes and textures, from classic pasta dishes to pizza that makes you feel good, and from fine wines to the creamy pleasure of gelato. 

What makes Italian food unique is that it focuses on being simple and wasting as little as possible, which shows how creative and respectful the country is of its products. This blog will reveal interesting facts about Italian food that will help you understand this beloved culinary practice better. Keep on reading to learn about Italian food.

1. Origin-Based Food Naming

Like many other meals around the world, Italian food often gets its name from the place where it was first made. Like Neapolitan ice cream, which comes from Naples, and Florentine eggs, which come from Florence. 

In the same way, Parmigiano-Reggiano, which most people just call “Parmesan,” comes from Parma and Reggio. The simple sardine even gets its name from the island of Sardinia, where it was first found and caught in large numbers.

2. Italian Pasta Consumption Stats

As a bit of less well-known Italian food information, the huge amount of pasta that is eaten every year in Italy is amazing. Pasta is an important part of the Italian diet, and people can’t get enough of it. An estimate says that Italians eat about 27 to 28 kilograms of pasta every year. The Americans come in second place on the list, eating 7 kilograms a year.

3. Evolution of Tomato Consumption in Italy

However, tomatoes were not a very important part of Italian food before the 17th century. These days, they are. It was in the 1500s that tomatoes made their way to Italy from Central and South America. At first, people were suspicious of tomatoes because they thought they might be poisonous. In Italy, tomatoes were mostly used as ornamental plants. 

Italians didn’t start using tomatoes in their food until the 16th and 17th centuries when Spain had a strong impact in southern Italy. The Italians learned from the Spanish and added tomatoes to their food along with eggplants and onions. Over time, Italians started putting tomatoes in jars to keep for a long time, which was a big change in the way they cooked.

4. Italy Leads Global Wine Production

There is no doubt that Italy makes the most wine of any country in the world. Since there are so many kinds of wine, it’s normal to drink Italian wine with your meal. The temperature in Italy is good for growing grapes in vineyards, which makes it possible to make wine all over the country.

5. Moderation in Garlic Usage Among Italians

This is different from Italian-American food, where garlic is often used, and Italians are more careful when adding garlic to their food. Italians usually don’t use a lot of garlic because they don’t want it to overpower other tastes. 

In Italian-American cooking, garlic cloves are often chopped up and added straight to the sauté pan. However, Italians like to add garlic flavor to olive oil by sautéing it and then taking the garlic out of the pan.

6. Lunch: The Main Meal in Italy

Dinner is the most important meal in many American homes, but in Italy, lunch is the most important meal of the day. A lot of pomp and circumstance goes into celebrating “pranzo,” which is usually eaten between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon. Even though fast food has become popular, many Italians still look forward to getting home from work or school to eat pranzo.

In Italy, a classic pranzo usually has two courses. A pasta or rice dish is often served as the first course. The second course is usually meat or fish given with vegetables or fruit on the side.

7. Pizza Royalty: The Reign of Margherita

Despite its simplicity compared to other pizza varieties, Margherita Pizza earns its name from Queen Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna di Savoia. This iconic pizza embodies the colors of the Italian flag with its toppings: white (mozzarella), red (tomato), and green (basil).

Unforgettable Italian Culinary Adventures Await!

Italian cuisine is renowned worldwide, and experiencing it firsthand in Italy is a dream for many. When you embark on your culinary journey in Italy, why not start your day with a slice of pizza paired with a creamy coffee? It’s an experience that promises to leave a lasting impression, creating memories to cherish for a lifetime.

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