Searching for the best food in Italy is like choosing the most magnificent peak in the Rockies. That’s why this mouthwatering journey across “The Boot” isn’t taking you to the country’s “best;” instead, we’re aiming for authenticity. Italy’s authentic cuisine can be found in a variety of places, such as the small, family-run cheese shops of Emilia Romagna and the famed home of Tuscany’s Prince of Salumi. So pack your appetite and shed your expectations. Are you ready?
Pizza in Italy / Pixabay.com
Italy’s authentic cuisine
Rome
Even though you can find just about any kind of fare you crave along Rome’s cobblestoned alleyways, they’re most famous for their rectangular pizzas and ancient pastas.
Dubbed the Sistine Chapel of Yeast by Travel + Leisure, the cramped Pizzarium features a pizza dough recipe that’s 200 years old. After one bite, you’ll see why it hasn’t changed, especially while sampling the city’s signature pizza topped with spicy sausage and blood oranges.
Emilia Romagna
This area north of Milan has been the primary producer of cheese, authentic balsamic vinegar, and rosy prosciutto for decades. Tasting is believing on a culinary tour, where you’ll eat your way through prosciutto farms and cheese factories in Parma and aged balsamic producers in Modena.
Piedmont
This northern region at the foot of the Alps is dubbed Italy’s decadence capital for a reason. Wander through the grape vines, and you’ll find the elusive Timorasso white grape, which has a similar body and taste to a white Burgundy.
Pair your wine with a giant stack of Monteborecheese, often called “the wedding cake” due to its unique tiered shape.
Tuscany
Undoubtedly the world’s most famous food and wine region and a good place to sample Italy’s authentic cuisine is Tuscany, where fabled, lush green hills beckon hungry tourists in search of culinary enlightenment. This is where you’ll find Paolo Parisi, the Prince of Salumi.
Salumi is a family of cold cuts that includes salami. Paolo’s award-winning prosciutto can be enjoyed at his Renaissance-style farm, which is set against the winding cypress trees and sloping Tuscan hills.
And a stunning place to explore Italy’s authentic cuisine in Tuscany is the romantic Hotel villa Mangiacane, located just 30 minutes south of the Duomo and central Florence.
Before you head off to Italy, here are eight great food and culture books to check out:
“Eating Rome: Living the Good Life in the Eternal City” by Elizabeth Minchilli: A wonderful narrative of Roman culture seen through its food and dining traditions, offering insights about where and what to eat when visiting Rome.
“Delizia! The Epic History of Italians and Their Food” by John Dickie: An informative exploration into Italian food culture, tracing the history and origins of Italian cuisine.
“The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and Its Citrus Fruit” by Helena Attlee: A fascinating look into Italy’s vibrant citrus industry, the traditions surrounding it, and the role of citrus in Italian cuisine.
“An Italian Education” by Tim Parks: Parks delves into Italian culture, with wonderful sections on Italian food traditions and the role food plays in Italian family life.
“The Food of Italy” by Claudia Roden: Not a cookbook but an anthropological investigation of regional Italian food, filled with personal anecdotes and historical context.
“Italian Food” by Elizabeth David: One of the first books to popularize Italian cuisine in the English-speaking world, this book takes you through a culinary journey across Italy.
“Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo” by Tim Parks: While it’s primarily a travelogue, it offers insights into the eating habits and regional cuisines encountered during a journey across Italy.
“Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo” by Tim Parks: While it’s primarily a travelogue, it offers insights into the eating habits and regional cuisines encountered during a journey across Italy.
