A History Of Italian Cuisine

Explore The Culinary Regions Of Italy

Just one look at a map of Italy will give you some idea of the large footprint this peninsula covers.  Shaped like a boot, Italy's long narrow shape jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea explains a little about the culinary differences... and similarities.  But there are many pieces to this tasty puzzle.  Let's take a look at some of the reasons this country is mapped out in so many culinary regions.

Lay of the Land

The size of Italy is just a bit larger than Arizona.  However, unlike Arizona, Italy has a vast coastline - almost 4800 miles.  Some of the culinary similarities throughout Italy are due to the fact that so many miles border the warm waters of the Mediterranean.  Then again, there are very definite culinary differences, too.  The long narrow shape means that from top to toe, Italy covers a lot of climates.

Italy is divided into 20 regions, many formed by the topography of the land itself.  Some of these regions are landlocked and mountainous, while others run along the sun drenched seashore.  Cold snowy winters and shorter summers in the north result in cooking methods and ingredients that vary greatly from the mild winters and long hot summers of the south.

Climate

Subtle variances in pasta, vegetables, and fats can be pinpointed to certain regions based on the climate.  For instance, dry pasta made with just flour, water, and salt was typical in the south where it would dry quickly and easily.  In the north and central parts of Italy where drying pasta wasn't quite as convenient, a softer pasta was more likely made using eggs along with the flour and salt.  Stuffed pasta dishes are also more familiar in the north and central areas, simply because the softer pasta could be wrapped around a filling.

Vegetables that grow in warm weather, like tomatoes and eggplant, make up a large majority of dishes in southern Italy.  Vegetables that grow in cooler climates, like cabbage and root vegetables, are used to make dishes in the northern regions.  Gnocchi, a dumpling-like pasta made with flour, eggs, salt, and potatoes, is a common dish in the north where potatoes are plentiful.

The same climate differences also influence the type of fats used.  Although modern transportation makes olive oil common now all over Italy, it wasn't always so.  Olive trees grow in warm climates.  Therefore, the southern regions of Italy used olive oil while the northern climates relied on butter.  The lush pastures and mountains of the north supported dairy farms, making butter plentiful.  Which also explains why cheese is more prevalent in recipes coming from the northern regions as opposed to the south.

Cultures

Along with the wide range of climates, surrounding cultures play a part in the influence of Italian cuisine.  Sharing borders and close proximity to France, Switzerland, and Austria on the north, and Greece on the south, each region in Italy has been given a sprinkling of styles and flavors from many cultures.  For example, you'll find varieties of sauerkraut and dishes using root crops in the mountainous north, much like foods from Germany and Austria.  In the south, the influence from Greece is unmistakeable.  For instance, the Italian dish 'Parmigiana' is very similar to the Greek dish 'Mousakka.'

Crossroads

The location of Italy put it at the crossroads of many exploring and conquering nations.  Because of this, there are pockets of cuisine influenced by traffic moving across Italy throughout the ages.  However, the Italian people themselves were not apt to spread these culinary influences to their neighboring Italians. The reason is, before World War II the people of Italy simply did not travel very much.

That may be a strange concept to those raised on stories of pioneers moving across the country the moment they stepped off the ship onto American soil.  The fact is, unlike American settlers, the Italian people did not form large migrations across the land, carrying their recipes with them.  Each region's recipes typically stayed within the region.

It's hard to imagine a country just a little larger than the State of Arizona having so many variations in cuisine from one region to the next.  With exploration and conquest, you would think the recipes would naturally spread from coast to coast.  However, that was not the case. Since the Italian people didn't travel as a rule beyond their own region, their individual cuisine was well guarded... until now.  It's time we discovered the rich culinary history of all the regions of Italy so we can bring the story of this incredible cuisine home.