As you know, Italian cuisine is famous for its abundance of dishes and their unique taste. It is no secret that most tourists come here, first of all, to enjoy the foods and wines of Italy, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and the unique hospitality of the locals. I am absolutely convinced that preserving traditional Italian foods is the work of Italians themselves. After all, no one like them treats what they eat and offers their guests trepidation. Sometimes it is very interesting to watch how Italians choose products on the market: how they take them, examine them from all sides, smell them, taste them. At this point, they remind me of collectors.
So, what kind of foods to try in Italy - it was on this delicious part of life that I decided to focus on. Looking ahead, I note that each region and city is famous for its traditional foods in Italy, but we will talk about this in the following articles. but first, you need to apply for the Italy visa and for that, you just need to visit the ‘Services’ section of this site.
What are the best foods to try while in Italy?
PIZZA
It's no secret that pizza is a part of the history of this country, and it is in the list of top foods to try in Italy. It is based on mozzarella and tomatoes (tomato paste). Otherwise, it all depends on your taste preferences: vegetarian, with various types of ham, spicy salami, capers, arugula, seafood. You can list it endlessly. Also, you can see the pizza in the list of vegetarian and vegan foods to try in Italy.
Pizza can be thin crust or fluffy. I note that in some pizzerias, you may come across the "Pizza Bianca" section of the menu, which means that the base of the pizza is not smeared with tomato sauce and, in my opinion, it tastes very different. Usually, they order water or beer with pizza.
Pizza in Italy is eaten entirely, and not just one per company, i.e., the circle you ordered is eaten by one person !!!!
PASTA
The second favorite dish of Italians and one of the top foods to try in Italy is pasta! It is eaten (almost) every day. There are countless types of it, but I will highlight three main ones: carbonara, pasta al ragu (with meat stew), and seafood (frutti di mare). You can make the sauce yourself, you just have to turn on your imagination and use all the products available. Usually, Italians sprinkle the pasta with grated parmesan (parmigiano reggiano).
While in Italy, you may be faced with the fact that there is no menu in English in some establishments. In this case, the names of dishes can help you, which often include the type of pasta used to prepare the dish: bigoli, tagliatelli, fusilli, etc. On the Internet, you can always find their image without any problems. Also, if you are a vegetarian and look for the list of vegetarian and vegan foods to try in Italy, you can order vegetarian pasta.
RISOTTO
This is another one of the top foods to try in Italy and the first dish that the inhabitants of the Peninsula love very much. It is based on rice, which is initially fried in olive oil, then vegetable broth is added to it; all this is accompanied by constant stirring so that the grains do not stick together. There are many varieties of risotto: with mushrooms, citrus fruits, cheese, gorgonzola (blue cheese), meat or vegetables … For example, in Verona, the most common risotto with Amarone. This famous wine from the Valpolicella hills is the trademark of the region. You can also find the risotto in the list of vegetarian and vegan foods to try in Italy.
Usually, restaurants prepare this dish for 2 persons, and its cost does not exceed 12 euros.
TORTELLINI
Or Italian dumplings. In form, they are similar to dumplings, but in taste and preparation, they are very different. Tortellini is one of the weird foods to try when in Italy.
The birthplace of tortellini is considered a small town near Verona, Valeggio, where they are called nests of love. Nice, isn't it?
Even in the names of the dishes, one cannot get away from Italian poetics. They are prepared from the insipid text. The filling can be different: cheese, meat (crushed types of prosciutto are often added), vegetables, and sometimes fruits. Tortellini can be served with butter (olive or butter) or in broth. You can find tortellini in the list of vegetarian and vegan foods to try in Italy.
LASAGNA
If you are looking for what are the best foods to try while in Italy, it absolutely is Lasagna. Lasagna resembles a puff pastry. To prepare it, use pasta sheets that can be bought at any store, in the pasta department, or you can cook at home if you have a special machine. Between them, the sheets are coated with béchamel sauce, with the addition of meat stew or vegetable filling.
If you are in the city of Bologna, be sure to try lasagna there, because here that is the queen of the table and it is one of the top foods to try in Italy!
MINESTRONE
Another food from the list of vegetarian and vegan foods in Italy is Minestrone soup. The famous Italian vegetable soup, which is prepared exclusively from fresh vegetables growing in the garden. There are a huge number of recipes for its preparation on the Internet, in which meat broth often appears. It turns out incredibly tasty! The main secret is the freshest and aromatic vegetables! As in the case of pasta, Italians add grated parmesan, so don't be surprised if they bring you cheese along with the soup!
AFFETTATI MISTI
Another dish is slicing different types of salami and prosciutto. You should definitely try dry-cured meat (prosciutto crudo), pancetta (pancetta) and, of course, numerous types of salami. Going to a particular region of Italy, you should familiarize yourself in advance with what meat products it is famous for.
One of the favorites is the salame di Toscana, which you will find in all restaurants in the Tuscany region or in any supermarket in Italy. It is one of the local foods to try in Florence Italy.
Did you know that the value and taste of meat products here depends on the months of their aging? Often it is 14-18 months or more. There are some weird foods to try when in Italy too.
FIORENTINA OR FLORENTINE BIFSTEX
What are the best foods to try while in Italy? It is Fiorentina, a traditional dish of the Italian region of Tuscany. Fiorentina is one the famous local foods to try in Florence Italy.
The peculiarity is that the meat for its preparation must be from cows that graze in the picturesque meadows of the Chianti valley. The pieces of Florentine steak are large enough from 900 gr to 1500 kg.
The meat is cooked on well-heated coals to quickly form a crust, which, according to Italians, allows it to preserve its taste and aroma. The degree of roasting is with blood. The meat is not marinated in advance, no spices or herbs are added during cooking. In Tuscany, Fiorentina is not served with any side dish, so, again, not to interrupt the taste of meat. The maximum that can be offered to you is coarse salt and pepper. The meat is washed down with incredibly tasty and rich in aroma wine from the Chianti Valley. According to the method of cooking, it can be considered one of the weird foods to try when in İtaly.
TIRAMISU
Tiramisu is a great answer to your question "What are the best foods to try while in Italy?"
Perhaps this is one of the most famous desserts globally, which was invented in 1971 in the Italian city of Treviso, 130 km from Verona, by the pastry chef Roberto Linguanotto. In literally a short period of time, Tiramisu captured the whole world!
I won't be mistaken if I say that absolutely every Italian housewife knows the tiramisu recipe and makes it worse than the most famous pastry chefs. In Verona, for example, when preparing it, a few drops of the famous local grappa are added to taste, somewhere, I heard, instead of cocoa, coffee is sprinkled on it.
ICE CREAM | GELATO
One of the local foods to try in Florence Italy is Gelato. Italian gelato is different from our traditional ice cream. It is something completely airy, more like a creamy consistency. The most interesting thing is that it is not frozen, although you will find regular ice cream in the supermarket. There are a huge number of types of gelato: pistachio, fruit, creamy, with chocolate chips. You can try it every day. It is one of the must-eat foods to try in Italy!
Attention!!!
It is a very satisfying dessert, so if you have planned a trip to a restaurant, you should not get too carried away with tasting it. Second, it melts very quickly. One secret: to avoid such a situation is to take not a horn but a glass. It is also important to know that the horns come in different sizes, their calculation for the number of balls, which affects the total cost of your purchase.
Summing up our short discourse, I want to share some observations when choosing places for catering:
- when looking for reviews about a particular restaurant, pay attention to what comments the Italians themselves leave about it. Believe me, this is a litmus test.
- avoid tourist spots, even if they offer tempting prices.
- stay where the locals themselves have lunch / dinner!
I think that if you follow these simple rules, you will provide yourself and your loved ones with a truly divine delight in Italian cuisine.
Really wondering what are your favorite foods to try in Italy?
