Photo by: Christiana Rutkowski
Before assuming everywhere in Italy serves meatballs, pasta, and pizza, you should know that each region and province has a completely different and unique style of cuisine. I have narrowed them down to eight provinces to show the differences among the cuisines and help guide your next trip to Italy based on what you find the most appealing dishes to be. Try not to read this article on an empty stomach because you will get hungry!
Italian cuisine is simple and delicious. While pasta is a part of every “Primo Piatto” it varies. If you are going to Italy and expect meatballs and penne alla vodka sauce, then you will be in for a surprise. Those meals are Italian-American and not traditionally served in Italy. Pizza is, however it is very different than the average pizzeria in the U.S. Now that you have some disclaimers, you will be more prepared for the different cuisines. The eight provinces I chose to explore are:
Venice
Florence
Rome
Reggio Calabria
Milan
Naples
Perugia
Pisa
Venice
Photo by: Nicole Valente
Venice is one of the most unique cities in the world, being surrounded by water and most people own boats to get around town. The cuisine reflects this marine atmosphere with many fish based dishes. Fish sautéed and also fish base soups are very popular as first parts of a meal. Venice is known for its risotto. Risotto is a creamy grain and often will have fish in it as well because of the city’s location. Sardines are found in many traditional dishes in Venice. When I visited, I enjoyed grilled octopus for the first time along with raw prawns. While it was not what I was expecting from an Italian meal I was pleasantly surprised. The fish is always very fresh from the Mediterranean.
Florence
Photo by: Christiana Rutkowski
Florence is located in the Region of Tuscany. It is also the capital and only metropolitan city in the region. The cuisine here is my personal favorite. Florence is known for red meat and red wine. Before going to Florence, I never ordered rare steak but now I cannot imagine it any other way. The steak they serve is usually a giant piece that is cut for the whole table. People do not typically order personal steaks at authentic restaurants in Florence. Some of the popular dishes include crostini di fegato, which I can say is delicious, lots of bread, beef stew, tripe, and even goose or rabbit. When visiting this province, along with all of them, it is important to keep an open mind about the cuisine and eat whatever is served to you. I didn’t ask any questions about my meals and enjoyed every single one.
Rome
Not only the capital of its region, Rome is the capital of Italy. It is one of the oldest and most historic cities in Europe. This means lots and lots of tourists. There are many tourist trap restaurants, but knowing about the authentic cuisine in Rome will make it easier to find restaurants that do not cater to American style food. Roman cuisine is altered by the seasons because many of the dishes use seasonal vegetables and there is a great importance placed on freshness. Peas, artichokes, and fava beans are among some of the most popular items in dishes. Rome is also where to go for all the pasta lovers. Pasta is one of Rome’s most popular dishes and served with different sauces. One of the most common sauces you will find on pasta dishes is amatriciana sauce. It consists of pork, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. The sauces are usually served with spaghetti, but Rome has many variations of pasta. Some other common menu items include spaghetti carbonara, lamb chops, and tripe.
Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria is a the largest and most populated city in Calabria, which is located in Southern Italy. If you like spicy foods than this city is perfect for you because many of the dishes are made with plenty of hot chili peppers. Soppressata, capicollo, filets, and ‘nduja are included in many recipes as well. Tomato sauces, mushrooms, and tuna are popular items used in different dishes. The tomatoes and chili peppers are often dried and crushed to be mixed with oil. It adds spicy flavor to the olive oil. Reggio Calabria’s location at the southern tip of Italy calls for seafood on many menus. Swordfish, shrimp, sea urchin and squid are very common fishes served in Reggio. To keep the dishes simple, they are often served with lemon and olive oil.
Milan
While most people will think of Milan strictly for fashion purposes, it also has a unique cuisine identity. Fish is not found on many Milanese plates, mainly because of its location in the noncoastal region of Lombardy. Milanese meals are all about the meat. Meat is often combined with butter to make a mouthwatering dish that the people love. Because Milan is such an affluent city, its cuisine reflects that and caters to the upper class members of the culture. Saffron and colletta are two ingredients that are not only expensive but also set the meals apart from many other cities. Veal meat is found on almost every menu because the Milanese only want the best. Ingredients that influence the meals include milk, cream, butter, and mascarpone to enrich the flavor. Yellow risotto, breaded veal cutlets and roast beef are some favorite main dishes in Milan.
Naples
Photo by: Christiana Rutkowski
Naples is best known for being the place where pizza was created. Although it is very different from American style pizza, it is all the better. Pizza margherita was the original pizza created long ago in Naples in 1889. It is usually a flatbread with red sauce and mozzarella cheese, served in individual portions but not slices. After I visited Naples and tried the pizza for myself, pizza in the U.S. just did not taste the same! It was so fresh and delicious there. Meat is not commonly used in Neapolitan meals and when it is used, it is usually sausage, pork liver, lamb, rabbit or beef. Pasta dishes are very popular in Naples. Some of the dishes you would likely see are pasta with beans, lentils, peas, potatoes or cauliflower. Tomato sauce, black olives and garlic are used in many of the pasta dishes. More elaborate dishes include seafood or meat and are served at restaurants.
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of its region, Umbria and it is very rural and green. It produces massive amounts of olive oil making olive oil a key ingredient in many dishes. Truffles are an authentic favorite of Perugia however they are not the chocolate truffles you might think of. These truffles are a type of rare fungus that grow in the forest and cannot be planted. They are similar to mushrooms and are known as the most delectable food in Perugia. Other popular dishes include gnocchi, liver sausages, tagliatelle pasta, and stringozzi, which is another type of pasta. There is also an abundance of meat-based dishes in Perugia. Lamb and pork are usually the main meats cooked in wood ovens or roasted. The meals are often very simple and fresh, including lots of seasonal vegetables.
Pisa
Pisa is located in Tuscany and known around the world for its leaning tower. With all those tourists coming through it is easy to just find yourself eating whatever is close to the main attraction. But you should know some of the authentic foods from that area to try and maximize your experience. The bread is made without salt all through Tuscany and is used a lot in Pisa as the base for many appetizers. The cuisine in Pisa ranges from seafood based meals to meat. One of the traditional dishes, which is a soup, is made from fried garlic, tomatoes, rosemary and tagliatelle. Mushrooms are a big ingredient in many meals and they are also so popular that they are eaten simply sliced raw. Chickpeas are used widely as snacks or major parts of meals. The cuisine in Pisa is unique in how diverse it is, offering something for everyone.
After exploring all these different provinces and getting a preview of what to expect when you travel to Italy, there will be no surprises when you arrive to a true Italian restaurant and cannot order meatballs. The food is often one of the best parts about traveling and it is how you can learn more about the culture you are visiting. While some of the meals you are offered may not be within your comfort zone, give it a try anyway because you might be pleasantly surprised.
