10 mouth watering Italian foods

Italy is every tourist’s dream because it’s excruciatingly beautiful and obsessed with food. Food is such an integral part of Italian culture that you can see the influence of its cuisine all around the world – from spaghetti to pizza to gelato; here are some mouthwatering Italian dishes which are a must try for anyone in Italy.

Here are ten foods you have to try if you ever go to Italy, without which the trip will probably never be truly complete.

Pizza

Did you know the colors of the Italian flag are represented by the pizza’s most original and popular variety – the Margherita – which is made up of just tomato, mozzarella and basil. Our fast food favorite, the pizza, was born in Naples Italy. Legend has it that the Margherita was served to Queen Margherita of Savoy, and though it was considered as “peasant food” she loved it so much that she continued to indulge in it even after receiving the backlash from others in her royal circle.

Later, the pizza was evidently named after her. If you ever do go to Naples, be sure to taste their authentic Margherita – with tomatoes grown in the volcanic ash of nearby Pompeii.

Gelato

Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, and though it contains the same ingredients as other frozen dairy desserts, it has low butter fat and sugar content. It is made and frozen in small individual batches, in contrast to the commercial production of ice creams in the United States. It lacks the “air” we see in commercial ice cream, making it even more intense in flavor.

Another difference between commercial ice cream and gelato is how long they last – gelato staying fresh only for a couple of days after production.

Tiramisu

This is a popular dessert worldwide, made out of biscuits soaked in coffee, served with layers of whipped mascarpone and egg yolks. It also contains cocoa and other liquor flavors. Some believe that this dessert began being served more recently, in the 1980s, while others argue that it was around much before that. There is debate over the place of origin too, though everyone agrees that it was somewhere in Italy.

Risotto

Originating in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, Risotto is made with short-grain rice and includes a broth that gives it its creamy finish. Cooking risotto is not considered as easy, one mistake making it a strange, crunchy rice soup. Risottos are served in restaurantsaround the world, but try to get a taste of it in its homeland, if you ever get the chance.

Mortadella

This dish originated in Bologna, and is served in the local markets and delis of Italy. It is made from finely ground pork sausage that is heat-cured. It has small cubes of pork fat in it, and then spiced and sold in a number of ways – some of which include, with olives, with jalapenos or with pepper.

Spumoni

A molded Italian ice cream dessert, this dish has different layers of color and flavor which contain nuts and candied fruits. It is believed to have been born in Naples, Italy. Authentic spumoni made by the traditional method is hard to find outside Italy, so it isn’t something you should be willing to pass on.

Mozzarella

This delicious and famous cheese if from Italy, and forms a key ingredient to many Italian dishes, like the Caprese salad. This cheese actually includes several different types of cheese by spinning and cutting them. Mozzarella di Bufalo (made from water buffalo milk), Mozzarella fior di latte (made from fresh cow milk), low-moisture Mozzarella (made from whole or part skim milk) and smoked Mozzarella are a few cheeses in this category. The name comes from the Campania region of Italy where mozza means “cut”.

Cannoli

Cannoli is a dish from Sicily, made of small pastry cubes filled with a sweet, creamy cheese filling. Many places serve this dish with chocolate chips inside and a light dusting of sugar on the top.

Spaghetti

If you thought pasta originated in Italy, you’re wrong. It’s the Chinese who get the credit for the first known pastas, but Italy did invent one popular form of pasta – spaghetti. It is believed to have been born in southern Italy all the way back in the 12th century.

There’s a pasta museum in Rome which boasts of 11 rooms with 8 centuries of pasta history, a delight for any foodie.

Paramigiano-Reggiano

This is another well-loved cheese which Italy receives credit for. Sometimes referred to as Parmesan, this cheese is named after where it is produced – Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Bologna. This cheese is an extraordinary accompaniment with red wines.

Be sure to check for any festivals in Italy where you can sample some of the local production of this cheese, if you ever get the chance.