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Perhaps more than any country, it's hard to say of Italy that there is a national cuisine. While it is also hard to say this of France, Italy has had far more history and civilisations roll through it, with each leaving small pockets of themselves behind in their wake. Nor has Italy ever had the mania for centralization that has been the keynote in France, from the days of monarchy right to the Republic at present.

Italy's current political regions remain closely tied to their historical boundaries, whereas in France these were broken up the by Revolutionary Government. This has helped Italy's regions maintain their food distinctness. Molise, a newly-created region, dating from December 1964, is an exception. It was split off from Abruzzo. To the east is the Adriatic Sea, and to the west of the region of Lazio (Latium), where Rome is -- so not very far from Rome. Though it is newly created as a separate area, the area was kept intact with its identity.

Recently, Italy has given growth to the Slow Food movement.

Many people feel that pizza in some parts of New York is better than pizza in Italy.

Northern Italy

• Butter is more likely to be used, with the exception being Tuscany;
• Pasta is made with eggs;
• Rice is used;
• Polenta is made a lot.

South

• Olive oil is more likely to be used than butter;
• Pasta is far less likely to have eggs in it;
• The cooking is spicier (though nothing that would impress anyone from Mexico);
• Olives give higher yield of oil in the south.

History
Some foods, such as Prosciutto, Polenta and Pasta, and wine, can be traced to the Romans.

Literature & Lore
"The Italians civilised all of Europe, and without a doubt, it was they who taught us how to eat".

-- Guillaume Hyacinthe Bougeant and Pierre Brumoy, in Preface to "Dons de Comus", 1739.

"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again."

-- George Miller. Comedian. (1941/42 - 2003)


Although Mrs. [Marcella] Hazan was born in Northern Italy, she thinks it's a myth that northern cuisine is any better than that of the south. "I think it's wrong to say northern is better than southern food. It's different, that's all. Everyone thinks it (southern food) is just tomatoes and garlic. Well, they do have the best tomatoes but you can eat for months in the south and never have a tomato. They have excellent pecorino cheese, too, from the sheep. Fortunately, olive oil is everywhere in Italy." She adds that Italian food has a way of making for relaxed conversation. "You don't have to figure out what's on the plate in front of you. Eating Italian food is a direct experience. You don't have to analyze it. You don't have to figure it out. A chicken looks like a chicken and a zucchini is a zucchini."

-- New Book From Cook. In The Frederick Post. Frederick, Maryland. 22 December 1986. Page E-1. [Originally in The Christian Science Monitor].


Acknowlegements

Other entries for: Cuisine Pages

Acadian Food, American Food, Australian Food, British Food, Byzantine Food, Canadian Food, Chinese Food, Egypt (Ancient), French Food, German Food, Greece (Ancient), Greek Food, Irish Food, Irish (Northern), Italian Food, Japanese Food, Jewish Food, Medieval Food, Mexican Food, Norwegian Food, Roman Food, Scottish Food, Slow Food, Spanish Food, Tex-Mex Food, Turkish Food, Tuscan Food