Posts Tagged ‘italy food’

Italian ice cream, called gelato, is smoother and creamier than its American counterpart thanks to the process and ingredients. 

Gelato is churned at a slower rate than ice cream so less air is mixed into the ingredients.  That leads to a denser product.  Plus, it’s stored differently and eaten at a lower temperature.  There’s a lower fat content, which along with the fresh ingredients, leads to a more intense flavor—particularly fruit ones. 

While the consistency is closer to soft-serve than hand-dipped ice cream, it’s never served from one of those big silver machines.  Similar to hand-dipped, flavors at the gelateria are laid out in a glass display case and are dished out with a flat spatula rather than an ice cream scoop.

Not all gelaterie are created equal (although, really, it is hard to find bad gelato in Italy), so look for “nostra produzione,” or “produzione propria” for homemade, quality gelato.

And that’s why having gelato is a “must” on any trip to Italy.

Image: Gnocchi al Granchio, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from harshlight’s photostream

There are few countries in the world that can compete with the Italian love of food. Beyond being simple nourishment, food is a way of life for Italians and it’s not hard to understand why. With Italy’s Mediterranean climate making lands fertile for all variety of crops, Italians can trace their food history all the way back to the fourth century BC. While “Italian food” to you may be synonymous with spaghetti and pizza, there is so much more to Italian cuisine. There’s even a whole industry of Italy tourism dedicated solely to the food inclined (or beverage, if you’d like a wine tour of Italy).

The differences begin before the food is even on the table. Eating is a family event for Italians and a traditional dinner consists of at least 4 courses: Antipasto (appetizers), Primo (a first course, usually a starch), Secondo (second course, your meat or fish) and Contorno (side dish of vegetables, sometimes served alongside the Secondo). While a full traditional dinner may not be an every day event for an average Italian, the spirit of the feast lives on in the amazing restaurants you’ll no doubt visit during your tour of Italy.

You can stick to your old standbys of pizza and spaghetti during your Italy vacation, but it’s much more fun to try new things… you’re on vacation, after all! Gnocchi, potato dumplings in sauce (pictured above), are one of my favorites and you haven’t really had spaghetti or risotto until you’ve had a real Italian spaghetti carbonara or Seafood risotto in a coastal town. For a Secondo, try some ossobuco (braised veal shanks) or whatever the catch of the day is. If you’re really adventurous, have an Insalata di Mare (seafood salad, usually consisting of squid, scallops and octopus) for your Contorno.

We could really go on and on about the food in Italy (and probably will do more later). For now, if you want to know more about Italian cuisine (and see new mouthwatering pictures every day) check out the great Italian food blogs Parla Food and Not Only Pizza.