Food & Drink in Italy
Italian food is enjoyed and eaten the world over, but often what passes for Italian cuisine overseas is far less subtle and delicious than the real thing eaten in Italy.
In fact there is really no such thing as Italian food, such is the extent of regional variation, with distinctive Neapolitan, Roman, Sardinian, Sicilian, Venetian, Piedmontese and Tuscan cuisines.
Eating Out
The Italians favour fresh, locally produced food and rate food and eating among life's greatest pleasures. They enjoy communal dining, unrushed and accompanied by conversation, and can easily spend hours at the table.
Traditionally an Italian meal is served as a series of courses: antipasto (cured meats and salamis, olives, marinated vegetables etc), primi (a pasta or rice dish), secondi (a meat course, usually with salad) and finally dolci (desserts).
Ice cream, or Gelato, is a common dessert and also sold on the streets just about everywhere and in a bewildering array of flavours, one more delicious and tempting than the next.
Many savoury dishes include Olive Oil, which again varies is style and taste from region to region and is frequently so delicious that it needs nothing more with it than some fresh crusty bread.
Food Stores and Markets
Everywhere you will find food stores or markets stalls, vegetable shops, delicatessens and bakeries with a stunning array of food available, all beautifully displayed.
Their stock will vary from place to place, local olive oils and wines, regional cheeses and meats or cakes, biscuits and chocolates made on the premises.
Wine, Beer & Liqueurs
These long, lazy meals will be accompanied by wines whose very names are redolent of lazy days in the sun, Chianti, Sangiovese, Amarone, Nebbiolo. If you can, visit a vineyard and sample their wine - they all somehow taste better when enjoyed where they grew.
Meals are often finished off with a liqueur such as Limoncello, made from lemon peel and sugar, the liquorice flavoured Sambuca or Grappa, a strong 'brandy' made from the grape skins and seeds left after wine making