REGIONAL CUISINES
Piedmont
Piedmontese cuisine shows the close ties of this region with France. Dishes such as fondutta /franc are served here. fondue) and in the preparation of dishes willingly use butter and cream. As in the whole north, olive oil and tomatoes are practically unknown here, and southern cuisine immigrants from the south managed to spread only in large cities such as Turin. Piedmont is best known for its truffles, the best ones come from around the city of Alba — and they're terribly expensive. A few thin slices of them are usually added to pasta or risotto.
Liguria
Geographically, Liguria belongs to the north, but its Mediterranean climate is distinctly southern. The symbol of the provincial capital. Genoa, is pesto. pine nut sauce, Basil, Olive oil, pecorino and parmesan cheese. It is usually given with linguine or trenette (long, thin pasta), sometimes with gnocchi, and even for soup. Genoa's links with Sardinia resulted in the takeover of pecorino from there, which became the favorite cheese of the Ligurians. Frutti di mate can also be very good here, because Liguria has a long sea coast. Excellent olive oil is also produced here, as well as large quantities of Italian peas, which they often had to flour, and from it kneads a kind of dough intermediate between pizza and omelette (farinata). Foccaccia is also popular. flat, often seasoned with olives, sage or rosemary, bread. Ligurian biscuits are excellent, for example. Genoa is famous for its pandoct, edged with dried fruits and pine nuts. (sweet bread).
Lombardy
Lombard cuisine is not uniform. A lot of rice and polenta are eaten here everywhere. but as for other dishes, the regions of the alpine foothills and lakes differ significantly from the Po valley. and especially Milan itself. The most famous export dish of rich Milanese cuisine is the yellow-tinted saffron Risotto alla Millanese. Milan's favourite dish is ossobucco (veal gadfly). Biscotti are also popular. These are sold by weight in special stores throughout the city handmade biscuits with a nut flavor, vanilla and lemon. A soft cake with raisins also comes from Milan, Panettone, that can currently be purchased nationwide. As in Piedmont, pasta and stuffed veal are popular, to which forest mushrooms are often added. Typically local dishes are, for example,. dumplings with groats from Valtellin called pizzocheri. Lombardy is also the largest cheese producer in Italy. In addition to Gorgonzola and Bel Paese, local cheeses are made here. The most famous is similar to Parmesan Grana Padano and delicate, used for sweet Mascarpone dishes.
Eugenean Venice / Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Veneto competes with Lombardy for the title of rizotta champion, while the city of Venice itself specializes in sea and fish dishes, to which various strange ingredients are added, for example. pomegranate fruit, pine nuts, raisins, etc.. The tradition of their preparation dates back to the beginnings of Venice as a port and merchant city. Venetian rhizotta are more liquid, than those from western Italy, often contain frutti di mare or peas (Bisiw local dialect) and other seasonal vegetables (spinach, asparagus and pumpkins). A leaf of red raddichio lettuce also comes from Veneto, as well as the famous Italian dessert, tiramisu. Polenta is also eaten here, especially in the poorest of the northern regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In this region, a dialect clearly different from Italian and other surrounding languages is spoken., Austrian and Jugosiawian cuisine are also strong. Pork in all its forms dominates here, as well as hard to digest bean soups, rice and tuber vegetables. Gnocchi is also served. with special, sweet and sour sauce.
Trentino-Gńrna Adige
As the name indicates. Trentino-Alto Adige is actually two regions: Alto Adige with undoubtedly Austrian traditions, and Trento, in which the influences of typical Italian cuisine clash with local mountain traditions. Poienta is one of the few dishes common to both cuisines. In addition, in Trento it is common to eat dishes such as gnocchi (small dumplings made from boiled potatoes, flour and sometimes spinach and ricotta). while the Alto Adige specializes in German-sounding specialties such as speck (smoked pork), knodel (Dumplings), sauerkraut (sauerkraut) and in various cakes and biscuits often served with plums and apples.
Emilia-Romagna
The cuisine of Emilia-Romagna enjoys the fame of the richest and most refined in Italy. The most famous local specialties – Parmesan cheese, egg paste, parma ham and wine vinegar, are prepared in a typical Italian way. Bologna is considered the culinary capital of Italy, while from Emilia come the best flour dishes in the north; lasagna. stuffed with ricotta, Spinach, pumpkin or pork tortellini. and other dishes served with meat sauce (ragi). sauce with cream, or simply with butter and parmesan cheese. Modena and Parma specialize in bollito misto (boiled meat), the name alla parmigiana is usually used to describe a dish cooked with Parmesan cheese. The cuisine of Romagna is much more southern in character, so more onions are used here, Garlic, oil and fish than In Emilia, where butter prevails among the ingredients, cheese, fungi, chestnuts and meat.
Tuscany
Tuscan cuisine has had a significant impact on the cuisine of the whole of Italy. They are characterized by simplicity: meat is given without spices, often from the grill, and many Florentines like the good bistecca alla tiorenttina the most (slightly fried spit steak). Legumes are popular here, especially cannellini beans and Italian peas, which are used for salads, Pasta (tuoni e lampo), or simply serve poured with olive oil. Peas are also found in a similar dish to Ligurian farinata — a dish called torta di ceci. One of the most basic vegetables in Tuscany is spinach, which, together with ricotta, is often used to prepare gnocchi. it is used as a stuffing for dumplings, to crespoline (Pancakes) or to two-piece, eaten most often on the way of tocaccia sandwiches. The name alla tiorenttina often means "with the addition of spinach and cheese”. Because it's not the rule, you should not count on it and it is better to ask. Soups are very popular here. from simple vegetable to dense beans (minestre). The whole of Tuscany also prides itself on producing the most delicate oil in the country., while Siena is best known for its sweets, for example. almond macaroons and nutritious Fruit Bread (paoloite di Siena).
Lazio
Lazio is dominated by Rome, and Roman cuisine, just like the Tuscan, is simple. Pasta is eaten here (the Romans' favorite forms are bucatini and penne) with sauces like all amatriciana (canned pork and tomatoes), alla carbonara (egg and bacon), is all arabbiate (hot peppers and tomatoes). Fettuccine and gnocchi alla romana are also popular (made with the addition of grits and baked in tomato sauce) and various offal. Saltimbocca is the Romans' favorite antipasto. consisting of veal fried with raw ham, while zampetti are veal legs. The two most famous sauces are not used here for pasta, but for vegetables. These are allagro (olive oil with lemon juice or vinegar) and agrodolce (sweet and sour sauce). Pasta, on the other hand, is often eaten with pecorino romano /”Hard, salted cheese with a spicy taste). Other cheeses use ricotta (from sheep's milk) and provatura. The most popular of the vegetables are artichokes, eggplants and zucchini, and from salads, misticanza (wild lettuce leaves). Outside Neepol. Rome is the best place to try pizza rustica. It is traditionally baked here in a wood oven and served with only one addition (Tomatoes, paprika, courgette, fungi, and even potatoes).