Although Italian food is known for its delicacy, surprisingly many of the dishes are actually quite simple to prepare. This is probably one of the reasons why Italian food has become so popular in restaurants as well as many homes around the world. Also the majority of ingredients used in Italian food are actually quite common and straightforward. Yet, Italian food is anything but dull. Due to the different herbs and fresh local tomatoes used in preparing the dishes, Italian food is vibrant when it comes to flavors and colors.

Italian food is not just pizza and pasta

One just can’t discuss Italian food without mentioning pizza or pasta as these are probably the most essential dishes originating from this cuisine. However, there is much more to Italian food than just these two unquestionably famous dishes. As a matter of fact Italian food is a diverse collection of unforgettable gastronomical delights.

The list of Italian foods contains simple classics such as risottos and many tomato based soups as well as mouth-wateringly delicious meat dishes such as osso buco alla Milanese and saltimbocca. But not every Italian food is an entire course. A good example of this is prosciutto. The dry-cured ham is cut in thin slices and served uncooked.

And no food can be complete without some sweet and sugary moments. Therefore when speaking of Italian food some of the traditional local delicacies just have to be mentioned. Almost all travel guides of Italy remember to tip tourists on tasting gelato. This smooth and creamy ice cream comes in many colors and flavours such as Italian food in general does. Another sweet treat worth trying is torrone that contains honey, egg whites, toasted nuts and citrus zest. And last but not least there is the queen of all desserts tiramisu that really can crown almost any Italian food there is.

Italian food is more than nutrition

Another thing that makes Italian food out of the ordinary is the way locals tend to eat it. In other words, Italian food is more than nutrition. It is almost a way of life. Especially during weekends food means time for a family to gather together and spend some quality time together. There is also actually a structure explaining the different stages of Italian meal and what foods to eat in each stage.