Italian Cuisine: A Little History and the Most Common Ingredients

Italian food is one of the most popular international cuisines today. It was brought to us via the first maiden voyage to what is now called the United States of America. While today some of the most popular Italian foods such as pizza, bruschetta and lasagna are made with tomatoes and bell peppers, neither were introduced into this international style of cooking until Christopher Columbus and the rest of the maiden voyagers returned to Italy and brought back with them, maize (also known as corn), potatoes, tomatoes, and the bell pepper in the 15^th Century.

Italian cooking has been widely influenced by many different cultures. It is like the English language of the culinary world. Greeks introduced seafood, (so thank them for Shrimp Scampi!) the Romans brought them pepper and other types of spices, the Moors gave them Almonds and the Etruscans introduced a very old type of grain called farro, which was later replaced with corn and wheat due to its difficulty to grow.

Tomatoes are used in almost all dishes dealing with Italian Cuisine. They are used as a garnish, in sauces, as sauces, sliced, diced, pureed and as pastes.

Cheese is used in many sauces and as a “topping” to dishes. There are a variety of different cheeses used such as, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Ricotta, Bocconcini and Mozzarella.

Balsamic Vinegar is used in many dishes such as salads, sauces, and marinades. It is a sweet tasting vinegar. My favorite recipe using Balsamic Vinegar is Chicken Cacciatore.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is used in salad dressings, as dipping sauces, also it is used when baking or frying a meat or vegetable.

Pasta, of course is widely associated with Italian meals. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be dried for storage as well as made fresh right in your kitchen.

Crusty breads such as Ciabatta is used as appetizers and side dishes. An Italian sandwich can be a great experience for your taste buds as well

Olives are used in sauces, soups, salads, casseroles and just about anything Italian. It is a technically a fruit but often called a vegetable. There are black and green olives and are used sliced as well as whole in the Italian Cuisine.