Essay Example on Experience Authentic Italian Cuisine and Culture in Italy

Italy has been a darling to many tourists who are majorly attracted by its unique culture and gastronomy. The beautiful Mediterranean nation is renowned for its numerous celebrated and traditionary foods. Tourists who happen to visit Italy are always welcome with new sweet meals, in addition to the other beautiful scenery in the country. The Italian dishes are highly aligned to the Italian culture and the authentic recipes are inherent from generation to generation, while maintaining its originality. The best approach to get a genuine taste of the unique Italian dishes is through the local chefs, who delight in preparing and sharing part of their culture with others (Gauchat, 2012). Pizza and pasta have always been my favorite Italian meals, and I have always yearned to get a taste of these meals prepared by a local home chef from Italy. My urge to know more about the traditional Italian gastronomy pushed me to have an interview with an elderly Italian man, who happened to be a friend to my Italian-American neighbor's friend. I had previously asked my neighbor about Italian cuisine and he promised to connect me to a resourceful person. Italian meals have a great history that most people do not understand. I am going to narrate my interview with Ms. Alessandra, a retired chef in the Vatican, as I uncover the deep secrets behind the unique Italian gastronomical art.

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According to Ms. Alessandra, Italian food does not have to be heavy to satisfy a person. The cuisine is rich as well as textural and utilizes many flavors. Italian cuisine is better enjoyed experientially since it originates from an emotionally evocative place. Italian food consists of more vegetables and small portions of proteins. Ms. Alessandra says that Italian meals begin with antipasti, which generally consist of vegetables such as pepperoncini, artichoke hearts and mushroom, and cured meats like capicola (Gauchat, 2012). The meal is then followed by a small quantity of light proteins. Italian meals have a reverse crescendo. From the first meal to the last, each original Italian meal is prepared using the simplest yet most flavorsome ingredients. Traditionary produce is very significant for Italian meals and is dependent on seasons and locality. The fundamental ingredient in Italian foods is olive oil and then vegetables. Though garlic and onions are also very important, green vegetables beautify the meals much more. In chicken preparation, balsamic vinegar is highly preferred, and all expert chefs will always have it by their armpit.

On how the Italian cuisine found its way to the United States, Ms. Alessandra said that Italian immigrants arrived at the shores of America and could not find their traditional ingredients that include olive oil, balsamico, and prosciutto. They, therefore, had to adapt to the materials that were available, which caused the incorporation of more meats, garlic, and sausages in their meals. This particular point was the birth of American-Italian cuisine (BonAppetour, 2019). However, mistaking this with the traditional Italian gastronomy is a big mistake. Italians like preservation of food and that are why they can meats and turn grapes to wine, in addition to other preservation methods. Making Italian foods does not require many ingredients, and the journey to making Italian cuisine begins with good shopping. Among the famous Italian foods, pasta and pizza are the most famous yet simplest to make.

Ms. Alessandra admitted that when he starts thinking about pizza, Margherita is the first name that comes to her mind. This type of pizza originates from Naples and is tasty yet very simple. When one orders this kind of pizza in the local cafeteria, it is served with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella (Gauchat, 2012). I have never had this one and I was going to try it soon. There are other types of pizzas in Italy and around the world, just like there are variations in pasta.

There different types of pasta depending on the side of Italy visits. For instance, when one visits Rome, they are likely to be served pasta alla carbonara, which is prepared using Pecorino cheese, eggs, black pepper, and guanciale. The other type of pasta is spaghetti alla carbonara, made of eggs, cheese, bacon, and chili pepper, or spaghetti alla Gricia prepared using bacon, chili pepper, cheese, and pepper. Making pasta is not as complex as I thought. Ms. Alessandra highlighted to me the simplest steps in making homemade pasta.

Although there are numerous tools for making pasta, all that one needs is a food processor, a smooth and cozy surface, and a rolling pin. To make pasta, one needs to first mix flour and water, then add an egg to the mixture, followed by olive oil. After correctly mixing the above ingredients, put them in a food processor and whirl to form a dough. To determine whether the dough is ready, it should start pulling off the sides of the processor. The dough should be left to rest, and then rolled and cut. That is the simple way of preparing pasta. Bringing Italian cuisine to one's table is very easy. One needs to practice by using recipes that require as little as two ingredients. When one perfects in preparing the low ingredients meals, they may now move to those with multiple ingredients steadily. To make lighter dishes, vegetables like broccoli shoots may be used (Gauchat, 2012). It is also good to remember that making good Italian meals needs shopping quality ingredients.

My interview with Ms. Alessandra filled the gaps I had concerning Italian gastronomy. Italian cuisine is one of the most celebrated, especially by Indians. The recipes for making Italian meals are passed from generation to generation while maintaining authenticity. The Italian culture is unique in the sense that it represents the Italian culture. Italian meals are majorly prepared using traditional products. The fundamental ingredients for Italian meals are olive oil, garlic, vegetables, and onions. Pasta and pizzas are the most famous Italian meals, which are found in different varieties and are simple to prepare. Italian gastronomy is one of the tourists' attractions in the country.

References

BonAppetour. (2019). Traditional Italy foods: Top 10 famous Italian dishes. https://www.bonappetour.com/blog/italys-must-eat-foods-12-delicacies-not-to-be-missed/

Gauchat, S. (2012). An introduction to Italian cuisine. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/italian-cuisine%3famp=true