During our culinary journey through the goodness of Italy, we will discover today what are the main dishes that tourists eat once they arrive in the Belpaese. Just so as not to be repetitive, we will exclude pizza and pasta from this list. Are you ready to stimulate your appetite? Here's what to eat in Italy.
1 - Fiorentina
A bistecca fiorentina covers all of the characteristics of Italy’s best dishes: a specific cut of meat from a specific cow prepared in a very specific way all within the confines of a specific region – Tuscany obviously for this one.
We are talking about a T-bone steak cut thick from the loin of a Chianina cow raised in Tuscany. It’s cooked for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness, until the outside is cooked and the inside remains very rare. Try it in one of the typical places of Florence with a side dish of baked potatoes or grilled vegetables. And be ready to see it in half: it is too big for one person!
2 – Risotto
You are hanging around in the North of Italy (Milan and Venice at the top) and don’t know what to eat? Excepting pizza – you’re gonna find a touristic and poor one – simply order a creamy Risotto. The Arborio and Carneroli varieties grown in the vast rice paddies of Lombardy and Piedmont and are turned into one of Italy’s most iconic dishes.
Risotto is mixed with stock and stirred until they form a velvety semi-soup that perfectly conveys the flavors of anything cooked with it. The most famous type of risotto is probably the saffron-infused risotto alla milanese. Other classic versions of the dish include risotto al nero di seppia – don’t worry about the black! - and risi e bisi with pancetta and peas, both of which hail from Venice.
3 – Carbonara
It is possible to go to Italy and never eat anything besides pasta. We know because we’ve done it. But if there is one bucket list pasta that everyone should try at least once, our vote goes to carbonara (we know this is controversial – feel free to leave your desert island pasta in the comments). This dish is deceptively simple – spaghetti, eggs, pecorino cheese, cured guanciale, and black pepper – but takes a lifetime to master and a good version will change your life.
There are many imitations – namely, those that thicken their sauces with cream or use bacon instead of guanciale – but accept no substitutes because the difference in taste is enormous. This is a Roman specialty but even in the capital there are still plenty of restaurants that can and do get it wrong. So don’t look for simply a good restaurant but a restaurant that specifically serves a great carbonara.
4 – Coffee
Italian coffee isn’t like coffee in your local Costa & Starbucks. Though some of the dozens of choices might sound similar they are rarely what you have been led to believe they are. For instance, if you were to order a ‘latte,’ in Italy you would simply be served a glass of milk.
From a regular “caffè” to a cappuccino, a caffè macchiato to a caffè latte, coffee is ubiquitous in Italy but there is a considerable amount of regional difference. Do you know that in few regions caffè corretto can be a simple coffee with liquor in addiction? So be careful and enjoy this Italian great value, unique all over the world.
5 – Gelato
No trip to Italy is complete without gelato and you can’t leave without eating, especially in the summer. Regular ice cream, as you know, has air and water added to increase volume and weight but these additions also make it less flavorful. This practice is illegal in Italy, and that’s the reason why you can eat your best one here.
To choose the best one before purchasing, check out the color, if the fruit flavors are in season and if there is an ingredient list on display. Also, check out how it’s stored. Artisanal gelato is slow-churned and often, though now always stored in covered, circular containers. Those heaping trays of wavy-topped gelato might look pretty, but they have also been whipped to adding more air to the product.
Comments