Pizza, pasta and that’s not all!
Anyone who seriously loves food and is into travel and adventure needs to make a trip to Italy a priority! Italian culture has had a long and passionate love affair with the culinary arts and you can sense this in every corner of the country. From an excellent espresso coffee for €1 standing at the bar, gelaterias peddling home-made gelato, simple yet perfect pizza and pasta and rustic dishes from humble rosticcerias, the love, care and attention given to Italian food is evident everywhere.
Of course while there is truly delicious Italian food no everywhere you go, if you want to get serious about foraging for the best food there are many destinations in Italy where famous ingredients and dishes come from. So, if you’ve got a trip to Italy on the cards and want to eat your way through the country with purpose, check out my pick of some of the best places to chow down.
Pizzeria in Naples. Image by Global Jet, Flickr.
Top 3 Italian food destinations
- Parma – sound familiar? Here’s where the famous and fabulous Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma (parma ham) comes from! Along with this Italian food staples, Parma also has several ‘stuffed’ pasta dishes that have been invented here.
- Liguria – where to begin? This region of Italy has amazing produce such as olives, honey and cheeses. A highly varied example of Italian cuisine, must try items include pasta made with chestnut flour, seafood when on the coast and of course pesto – which comes from Genoa in the heart of the region!
- Naples – considered the home of pizza it should come as no surprise that I’m nuts about Naples! Legend has it some Napoli locals refuse to eat pizza in any other part of the country and while I would never go to that extreme, I can verify the pizza here is unbelievably good. Another addictive Italian food here is their spin on the modest toasted cheese sandwich called Mozzarella in Carrozza – so very gooey and good! Oh, and don’t forget the city’s signature smashed then fried potato dish Crocchè di Patate, which you can get all over town, especially in the old quarter. It is the perfect antidote to too much Italian wine!
