Tour of Taste (7) : Italy

Italy has all from well-known historical sites and rich culture, to award winning wines and mouth-watering cuisine. Food is such an integral part of Italian culture and its influence has shaped cuisine around the world. Here is the list of the famous foods that originated in Italy.

Pizza

Naples, Italy was the modern day pizza's birthplace. Margherita is the original and most famous variety of pizza, which has only tomato, mozzarella, and basil. These colors represent the Italian flag colors. A legend says this pizza was served to Queen Margherita of Savoy.  The Queen loved it and continued to enjoy it despite the backlash she received from others in the royal circle. The pizza was later named after her and is a famous pizza variety served around the world. To sample a Margherita pizza, Naples is definitely the place.

Risotto

Risotto originated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Risotto dishes are made of short-grain rice and include a broth that creates a creamy final product. Producing a good risotto is not often that easy and an improperly cooked one can resemble a crunchy rice soup.

Mortadella

Mortadella is a large sausage made from finely ground pork sausage that is heat-cured and originated in Bologna. It also contains small cubes of pork fat in it. Mortadella is spiced and sold in a variety of ways -- popular varieties include olives, pistachios, pepper, and jalapenos. When you are shopping in the local markets or delis in Italy, be sure to buy some as the taste is fantastic.

Mozzarella

This versatile and gourmet cheese was came from Italy. Good mozzarella is the key to many Italian dishes and of course the Caprese salad. Mozzarella is actually the term for several different kinds of cheese made by spinning and cutting, such as Mozzarella di Bufala, Mozzarella fior di latte, low-moisture Mozzarella and smoked Mozzarella. If you are in Naples, be sure to try the Caprese salad as well with the fresh buffalo mozzarella and Pompeii-grown tomatoes!

Spumoni

Spumoni is a molded Italian ice cream dessert. It has different layers of color and flavor and consists of nuts and candied fruits. Most believed that Spumoni is originated in Naples, Italy. Traditional spumoni is often hard to find in some restaurants outside of Italy, but you can often get spumoni ice cream at local grocery store. Although it tastes not quite the same, at least it is something to satiate the craving.

Cannoli

Cannoli is small pastry tubes filled with a sweet, creamy cheese filling. Many places in the United States will serve them with chocolate chips inside and a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. It originated in the Palermo region of Sicily and was traditionally prepared during Carnevale, eventually becoming a regular part of Italian cuisine and eventually found worldwide. 

Gelato

Gelato is an ice cream in Italy's version. It made from many of the same ingredients as other frozen dairy desserts, but has a lower butterfat and sugar content. It is made and frozen in small batches versus the process of making most commercial ice creams in the United States., giving it a more intense flavour because it lacks the amount of "air" seen in ice cream. Another difference is how long it can keep -- gelato only stays fresh for a couple days. Gelato itself becomes popular in 1900's when the first mobile gelato cart was created.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu, a popular dessert found on nearly every Italian restaurant menu in the United States. It is made from biscuits soaked in coffee with layers of whipped mascarpone and egg yolks. It also consists of cocoa and liquor flavors.

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