Italian Food & Health | Italy Culture

Buono. Squisito. Gustoso. Saporito. Just a few ways to express your delight in Italian when enjoying the taste of Italian food. We cannot talk about Italian food without immediately mentioning pizza and pasta, but there is much more to Italian food culture than these two world-famous meals. From cheesy risottos to olive oil drenched salads, crisp fried meats, fresh seafood, mouth-watering desserts, and let's not forget the various types of coffee and wine, which are daily staples in Italy. Italian cuisine has greatly influenced food culture around the world. A recent survey conducted by YouGov, a UK-based research company, found that Italian food was the most popular around the world, followed by Chinese and then Thai. Its accessibility, of course, adds to this appeal. You can always find pizza delivery whichever city you are in in the world. In fact, most of the foods that we view as Italian come from central Italy, and each region has developed its own spin on a dish. The north is known for its meat, potato, and rice dishes, whereas the south are seafood and tomato experts. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation with great pride and assurance that they will remain a secret within the family. One of Italian food's key characteristics is its simplicity, the ability to use only a few simple ingredients to create such delicious, extravagant dishes. This is why the quality of those ingredients is paramount to the chef. They go for fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced products whenever possible. For Italians, food is not just nourishment or filling an empty stomach. It is what they revolve their day around. It is life. A typical meal routine in Italy consists of a light breakfast, maybe a coffee and a pastry, followed by a mid-morning snack. Italians save their appetite for the main meal of the day, lunch, which can often be three or four courses long, and a time to socialize with family and friends. Dinner is usually a much lighter meal. With all of this talk of carbo-fueled pasta and pizza, you would imagine Italians to be unhealthy. But on the contrary, they are one of the healthiest countries on the planet, and as a result, are in the top 10 of life expectancy rates worldwide. Their Mediterranean diet focuses heavily on fruits, vegetables, whole grain, legumes, and olive oil, and steers away from red meat, instead opting for more fish or chicken. Some interesting facts about Italy's food customs. They never mix cheese and seafood. Cappuccinos are an absolute no-no after 11 a.m. Garlic bread and spaghetti and meatballs are not originally from Italy. Pepperoni and pineapple are not typically used on pizzas in Italy. It is estimated that the average Italian eats more than 23 kilograms of pasta every year. There are 400-plus pasta shapes in Italy. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, approximately 5.7 billion liters per year. One million pizzas are said to be consumed in Italy every day. Pizza was invented in Naples around the early 19th century, but was actually more popular in the USA before taking Italy by storm. It is apparently bad luck to seat 13 people for a meal, as there were 13 seated at the Last Supper. Buon appetito!