Italy

Food Culture:  What could be simpler than Italian cuisine? Take a pasta, add a sauce and perhaps some meat and cheese and viola! Of course, anyone who’s traveled around Italy can tell you that this global favorite is not quite so simple. While there may be some common ingredients, the most consistent element of Italian cuisine is its inconsistency.

Pasta is a staple, but how to decide between the fresh egg noodles of the north and the dried pasta of the south? Mascarpone, Grana Padano, Parmigiano, Mozzarella, Caciocavallo, or Pecorino? Which of the hundreds of variations of regional Italian sausages would you like to add? Would you like some olive oil? And which wine would you like to accompany your meal? Depending on the region, you may not have a choice; each region, based on the geographic and climate fragmentation, has different resources and thus, unique cuisine. For example, fish is served with minimal seasoning, such as lemon and oil, in coastal areas; however, beef and pork are generally included in the entrée of choice in the rest of the country. Some regions in fertile lands include much produce while some regions do not even use tomatoes.

Whether you’re in the mood for a risotto (Milan) or a pizza (Naples), you can find it in Italian cuisine. Perhaps it’s not so simple after all. Taste the Culture of Italy!

Italy consists of a mountainous peninsula in southern Europe extending into the Mediterranean Sea and includes the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and about 70 other smaller islands. The Alps form Italy’s border with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Most of Italy has warm, dry summers and mild winters, with northern Italy experiencing colder, wetter winters. There are some notable active volcanoes: Vesuvius (near Naples), Etna (on Sicily), and Stromboli (north of Sicily).

Although decades of struggle unified Italy in 1871, two Italys exist today: the prosperous, industrialized north and the less developed agricultural south, known as the Mezzogiorno (land of the midday sun). Their differences reach back to the Renaissance, when northern city-states flourished while the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily languished under French and Spanish rule. The government confronts corruption, which is traceable to organized crime and an unemployment rate in the south more than twice that of the north. To address regional inequalities, a constitutional referendum was held in 2001—the results favored giving greater autonomy to the country’s 20 regions in tax, education, and environmental policies.

Milan reigns as Italy’s first city of commerce, and the Po River plain is both Italy’s agricultural heartland and southern Europe’s most advanced industrial region. Turin, the capital of heavy industry, is home to Fiat—one of the world’s largest car producers. A major attraction for pilgrims and tourists is the “Holy Shroud” in Turin’s cathedral—tradition holds that this was Christ’s burial cloth. Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance and is home to great works of civic and religious architecture, sculpture, and paintings. Rome, Italy’s capital, exhibits the architectural and artistic grandeur of ancient civilizations.

Italy has to import almost all its raw materials and energy. Italy’s economic strength is in the processing and manufacturing of goods, primarily in small and medium size family-owned firms. Its major industries include precision machinery, motor vehicles, fashion, clothing, and footwear. A founding member of both NATO and the European Union, Italy’s superb transportation system, from airports to high-speed trains, connects it with the rest of Europe.