Italian Food

When I think of Italy, the memories that pop in my head typically include the delicious tasting pizzas, pastas, breads, rich creamy gelato, and many other foods. Italy has some of the best tasting food in the world, and is very famous for its cuisine. From pesto gnocchi, to focaccia bread, and large thin-crusted pizzas rich in flavor and quality, Italian cuisine is, in my opinion, the best type of food.

There is a large abundance of every Italian food in Italy. Food is eaten in several courses with lunch being the biggest meal of the day and dinner being served later, typically around 9pm. A typical lunch usually will start off with an appetizer such as prosciutto and melon, foccacia bread, soup, or salads. After this, the larger meal is served such as a meat dish, pasta dish, or pizza. Meals, both lunch and dinner are enjoyed with a glass of wine. Dessert might include a pastry, tiramisu, or a gelato from the nearest shop. Portions of food are smaller than those served in the U.S.

Breakfast is usually light and most Italians typically enjoy a cup of cafe latte or a cappuccino along with a fluffy croissant or pastry that was made fresh that morning in the bakeries. Coffee does not include sugary syrups or flavors at all, but if you want to sweeten it up, you can add your own sugar. It is best not to order your cappuccino past 10am; just a culture thing.

Fresh produce and products are a large part of the culture in Italy. There are many markets that sell the freshest of the produce from meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads, and much more. Because of this, the quality of everything is so fresh, healthy, and has a better flavor overall.

Gelato in Italy is the best and every town and city is scattered with shops. In my experience, the towns have the better quality gelato for a cheap price. The best tasting gelato shop I was able to experience was in a small town in Tuscany called San Gimignano. Each gelato shop has many flavors to choose from, all rich and creamy in consistency. Usually, you get to choose 2 flavors (good sized scoops) on a cone and this would only cost around 2-3 euros.

In the large cities, some shops try to lure in tourist by providing fake, cheap quality gelato in large, colorful mounds displayed by the window. However, it is important to avoid these places as they are often worse quality and more expensive. Find a place where the gelato is kept in the container or not in huge mounds and it is amazing quality.

Wine is an integral part of visiting Italy, for Italy as exceptional wine. People of any age can order glasses of wine or champagne with their meal. Yes, Italy does not have any strict drinking age. When I was there, I was able to buy a beer or cocktail wherever I pleased if I wanted to. Since there is no drinking age, there are no bars, but more so pubs and cafes that you could hang out, order food and a drink.

When traveling to Italy, food is typically an exciting aspect of the experience as it is quite magical, but if you want to stick to a budget, it is important to remember a few things. When traveling to a city, large restaurants draw in tourists, but they typically have only mediocre food and high prices. Try and find smaller restaurants which are both cheaper and have better, more authentic tasting dishes. In towns, most restaurants are very authentic and they can range from very casual to fancy.

If you are staying in an airbnb, you might even try grocery shopping for ingredients and then cooking your own dishes. You can google recipes for dishes you might want to make, go shopping for the ingredients, and cook. It does take extra time and work, but overall you will save a lot of money on your trip.

Overall, Italian food is the best type of food, and the food in Italy is amazing. The food in Italy is one of the biggest aspects of your trip, so make sure to enjoy trying out new dishes and enjoying the best versions of your favorite ones.

A typical Pizza Margherita. It is large             A typical gelato shop. Flavors are fresh.

but has a very thin crust. It is usually 

served uncut.