Cuisine
Main articles: Italian cuisine, Italian meal structure, and List of Italian foods
and drinks
Italian wine and salumi
Italian cuisine is heavily influenced by Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient
Roman, Byzantine, Arabic, and Jewish cuisines.[426] Significant changes
occurred with the discovery of the New World, with items such as potatoes,
tomatoes, and maize becoming main ingredients from the 18th century.
[427] The Mediterranean diet forms the basis of Italian cuisine, which is rich
in pasta, fish, fruits, and vegetables and characterised by its simplicity and
variety, with many dishes having only four to eight ingredients. [428] Italian
cuisine is noted for its regional diversity, [429] abundance of difference in
taste, and as one of the most popular in the world, [430] wielding strong
influence abroad.[431][432][433]
Italian cuisine relies heavily on traditional products; the country has a large
number of traditional specialties protected under EU law.[434] Italy is home to
395 Michelin Star-rated restaurants.[435] Cheese, cold cuts, and wine are
central to Italian cuisine, with regional declinations and protected
designation of origin or protected geographical indication labels, along
with pizza and coffee forming part of gastronomic culture. [436] Desserts have
a long tradition of merging local flavours, such as citrus fruits, pistachio, and
almonds, with sweet cheeses such as mascarpone and ricotta or exotic
tastes such as cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon. Gelato,[437] tiramisu,
[438] and cassata are among the most famous examples of Italian desserts.
The Italian meal structure is typical of the Mediterranean region and differs
from North, Central, and East European meal structures, although it still
often consists of breakfast (colazione), lunch (pranzo), and dinner (cena).
[439] However, much less emphasis is placed on breakfast, which is often
skipped or involves lighter portions than are seen in non-Mediterranean
Western countries.[440] Late-morning and mid-afternoon snacks,
called merenda (pl.: merende), are often included.[441]
