Italy is known for its amazing architecture and internationally recognized fashion houses – but for foodies everywhere, Italy is the number one destination for mouthwatering cuisine. You may have tasted italian food before in your hometown or country. But until you’ve had an authentic pizza margherita or white truffle, you’ve never really had Italian food. Even if you don’t consider yourself a hardcore food connoisseur, trying authentic Italian food should be on everyone’s bucket list. For a beginner’s guide to the best in Italian cuisine, here are the top 6 most iconic foods to eat in Italy.
Tortellini en brodo
Although pretty simply constructed, this dish lacks nothing in the flavor department. It consists of tortellini pasta in a delicious broth. It is traditionally a dish for the winter season. This pasta is just one of the many great pasta dishes that Italy is known for around the globe.
Truffles
This dish is considered a delicacy around the world, and are coveted for their rarity and distinctive taste. They are only grown in a few countries, and Italy is one of them. They can only be found by dogs or pigs trained to find them in the wild deep within forests or mountains. Both white or black truffles are served in Italy.
Focaccia
All over Italy, there are authentically delicious breads on every corner bakery or cafe. But the Italian region of Linguria is known for being the home of famous flat bread focaccia. It is served best with toppings like rosemary, olives or cheese, or simply drizzled with olive oil. Depending on the area of Italy you travel to, you may find that focaccia bread will vary in texture and thickness, sometimes resembling a flatbread and at other times, pita bread.
Gelato
Gelato is famous the world over, but you’ve never had real gelato if you’ve never had it in Italy. Gelato is like ice cream, but much more dense and rich. There are many flavors of gelato, but most authentic purveyors of gelato will serve traditional and deliciously simple flavors, like stracciatella, vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio and tiramisu just to name a few.
Coffee
Coffee is Italy is likely very different than the watered down version you may be used to. Authentic coffee in Italy will have some of the same titles you’ve heard before, but will mean something totally different. The meaning of latte, cappuccino, macchiato will be completely different drinks even as you travel through Italy regionally. But this is apart of the beauty of Italian coffee drinking: an adventure that you can never quite complete but will thoroughly enjoy..
Cheese
A guide to best foods in Italy wouldn’t be complete without the mention of cheese. Mascarpone,
Ricotta, scamorza, gorgonzola, asiago, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, taleggio, burrata, grana padano, scamorza, piave, stracchino and robiola are just a few of the many delectable cheese you can find in Italia. Some of these cheeses are only found locally in specific regions, and some can be found countrywide.