Any true food connoisseur will tell you Italian cuisine is far more varied than pizza or spaghetti...
Italian food is held in very high regard all over the world, and it's undoubtedly an important part of Italian culture.
The country that we now know as Italy was only unified as recently as 1861, and its cuisines directly reflect the variety of its regions and history. From a culinary point of view, the country's cuisines are influenced by Greek, Roman and Arab civilisations.
Generally speaking, there is no such thing as Italian cuisine - each area of the country has its own cuisine and specialities at a regional and even provincial level. Some Italian dishes are so closely connected to their place of origin that they've assumed the name of their township.
A traditional Italian meal is very regional and does not adhere to conventional North-South patterns. To the uninitiated, the northern and southern cuisines are differentiated by north's penchant for using copious amounts of butter and the south's love of the tomato. However, there is a marked difference between regional cuisines and cooking traditions.
Roman cuisine, for example, tends to contain a lot of pecorino (cheese made from sheep's milk) and offal (frattaglie), whereas Tuscany features a wealth of white beans, unsalted bread and meat.
Pizza also varies from region to region - Romans tend to like thin and crisp pizza base, while Napolitano and Sicilian pizza tends to be thicker.
Not only is the cuisine regionalised, it is also seasonal. Italian cuisine's popularity and uniqueness undoubtedly arises from the high priority placed on fresh, seasonal produce.
Italian cookery is nutritious, healthy and steeped in tradition; with most recipes handed down from generation to generation.
Meat is not considered the staple ingredient - vegetables, grains and legumes often take centre stage. Generally speaking, Italian dishes consist of a combination of vegetables, grains, fruits, fish, cheeses and a scattering of meats, fowl and game usually seasoned or cooked with olive oil (with the exception of the far north).
Like most foods, is typically presented in stages, beginning with a "primo", usually containing pasta. First courses like spaghetti, risotto or gnocchi are very popular as they are light and easy to prepare.
There are many notable differences between British and Italian cuisines, the order in which the food is served being the most obvious. An Italian meal's first dish, especially if eaten in Italy, is usually the most filling and carbohydrate-infused part of the meal. While the second course, which is the equivalent of the British main course, is usually scant in comparison.
Following the first course comes the "secondo", comprising of either meat (lamb, beef) or fish with vegetables, while desert is usually fresh fruit with a demitasse of espresso.
