Food History in Italy Term Paper

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Geographical Location of Italy and Its Effect on the Italian Cuisine

Italy is located in the Northern part of Europe and is geographically separated from other European countries by high mountains. Mountains occupy quite a portion of the country that create and provide magnificent valleys, forest, plains, rocks, and foothills. The Mediterranean coastlines similarly add to the beauty of Italy. Moreover, Italy has a variety of weather conditions. These geographical features of Italy influenced the Italians to develop magnificent cuisines.

Italy is a nation in which every place seems to be bordered by a natural environment. Hence in every location, there seems to be a variation of culture. This is one factor why Italy produces a variety of great cuisines. Moreover, the rich sources of food ingredients, which the Italians derive from planting in its rich natural environments, help Italy to invent different tastes in their cuisines.

The geographical features of Italy, however, are not the only aspects that contribute to the wonderful Italian cuisines. Volpi writes the following, indicating that history also has a great influence to the Italian cuisine.

But geographical fragmentation alone will not explain how the same country produced all of these: the rich, fat, baroque food of Bologna, based on butter, parmigiano, and meat; the light, tasty, spicy cooking of Naples, mainly based on olive oil, mozzarella, and seafood; the cuisine of Rome, rich in produce from the surrounding countryside; and the food of Sicily, full of North African influences.

Influences of Italy's History to the Italian Cuisine

The history of Italy, particularly its colonization by different groups of colonizers from different parts of the world, had great influences to the Italian cuisine that the world loves. First, the colonization of Italy by the Romans brought a number of cooking styles and customs to the Italians.

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The Romans, who had the great influence to the Italians in cooking styles, imported to the country different kinds of foods and spices from different places around the world, even from as far as China. This includes wheat, wine, and a variety of spices that suits the food preferences of the Romans.

Another group of colonizers that had a great influence to the Italian cuisine are the Arab Muslims. During their occupation in Sicily, dry macaroni became popular. This was made even more popular, and was also brought around the world, when the bronze press was invented. The Arab Muslims also brought different spices in Italy that are continuously used in the Italian cuisines these days. As indicated from an online article, on the influences of the Arab Muslims,

Muslims contributed greatly to Western cuisine with a variety of foods: rice, spinach, alcohol, oranges, lemons, apricots, sugar and more. And in Sicily their influence is still greatly felt today.

Today, the contributions of the Romans and the Muslims in the Italian cuisine are very much present. From the colonization of Italy by different groups of people, the Italian cuisine developed into one that is admired by many people all over the world. The pasta, spices, pizza, and many other kinds of Italian foods that attract many tourists from different parts of the world are continuously contributing not only in the transformation of the Italian cuisine but of Italy's economy as well.

Practical and Social Rituals Associated with the Italian Cuisine

The different regions and different tastes of the Italians present some practical and social rituals that can….....

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