Italian Food History - article about Italian Food History

A Review of Italian Food History

Ancient Rome and Italian Cuisine

While researching the history of Italian food, some experts have claimed that a Roman text known as the Apicius is the only surviving cookbook from the Classical period. They claim it was created by a man who was quite fond of gourmet food, who lived in the first century B.C. The book has been copied numerous times over the years and some historians believe the text is actually a compilation of work from a variety of contributors.

An important part of the history of Italian food occurred after the fall of the powerful Roman Empire when Italy‘s regions became city states and evolved into unique regions, developing their own local cuisine. The local cuisines were highly influenced by the types of food that were available in each region.

After the country was divided into city states, the northern portion of Italy had a thriving trade business, with a variety of food items brought to the area including heavy cream, eggs, butter and a variety of grains. Pasta was created by combining these ingredients and has been popular in Italy ever since its creation. Some historians believe pasta was created in Italy during the latter stages of the Medieval period and into the early stages of the Renaissance period. The northern portion of Italy had been controlled by France as well as Austria in the past and these two countries played a role in the history of Italian food in this portion of Italy.

The Sothern Region

The Southern region is known for citrus fruit and cheeses with creamy textures, but the cuisine in the region is dominated by the tomato. The history of Italian food indicates a majority of Italians in the southern region became enchanted with the tomato as soon as it was imported from the New World. Pizza was created by combining tomatoes with mozzarella cheese and the flat breads made in the region. Dry pasta is believed to have gone through its development process in the southern area of Italy.

In Sardinia and Sicily they still at times emulate the ancient Roman feasts with their spit roasting of pigs. The chefs in Sicily back in the days of the Roman Empire as well as now enjoyed making popular soups and varieties of stews with tasty items from the sea such as sardines, lobster, swordfish, anchovies and other types of seafood. Sardinia and Sicily are still influenced by the Arabs when it comes to spices and sweets. Over time, there have been numerous influences in the history of Italian food which have helped to make Italian cuisine the wonderful food it is today.

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