Sunday, October 06, 2024

What are some lesser-known Italian regional dishes that deserve more international recognition?

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Well, all of them. There is no trace or really traditional Italian cuisine in the international version of the Italian cuisine. My friend Diva, an American former pastry schef that has lived in Italy for ages and teaches cooking classes mainly in Tuscany, has been for decades doing a great job of making the real Italian regional cuisine, mostly Tuscan but not only, known. If you check out her recipe collection you will find a ton of real Italian recipes written in English like this Easter pie from Liguria.

Torta pasqualina, Easter pie from Liguria

Indeed, most of the traditional regional cuisines of Italy are unknown even to us Italians. I mean, how many Italian have ever had some Milanese messicani?

Or Apulian pettole

… or Piedmontese paniscia.

Regional dishes are not just one or two specialties, the Italian cuisines are whole catalogues of recipes and habits and ingredients that sometimes are commonplace only in one or two towns. Indeed, there is no such thing as an Italian cuisine, as each area (often areas much smaller than a region) may have a completely different cuisine. 

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