Without
food we can't live. We all have heard the famous line, "Man does
not live by bread alone ...." What does it mean? The
verse comes from Torah [Bible] and is a reference to the miraculous
manna, which fell from heaven daily during the Jewish people's sojourn
in the wilderness. The conclusion of the verse is that "rather,
by the utterance of God's mouth does man live." Thus, it is reminding
us about the true source of human sustenance.
Italian
cuisine has a great variety of different ingredients which are
commonly used, ranging from fruits, vegetables, sauces, meats, etc. In
the North of Italy, fish (such as cod, or baccalà), potatoes, rice,
corn (maize), sausages, pork, and different types of cheeses are the
most common ingredients. Pasta dishes with lighter use of tomato are
found in Trentino-Alto Adige and Emilia Romagna.
In Northern Italy
though there are many kinds of stuffed pasta, polenta and risotto are
equally popular if not more so. Ligurian ingredients include several
types of fish and seafood dishes; basil (found in pesto), nuts and
olive oil are very common. In Emilia-Romagna, common ingredients
include ham (prosciutto), sausage (cotechino), different sorts of
salami, truffles, grana, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and tomatoes (Bolognese
sauce or ragù).
Traditional Central Italian cuisine uses ingredients such as tomatoes,
all kinds of meat, fish, and pecorino cheese. In Tuscany and Umbria
pasta is usually served alla carrettiera (a tomato sauce spiked with
peperoncini hot peppers).[32] Finally, in Southern Italy, tomatoes –
fresh or cooked into tomato sauce – peppers, olives and olive oil,
garlic, artichokes, oranges, ricotta cheese, eggplants, zucchini,
certain types of fish (anchovies, sardines and tuna), and capers are
important components to the local cuisine.
Italian cuisine is also well known (and well regarded) for its use of
a diverse variety of pasta. Pasta include noodles in various lengths,
widths and shapes. Distinguished on shapes they are named — penne,
maccheroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, lasagne and many more
varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and
tortellini.
The word pasta is also used to refer to dishes in which pasta products
are a primary ingredient. It is usually served with sauce. There are
hundreds of different shapes of pasta with at least locally recognized
names.
Examples include spaghetti (thin rods), rigatoni (tubes or cylinders),
fusilli (swirls), and lasagne (sheets). Dumplings, like gnocchi (made
with potatoes) and noodles like spätzle, are sometimes considered
pasta. They are both traditional in parts of Italy.
Pasta is categorized in two basic styles: dried and fresh. Dried pasta
made without eggs can be stored for up to two years under ideal
conditions, while fresh pasta will keep for a couple of days in the
refrigerator. Pasta is generally cooked by boiling. Under Italian law,
dry pasta (pasta secca) can only be made from durum wheat flour or
durum wheat semolina, and is more commonly used in Southern Italy
compared to their Northern counterparts, who traditionally prefer the
fresh egg variety. Durum flour and durum semolina have a yellow tinge
in color. Italian pasta is traditionally cooked al dente (Italian:
"firm to the bite", meaning not too soft). Outside Italy, dry pasta is
frequently made from other types of flour (such as wheat flour), but
this yields a softer product that cannot be cooked al dente. There are
many types of wheat flour with varying gluten and protein depending on
variety of grain used.
Particular varieties of pasta may also use other grains and milling
methods to make the flour, as specified by law. Some pasta varieties,
such as pizzoccheri, are made from buckwheat flour. Fresh pasta may
include eggs (pasta all'uovo 'egg pasta'). Whole wheat pasta has
become increasingly popular because of its supposed health benefits
over pasta made from refined flour.