Why isn't Italian food considered Mediterranean food? Southern Italian food is considered Mediterranean food, but Northern Italian cuisine is not. The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the eating habits of Greece, Southern Italy and Spain in the 1940s and 1950s. It's not based on what people in the Mediterranean eat today. It is not based on all of Italy's regional diets, which are very varied, only on that of southern Italy.
It is important to keep these details in mind because the country, Italy, as a whole, is undoubtedly one of the healthiest in the world today, even though they don't eat as they did in the 1940s and 1950s, nor do they eat the same foods in every region of the country. Italian food is famous all over the world and has greatly influenced the cuisine of other countries, especially the United States. But it's also the distinctive expression of the Mediterranean diet, and no exploration of the cuisines of this part of the world is complete without She. From ancient times in the Roman Empire, the basic Italian ingredients of olive oil, pasta, cheeses and regional herbs spread throughout the region and then to the rest of Europe.
The introduction of New World foods (especially tomatoes) was a transformation for the entire country, and they are now inseparable from many unique Italian dishes. Before determining if Italian food falls under the Mediterranean umbrella, we must understand what constitutes Mediterranean cuisine. This culinary tradition encompasses foods from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Spain, France, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and, of course, Italy. According to ancient cultural food traditions, Mediterranean cuisine is characterized by its emphasis on plant-based foods, healthy fats (especially olive oil), and moderate consumption of dairy products, fish and poultry.
If you think that Italian food is based on sauces, pasta, meats and cheeses, you might be surprised to discover that authentic Italian cuisine actually looks more like the Mediterranean diet and its emphasis on whole grains, vegetables and fish. Mediterranean food encompasses the culinary traditions of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco, among others. This diverse cuisine shares certain common characteristics that make it distinct and attractive. It emphasizes the use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, such as olive oil, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and lean meats. The mild climate of the Mediterranean region also contributes to the rich variety of flavors by allowing the cultivation of a large amount of fruits, herbs and spices.
When it comes to delicious and healthy cuisine, Mediterranean food stands out as a vibrant and tasty option. Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine that consists of ingredients, recipes and culinary techniques developed in Italy since Roman times, and which later spread around the world along with the waves of the Italian diaspora. This geographical reality has profoundly shaped Italian culinary traditions, especially in coastal and southern regions, where seafood has a prominent place and where you can find authentic Mediterranean restaurants similar to those in other Mediterranean countries. The Mediterranean diet pyramid (in the same style as the American food pyramid), built by Oldways, a Mediterranean diet advocacy group in 1993, shows a base of activity and social connections, illustrating the general importance of lifestyle over diet.
As an anthropologist, it also bothers me when other people tell people how to use their own traditional foods as if they don't already know. It may seem that Italian food is perhaps all too familiar, because it's relatively easy to prepare and Italian restaurants proliferate everywhere the world. In Italy, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, people cook, bake and fry their food in olive oil. Although technically found in North Africa, Moroccan cuisine is often considered part of Mediterranean cuisine because of its cultural and culinary connections.
The Mediterranean diet proposes eating lean meats and seafood several times a week, while only consuming red meat once a month. A project by the United States Progress Administration aimed at boosting the supply of restaurants in New York City noted that Italian restaurants were “interesting and sometimes cheap places to eat,” which further contributed to the country's knowledge of Italian food. If you want to read about how living in Sardinia helped me deal with some of my stressful and unhealthy eating problems, check out the first post in the Eat Like An Italian series. But does that mean that Italian food is technically Mediterranean? This question has intrigued both food enthusiasts and culinary historians.
