Much like my previous post on the food history of Ireland, I've also always been fascinated by the food history of Italy. I am physically incapable of going more than a week without eating Italian food, but how much of my favorite foods are truly Italian?
Italian food history is actually less unified than I thought it would be since a lot of dishes are region specific and Italy wasn't unified as a country until the 1860s. However significantly before that the ancient Romans ate foods such as fish, honey, and luxuries like ostrich. Much of their cuisine was also taken from nearby regions such as the Middle East and North Africa. This is closer to the diet of a wealthy person in Ancient Rome, poorer people ate foods such as olives, breads, wine, and cheeses.
Later on during the Middle Ages, the food in Italy was much less exciting than it was before. Food and enjoyment in eating was seen as sinful and sexually tempting, especially meat. Eating meat was rare since it was considered a violent act to kill an animal and it was believed that eating meat would incite sexual desires. When Charlemagne came into power he allowed feast days and the people of Italy could finally enjoy eating "passionate" food every once in a while.
Food had it's own renaissance during the Renaissance, food became more respected and a status symbol. Italians were traveling more and introduced new foods into their dishes. Notably a lot of popular Sicilian cuisine born during this time has roots from Arab traders.
With the Columbian Exchange Italian food was eternally changed. Knowing how popular tomatoes are in Italian foods today you'd think they'd be the most popular new food in Italy during the Columbian exchange but that's not the case. Tomatoes became popular way later but during the Columbian Exchange the most popular New World foods for Italians were sweetcorn, turkey, and potatoes.
Pasta and tomato sauce as we know it today came about because of Italian dockworkers in the 17th century boiling pasta and putting chopped tomatoes in the pasta. People all around Italy began adding their own touches to the simple dish and pasta with tomato sauce became a national hit.
During the 19th century Italian food mirrored the joy of a newly unified country. With scientific advancements such as pasteurization food could be preserved better and made cheaper. Perhaps the most famous culinary dish from Italy during the 19th century was the Margherita pizza. Raffaele Esposito made the simplistic pizza of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy and she adored it. The Margherita pizza wasn't necessarily a new concept but it became a source of pride for the people of Naples.
During World War II Italian food culture reversed somewhat, fascism and rationing definitely affected the Italian diet. Meat was once again a rarity like in the Middle Ages (however for different reasons.) Women, however, became the unofficial heroes of Italian cuisine by keeping traditional recipes alive despite rationing.
Today Italian food is widely recognized for it's delicious taste and deep culture. Italians have a well-deserved fierce pride of their food and the culture it was born from.
Bezzone, Francesca. “The History of Italian Cuisine I.” Life in Italy, 4 Dec. 2018, www.lifeinitaly.com/history-of-food/the-history-of-italian-cuisine-i.
Bezzone, Francesca. “The History of Italian Cuisine II.” Life in Italy, 2 Nov. 2018, www.lifeinitaly.com/history-of-food/the-history-of-italian-cuisine-ii.
Bezzone, Francesca. “The History of Italian Cuisine III.” Life in Italy, 3 Dec. 2018, www.lifeinitaly.com/history-of-food/the-history-of-italian-cuisine-iii.
Bezzone, Francesca. “History of Italian Cuisine IV.” Life in Italy, 2 Nov. 2018, www.lifeinitaly.com/food/history-italian-cuisine-iv.
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