The History of Italian Food

1266 Words6 Pages
"The History of Italian Food" “L’ amo qui. Il cibo stupisce!” One might hear this statement in a restaurant in Italy. It is translated as, “I love it here! The food is amazing!” Italian food is perhaps one of the most exquisite cuisines in the world. It has a history just as bright and elaborate as the people of Italy do. Italian cuisine is clearly distinct and original, and it differentiates itself from other foods through its history and style. Everything has a beginning, a time and a place of its origin. Many things happened two thousand years ago; it was the beginning of a new era. It was a time when the Romans controlled many territories and provinces. Italy was one of these territories, and during this time its people generated one of the greatest cuisines in the world. When many search for the origin of the Italian cuisine, they find its beginning to be found during the Roman Empire around two thousand years ago (History). The Roman Empire was changing rapidly at this time. During this movement, the culinary talent of the Italians made a statement (Steendahl). Where did this distinctive, authentic cuisine come from? C. Steendahl provides us with an answer to this query. In an article, he states, “Over the years, Italian cuisine has greatly evolved in part because of a wealth of outside influences that have added to its characteristic flavor and appeal. In the beginning, ancient Greek cookery became and integrated part of Italian cuisine.” (Steendahl) One can infer from this that the Italian cuisine came from the Greeks. However, the Greeks were not the only people who occupied this territory in the last three thousand years in history. Etruscans were people who settled this region before the Greeks. Both the Etruscans and the Greeks influenced this area greatly, and their influences are still apparent today (Volpi). Due to their
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