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THE TRADITIONAL CUISINE
Oh mamma mia!
... No visitor should miss the chance to sample spaghetti al pomodoro, pizza margherita, espresso and cappuccino!
But is it all really Italian in origin? The answer is of course "no". Italy offers a thousand mouth watering dishes, hundreds of gastronomy specialitites, a host of truly tasty typical products to every intrepid traveller.
Wholesomeness, freshness, genuineness and a high quality of standard are the watchwords in all Italy's table specialities, in all of their countless variants, from the Piedmont's fondue in the north to Sicily's caponata in the south, from the risotto alla milanese to Campania's mozzarella cheese, from the Veneto's risi e bisi (sweet-peas and rice) to Rome's porchetta, from the trenette al pesto of the Ligurian coast to the Fiorentina T-steaks, to the lasagna of Emilia Romagna or the spaghetti alla chitarra of Abruzzo.
A trip to Italy could be justified by the desire to taste Italian cooking as the Italians really make it. So whether you're enticed by the food at one of the best-known restaurants in the cities famous for their gastronomy, or are quite happy to try the fare of the thousand small trattorie dotted around the country, you are sure not to be disappointed. Or, to try something slightly different, what about the family-run osterie you can come across in the most characteristic parts of the historic centres? They specialise in reinventing traditional dishes or rediscovering typical agricultural products such as spelt, barley, wheat, vegetables, and olive oil. And to complement your meal perfectly you can taste good wines such as red full-bodied Chianti or sparkling wine Prosecco in order to finish with Limoncello or Grappa.
So ... Italy is the Belpaese to eat and drink well!