The History of Italian Cooking

The history of Italian cooking is extremely varied with a variety of cuisines reflecting the many different regions of Italy.

Throughout its history, the Italian peninsula has been dominated by many tribes and empires; each adding its own contribution to the local cuisine. Italian cooking has been influenced by the Greek, Roman, Norman and Arab civilizations and Italian cuisine is so popular it is imitated all over the world.

The Etruscans were the first organized group starting around 12th century BC. They cultivated the local grain, farro (a type of spelt), it is one of the oldest grains in history and it fed the Mediterranean people for thousands of years but was difficult to produce. This led to eventual decrease in popularity in favor of wheat and corn.

The Romans also brought spices such as pepper and ginger. The Moors influence on the cuisine can be seen with the use of couscous, citrus fruits and almonds. The Greeks introduced wonderful seafood cooking. The Spaniards brought the Grenache grape to the Sardegna region where the grape there is now called Cannonau. The Venetians and Genoans were active traders and brought new ingredients from the near and Far East to enhance the local cuisine.

The most famous Genoan, Cristoforo Colombo or Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa in 1451, made the most significant contribution to embellishing the local food. After his famous voyage to discover a faster route to India, he landed at the Americas and brought back many of its rich bounties. Before his adventure, tomatoes, peppers, chiles, corn and potatoes were not part of Italian cuisine. Today it is hard to imagine Italian food with no tomatoes!

Authentic Italian cuisine puts great emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce and fresh meats and seafood.

In 1861 the Unification of Italy brought the separate regions under one flag, however, each region kept its own distinct cuisine based on its history and the available food sources determined by the seasons and climates of each region.

There are 20 distinct regions in Italy with their own cuisine.

Pasta has long been equated with the history of Italian cooking, although no one is sure exactly when this simple dough of water and powdered wheat began. Today, pasta has found its way to the global palate in various forms; however, the origins of pasta still remain a mystery.

Many food connoisseurs trace the origin of pasta in the pages of Greek mythology. The history of Italian cooking includes many references to the Greek word "laganon" which is a wide and flat sheet of pasta dough cut into stripes; probably the origins of modern lasagna. In succeeding centuries the existence of pasta was found in Roman cookery as "lagane". The history of Italian cooking includes a myth that Marco Polo brought pasta to Italy on his way back from China, but this appears to be just a myth since pasta was mentioned in Italian history long before his arrival.

Southern Italy: Much of the cuisine we enjoy in America today originated in Naples and Sicily. This history of Italian cooking was shaped by the pairing of tomatoes with pasta and bread by the southern Italians. They created some of the world's most popular foods, including the many red sauces popular in America, as well as many pastas and cheese.

Pizza, another world-wide famous food, also originated from Southern Italy in the city of Naples. Pizza has a humble beginning as a peasant food. It kept the poor people of Naples fed through the winter when not much else was available.

Pizza came to America with the Italian immigrants who, fortunately for us, brought the pizza with them. It quickly became popular in the big cities which had many Italian neighborhoods: New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco on the other coast, and Chicago in the middle.

There is controversy as to which pizzeria was actually the first in the United States, however, it is widely believed to be Lombardi's in Little Italy, Manhattan established by Gennaro Lombardi 1905.

Amazingly, the cost for a whole pizza was only five cents at that time. However, it was still to expensive for many people and they offered less for a part of the pie. This is how the “pizza by the slice” was born in the U.S.

What was the first pizza restaurant chain? Shakey’s Pizza was founded in 1954 in California, and Pizza Hut came in 1958 in Kansas. Many chain restaurants followed including Bertucci's, Happy Joe's, California Pizza Kitchen, and Godfather's Pizza.

Take an Italian vacation off the beaten track! Discover Le Marche, a beautiful, unspoiled region of beaches, culture, art, history, sports, fashion, wines and cuisine.

The History of Italian Cooking includes varieties from every Italian Region

Return to Home Page

footer for history of italian cooking page