Italy American Culture

Italy’s history is a revolving door of foreign occupancy. With the Etruscans considered the initial inhabitants of the land, the leadership in Italy has changed hands many times before their final unification in 1860. Italian culture and cuisine is one based of off regionality as well as influence from the various nations that once ruled there.

The start of Italian cuisine can be dated back to 800 BCE when the Etruscans, an ancient civilization occupying the area that is modernly Tuscany, western Umbria, and northern Lazio, were able to cultivate the land with advanced metal tools. With rich soil, sunny climate, and close proximity to the sea, the Etruscans began to grow olives, grapes, and cereal grains. Jars of olive oil and wine were

During this time, Christianity was declared the official religion of the empire and the triad becomes immortalized as symbols of the religion. Bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist and olive oil was the sacramental anointment (Capatti et al 3). Christianity played a large role in regulating the diet, attributing certain foods to sin. Roman diet consisted of mostly of bread and grains, along with seasonal fruits and vegetables. Meat was seen as uncivilized and renounced by the Church for senseless violence. It is important to note that while Christianity ruled much of the North, the Arabs and Islam controlled the South. The Arabs introduced rice, citrus, and exotic spices; creating a diet that differed, largely due to differences in religious customs and close proximity to Arab land. With the fall of the Roman Empire, various nations invaded Italy bringing their culture and as well as beloved

Due to the differences in climate between the north and south, different crops are grown throughout the county. The warmer climate of the south lends its self to drying pasta and growing olive trees, making oil the fat of choice. In contrast, it is harder to dry pasta in the north, making fresh pasta and stuffed pastas like ravioli the popular choice. The pastures in the north lend themselves to raising cattle and providing butter as the source of fat. Central Italy has long, hot summers where they are able to grow tomatoes, but also suffer chilly winters and harvest leafy greens like kale (“Geographical Influences on Italian Cuisine”). The Italian word campanilismo refers to devotion to community, and represents why Italian cuisine as a whole can be defined by its