Italian Food
Italy is a coastal country in Southern Europe. It is renowned for its culture and its traditional food. It has cold, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Summer temperatures often go above 30 degrees celcius.
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Italy has a very productive farming system in the north, with agriculture making up most of the economy- however, in the south, there is considerably less of an agricultural culture. This is an example of how a country could have very different foods in different areas. Most of the farms in Italy grow crops; examples are olive trees, vineyards and wheat fields.
Cheese, wine and coffee are hugely important in Italian cuisine. Pasta is a huge component of many Italian meals. There are a huge variety of types of pasta eaten in Italy as pasta can be made from different cereals and in different shapes, colours and sizes. Also, seafood is a huge part of Italian culture-especially in coastal areas.
In the past, cooking was influenced by the Roman Empire. As the empire spread, Roman soldiers saw many strange foods in neighbouring countries and used them. One of the reasons the Renaissance started in Italy is because of where it's located geographically- it became a centre for trade as it is close to many countries and is beside the Mediterranean Sea. It was known as a link, or crossroads, between the east and the west. People from all over the world went there to trade and Italian cooking was influenced by this; many different styles, types and ingredients of cooking from culturally different countries were introduced to Italians.
Italians have the highest life expectancy in the European Union. This is affected by the fact that, in general, Italians have a very nutritious diet- this is due to the amount of fresh, local food they eat. They also have a very strong economy so they can afford to eat more expensive, healthier food.
