Can you guess what they are? If you love real Italian food, made in Italy (natural and authentic), it’s pretty easy to guess what made the list. Take a minute before you read on to see how many you can name. I did this with my Italian class and they guessed all twelve, though not in this order.
Ready to find out?
The following article, written by Francine Segan, is reproduced from I Love Italian Food
http://www.italialiving.com/articles/food-wine/top-twelve-italian-foods-in-2014-the-votes-are-in/
Top Twelve Italian Foods in 2014: The Votes Are In
Parmigiano Reggiano still reigns the “King of Cheese”
More than 700,000 foodies and 5,00 food professionals—including bloggers, chefs, restaurateurs and cooking schools —voted for the twelve most popular Italian foods. Parmigiano Reggiano won 1st with the “King of Cheese” receiving 20% of the votes. This international contest sponsored by the nonprofit group I Love Italian Food www.iloveitalianfood.org was conducted online in November 2014, with results released in mid-December.
“This contest made us understand which of our traditional foods are the real ambassadors outside of Italy, “ comments Alessandro Schiatti, founder of I Love Italian Food. Three of the winning foods—Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Aceto Balsamico, are all from the Emilia-Romagna region, which isn’t surprising as that region has more products that are DOP and IGP ( protected designation of origin) than any other region.
Using these twelve winners, I Love Italian Food will launch a project in January 2015 called 100per100, which will ask twelve of Italy’s top chefs including Heinz Beck, Cristina Bowerman, Moreno Cedroni and Antonella Ricci to create a unique recipe for each.
And the 2014 winners are:
#1 Parmigiano Reggiano
#2 Pasta
#3 Prosciutto di Parma
#4 Pizza
#5 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
#6 Tiramisu
#7 Gelato
#8 Espresso
#9 Mozzarella
#10 Aceto Balsamico
#11 Ravioli
#12 Risotto
My list would have included Italian red wine in lieu of the Tiramisu, but to each her own.
We are fortunate that many Italian products are available in restaurants and speciality stores around the world, so they can be enjoyed outside of Italy. But truly, food doesn’t get much better than when you enjoy it locally in towns and cities across Italy. The reason is simple – it is often locally grown, produced, prepared and served without chemicals and preservatives.
Mushrooms are “born” and thrive when the conditions are right; the roots of the grapes have been cared for by generations of families; the cows are pampered and some even listen to Mozart; the olives are often harvested by hand and with pride; and so on. Often food is served “zero kilometers” or very few kilometers from where it is grown.
Just look at the fresh mozzarella di bufala my daughter enjoyed in Campania:
Romeisalwaysagoodidea.wordpress.com
So, if you are lucky enough to travel to Italy, lessen the sightseeing a bit and take extra time to savor the richness yet simplicity of the local food. If not, look for these products and experiment yourself or find local authentic restaurants with Italians in the kitchen.
Happy eating!
Ciao,
Judy
Blogging In Italy 