Italy Food

Explore Italy Food: Local Food Products & Traditional Dishes

Italian food is considered the most popular cuisine in the world. Italian cuisine is loved for its simplicity, fresh ingredients, and bold flavors.

Significantly, tradition is sacred in Italy. Traditional dishes play a vital role in the unique cultural identities of Italy’s regions, reflecting local ingredients, history, and climate.

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Local Food Products in Italy

The European Regulation describes the agricultural and food quality systems and defines PDO, PGI, and STG.

DOP – Protected Designation of Origin

The designation of origin is a name that identifies a product:

  • originating in a certain place, region, or, in exceptional cases, a specific country;
  • the quality or characteristics of which are essentially or exclusively due to a particular geographical environment and its intrinsic natural and human factors;
  • whose production stages take place in the defined geographical area.

IGP – Protected Geographical Indication

A geographical indication is a name that identifies a product:

  • originating in a certain place, region, or country;
  • to whose geographical origin a given quality is essentially attributable; reputation or other characteristics;
  • the production takes place for at least one of its stages in the defined geographical area.

STG – Traditional Specialty Guaranteed

The traditional specialty is a name that identifies a specific product or food:

  • obtained with a production method, processing, or composition that corresponds to a traditional practice for that product or food;
  • obtained from raw materials or ingredients used traditionally.

Italy has more protected foods than any other European country. These include:

  • 138 Italian products have protected designation of origin (PDO) or DOP (denominazione origine protetta)
  • 83 Italian products have Protected geographical indication (PGI) or IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta)
  • 39 Italian products have Geographical Indication (GI) or IG (Indicazione Geografica)
  • 2 Italian products are Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG)

Campania Food

Campania Food

There are sixteen PDO products in the Campania region:

  • Aglianico del Taburno
  • Colline Salernitane
  • Gallo Matese
  • Gragnano
  • Irpinia
  • Ischia
  • Limoncello di Sorrento
  • Mozzarella di Bufala Campana
  • Olio d’Oliva del Cilento
  • Olio d’Oliva DOP Penisola Sorrentina
  • Paestum
  • Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio
  • Provolone del Monaco
  • Ravece
  • Taurasi
  • Terre Aurunche

Also, there are five PGI products:

  • Cipollotto Nocerino
  • Castagna di Montella
  • Limone Costa d’Amalfi
  • Melannurca Campana
  • Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino

Additionally, there are many traditional dishes including:

  • Pizza Napoletana
  • Spaghetti alle vongole
  • Parmigiana di melanzane
  • Pasta e patate con provola
  • Struffoli
Tortelloni in Bologna, Italy

Emilia-Romagna Food

There are 19 PDO and 25 PGI products in the Emilia-Romagna region.

    Friuli-Venezia Giulia Food

    Friuli-Venezia Giulia Food

    There are three PDO products in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region:

    • Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO
    • Tergeste PDO
    • Montasio PDO

    Also, there is one PGI product:

    • Prosciutto di Sauris PGI

     

    Pecorino Romano in Rome, Italy

    Lazio Food

    There are fifteen PDO products in the Lazio region:

    • Abbacchio Romano
    • Canino
    • Cesanese del Piglio
    • Fiuggi
    • Montecompatri-Colonna
    • Olio di Sabina
    • Pecorino Romano
    • Pentro di Isernia
    • Tarquinia
    • Terre di Cicerone
    • Terracina
    • Velletri
    • Zagarolo
    • Vignanello
    • Marino

    Also, there are five PGI products:

    • Castagna di Vallerano
    • Kiwi Latina
    • Pane Casareccio di Genzano
    • Patata dell’Alto Viterbese
    • Porchetta di Ariccia

    Additionally, there are many traditional dishes including:

    • Spaghetti alla carbonara
    • Bucatini all’amatriciana
    • Cacio e pepe
    • Saltimbocca alla romana
    • Carciofi alla giudia
    Cappon Magro in Genoa, Italy

    Liguria Food

    There are two PDO products in the Liguria region:

    • Basilico Genovese PDO
    • Riviera Ligure PDO

    Also, there is one PGI product:

    • Acciughe Sotto Sale del Mar Ligure PGI

     

    Puglia Food

    Puglia Food

    There are eleven PDO products in the Puglia region:

    • Canestrato Pugliese
    • Collina di Brindisi
    • Dauno
    • La Bella della Daunia
    • Pane di Altamura
    • Terra di Bari
    • Terra d’Otranto
    • Terre Tarentine
    • Caciocavallo Silano
    • Mozzarella di Bufala Campana
    • Ricotta di Bufala Campana

    Also, there are three PGI products:

    • Arancia del Gargano
    • Clementine del Golfo di Taranto
    • Limone Femminello del Gargano

    Additionally, there are many traditional dishes including:

    • Pasticciotto
    • Ciceri e tria
    • Sagne ncannulate
    • Orecchiette
    • Octopus alla pignata
    Tuscany Food

    Tuscany Food

    There are ten PDO products in the Tuscany region:

    • Chianti Classico PDO
    • Farina di Neccio ofla Garfagnana PDO
    • Lucca PDO
    • Marrone di Caprese Michelangelo PDO
    • Miele ofla Lunigiana PDO
    • Prosciutto Toscano PDO
    • Terre di Siena PDO
    • Zafferano di San Gimignano PDO
    • Pecorino Romano PDO
    • Pecorino Toscano PDO

    Also, there are seven PGI products:

    • Toscano PGI
    • Ricciarelli di Siena PGI
    • Castagna of Monte Amiata PGI
    • Farro ofla Garfagnana PGI
    • Marrone of Mugello PGI
    • Fagiolo di Sorana PGI
    • Lardo di Colonnata PGI

    Finally, there is one IGP product:

    • Panforte IGP
    Orvieto Food

    Umbria Food

    There are four (4) PDO products in the Umbrian region:

    • Farro di Monteleone di Spoleto DOP
    • Pecorino Toscano DOP
    • Salamini Italiani Alla Cacciatora DOP
    • Olio Extra Vergine d’Oliva DOP

    Also, there are five (5) PGI products:

    • Prosciutto di Norcia IGP
    • Patata Rossa di Colfiorito IGP
    • Agnello del centro Italia IGP
    • Vitellone Bianco dell’appennino Centrale IGP
    • Lenticchie di Castelluccio di Norcia IGP

    Additionally, there are several traditional products that are not protected by law, including:

    • Truffles
    • Porchetta
    Veneto Food

    Veneto Food

    There are eight PDO products in the Veneto region:

    • Veneto Valpolicella, Veneto Euganei e Berici, Veneto of Grappa
    • Casatella Trevigiana
    • Monte Veronese
    • Piave
    • Aglio Bianco Polesano
    • Asparago Bianco di Bassano
    • Marrone di San Zeno
    • Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo

    Also, there are fourteen PGI products:

    • Asparago Bianco di Cimadolmo
    • Asparago di Badoere
    • Ciliegia di Marostica
    • Fagiolo di Lamon ofla Vallata Bellunese
    • Insalata di Lusia
    • Marrone di Combai
    • Marroni of Monfenera
    • Pesca di Verona
    • Radicchio di Chioggia
    • Radicchio di Verona
    • Radicchio Rosso di Treviso
    • Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco
    • Riso Nano Vialone Veronese
    • Riso of ofta of Po

     

      Traditional Dishes in Italy

      Traditional dishes are essential to the unique cultural identities of Italy’s regions, showcasing local ingredients, history, and climate.

      Cacio e pepe

      Cacio e Pepe is a beloved pasta dish that originated in the heart of Rome. Translating to “cheese and pepper,” this classic Italian recipe showcases Italian simplicity at its finest. It features just three main ingredients: spaghetti or tonnarelli pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper.

      Naples Food

      Pizza Napoletana

      One of Naples’ most popular street foods in the 1800s became one of the world’s favorite dishes after it became a staple in the USA in the second half of the 20th century.

      Ragu alla Bolognese in Bologna, Italy

      Ragù al Bolognese

      Ragù is one of the most quintessential pasta dishes and Ragù al Bolognese is one of the most authentic Italian dishes. However, it is important to note that, in Bologna, the locals would never put spaghetti pasta with their meaty ragù sauce. Instead, tagliatelle is used.

      Risotto Milanese

      One of the oldest and most traditional Italian dishes is the saffron risotto. Also known as Risotto alla Milanese.

      FAQs About Italy Food

      What is some traditional Italian food?

      Following are some of the most traditional Italian foods:

      • Cacio e pepe
      • Pizza Napoletana
      • Ragù al Bolognese
      • Risotto Milanese

      Which food is famous in Italy?

      Following are some of the most famous Italian foods:

      • Lasagne alla Bolognese
      • Fettuccine al Pomodoro
      • Gnocchi di Patate
      • Melanzane alla Parmigiana
      • Pollo alla Cacciatora
      • Pizza Margherita
      • Costoletta alla Milanese
      • Vitello Tonnato
      • Tiramisù
      • Pannacotta

      What is a typical Italian menu?

      Lunch (pranzo) is generally considered the most important meal of the day. The full version is composed of four courses:

      • a first course (primo), usually a dish based on pasta, risotto, rice, polenta, legumes or soup;
      • a second course (secondo), based on meat, fish, dairy products such as cheese or eggs;
      • a side dish (contorno) of raw or cooked vegetables, which accompanies the second dish;
      • seasonal fruit (frutta) as a conclusion.

      Lunch is always served with bread.

      What is common to eat in Italy?

      Pasta is so very common in Italy, but the following dishes are more common than others:

      • Pizza
      • Bottarga
      • Lasagna
      • Fiorentina Steak
      • Ribollita
      • Polenta
      • Ossobuco
      • Risotto