Blog Post #1 Italy

In Italy, lunch is the main meal of the day. Called il pranzo, it is often more than just one course, it often consists of an appetizer, a first course, the main course, and then dessert after. Italian cuisine is usually supplemented by seafood, because of the geographic location of the country. It is not uncommon to find Italian dishes that include fish, octopus, and even sea urchins. Pizza is a known favorite of Italy, and it gained its popularity after, Queen Margherita of Italy tried it, and immediately fell in love with it. She ordered her chef to make it for her, with the colors of the Italian flag. The crust was white, the paste red, and the basil green. Below is a picture of the Italian coast. I included this picture because it shoeshows how living by the ocean has affected the food culture of Italy. In the picture, you can not only see the gorgeous ocean view, but if you look carefully you can see many boats dotting the ocean. They are fishing for food, and most likely for local, family owned fisheries. This way, local chefs can always have the most fresh supplies, in order to make the best food possible. Because a majority of Italy is surrounded by water, seafood has played a major role in implementing itself into the staple of native Italians' diets. The picture is from this website: (http://khongthe.com/wallpapers/nature/beautiful-italian-coastal-town-222698.jpg)