Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek, and ancient Roman cuisines. Significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and maize, now central to the cuisine but not introduced in quantity until the 18th century. Italian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity, with many dishes having only four to eight ingredients.[9] Italian cooks rely chiefly on the quality of the ingredients rather than on elaborate preparation. Ingredients and dishes vary by region. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated with variations throughout the country. In 2013 Italian cuisine was ranked by CNN as the best cuisine in the world. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine, with many variations and Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) (regulated appellation) laws. Coffee, specifically espresso, has become important in Italian cuisine. Every region has its own holiday recipes. During La Festa di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph's Day) on March 19, Sicilians give thanks to St. Joseph for preventing a famine during the Middle Ages. The fava bean saved the population from starvation, and is a traditional part of St. Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Other customs celebrating this festival include wearing red clothing, eating Sicilian pastries known as zeppole and giving food to the poor. On Easter Sunday, lamb is served in throughout Italy. A typical Easter Sunday breakfast in Umbria and Tuscany includes salami, boiled eggs, wine, Easter Cakes and pizza. The common cake for Easter Day is the Colomba Pasquale (literally, Easter dove), which is often simply known as "Italian Easter cake" abroad. It s supposed to represent the dove, and is topped with almonds and pearl sugar. On Christmas Eve a symbolic fast is observed with the cena di magro ("light dinner"), a meatless meal. Typical cakes of the Christmas season are panettone and pandoro. Breakfast The first Italian meal is breakfast, or colazione. Traditional Italian breakfasts are continental-style, similar to those of France, Greece, Portugal or Spain. The traditional breakfast in Italy is simply Caffè e latte (hot coffee with milk) or coffee with bread or rolls, butter, and jam—known as prima colazione or just colazione. Fette biscottate (a cookie-like hard bread often eaten with butter and jam) and biscotti (cookies) are commonly eaten. Children drink hot chocolate, plain milk, or hot milk with very little coffee. If breakfast is eaten in a bar (coffee shop), it is composed of cappuccino e cornetto (frothed hot milk with coffee, and a pastry) or espresso and pastry. Other products such as breakfast cereals, fruit compote (Macedonia), muesli and yogurt are becoming increasingly common as part of the meal. It is very common for some Italians, mainly from the Central and Southern regions, to have a quick breakfast snack during the morning (typically a panino, or bread roll). In Sicily, occasionally with feast days or Sundays, people eat ice-cold granita with brioches, or pastries. Lunch Pranzo or lunch traditionally used to be the heartiest and most important Italian meal, although shorter work breaks are significantly changing this lifestyle, especially in the larger urban areas of the North. Lunch is taken in Italy between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm (usually, people from Southern Italian regions start lunch slightly later, from 1:15 pm to even 2:30 pm). Traditional formal Italian lunches are a lengthy affair, which usually involves an appetizer, aperitif, or antipasto as starter. This usually consists of cold cuts, cheese, bruschette or small sandwiches, olives and sauce dips. This is usually followed by a first course, such as various kinds of pasta, soup, ravioli, or risotto. The main course (secondo, literally "second course") is usually meat or fish, with a vegetable garnish. The meal is rounded up by a dessert or fresh fruit. Most families still usually tend to have a traditional lunch on Sundays. Mid-afternoon snack Most Italians, notably children, have what is called a mid-afternoon snack or in Italian merenda just after school, from about 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. This can be anything, including fruit, yogurts, ice cream, nuts, brioches, cookies and biscuits, cake, raisins or mousses. Dinner The Italian dinner structure is very similar to that of lunch, but Italians tend to have lighter meals at dinner-time. This usually consists of perhaps a salad, soup, risotto or the left-overs of lunch-time. Dinner is called cena (cfr. Latin coena) in Italian, and is usually consumed later than in Northern Europe but earlier than in Spain and other Mediterranean countries, usually starting from 7.30 pm to 9pm.

• published: 18 Jan 2015
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