Pasta, pizza but also porchetta. The dishes that foreigners appreciate more tell a rich and ancient culture of an exotic
Food says so much of the culture of a people. This is the thesis of a curious exhibition of the authoritative online newspaper Huffington Post. Every nation has its signature dishes, the most loved, those who make it known and appreciated in the world.

Among the 27 most representative of the big international gastronomic cultures Italy is in third place with a plate of pasta, surpassed only by a Hamburger Use and the Canadian Poutine (fries, cheese and a savory sauce), who won the pole position . Among the other noteworthy are the turkish Doner Kebab, Wiener Schnitzel, the German sausages, the Fish and Chips English or French Crepe. According to Huffington Post, a taste of delicious macaroni and cheese in the USA is not impossible, but there is nothing in the world like the experience of tasting their own in an Italian pasta dish prepared by Grandma (written just like that) someone.

If tagliatelle, spaghetti and macaroni also maintain the original Anglo-Saxon lived in the Italian cultural identity, one can not say the same of the other food symbol of our traditional cuisine, pizza, which has become a full-fledged citizen of the world and is prepared in many corners of the globe from fast food or take away: slices soft, scented and streamers to grab and bite straight from the box sitting on a bench or on the couch, in front of the telly. The pizza in the United States is also prepared at home, as suggested by the website of the Los Angeles Times, which reveals tips and tricks to cook a smoldering wood and soft dough, stuffed according to the most varied tastes of diners.

The irresistible goodness and versatile soul of the pizza made ​​it an international dish and transformed, adapting to different cultures, needs and different ingredients. You know who you are found to eat it outside the country. But the Neapolitan pizza makers are working to spread the true culture around the world. Even in Romania: from 8 to 18 August will be held in Brest the first annual Pizza Fest, organized by the Association of Pizza Makers in Naples, eight wood-burning ovens, a tent of 30 square meters, where the pizza is kneaded and stuffing only with ingredients brought from Italy and traditional Neapolitan recipes.

But the most curious piece of news comes from the New York Times that puts the pork among the five specialties that absolutely must try in life. The robust flavors of street food of Central Italy (the newspaper suggests the porchetta umbra) worth tasting just like a Lebanese preparation, a Burmese, a Turkish and a Mexican.

In short, among grandmothers, tradition and charm of ethnic food, our kitchen wins abroad for his soul primitive and archaic, and its seductive exotic attractiveness. But is this our one and true identity?

From sale e pepe magazine
Livia Fagetti
August 8, 2014