The Ultimate Foodie’s Guide to Italy

Italian food is a global favourite, with pizzerias and trattorias populating cities around the world. But on a foodie tour of Italy, you can enjoy much more than just the nation’s mouthwatering pizza and pasta dishes. Visit the birthplaces of long-beloved Italian dishes, and discover new favourites in the Austrian-influenced north, the meat-heavy centre, or the seafood-loving south. And don’t forget to take a trip to the Italian islands to sample their indulgent desserts!

But where to start?

 

Northeast Italy

Northeast Italy is an alluring location in which to start your foodie tour of Italy. Not only is it home to some of the country’s star foodie attractions - including the much-hyped Emilia Romagna region - but Venice is its crowning jewel. And where better to get a feel for your host country than this famed 1,500-year-old city, brimming with dark history and the promise of decadence?

Veneto: seafood and vino

Rise early in Venice to see local traders selling fresh ingredients at Rialto market before heading to Cafe Florian in the grandiose setting of St Mark’s Square. Dating back to 1720, it’s the oldest cafe in the world.

You’ll struggle to escape seafood in the Veneto region: fish soups and stews, and deep-fried crab are mainstays of the cuisine. While Prosecco may be the most famous of Veneto’s exports, don’t forget to sample some other local vintages too, from the light and lively Valpolicella to the crowd-pleasing Soave - a crisp dry white.

Emilia-Romagna: ‘The breadbasket of Italy’

Bologna, capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, is fondly known by Italians as ‘La Grassa’ - or ‘the fat one’ - due to its passion for food. Pasta enthusiasts are in for a real treat: Bologna is the home of lasagne, tortellini, gramigna, and tagliatelle. One of Bologna’s other most famous offerings is prosciutto, often paired with cheese and olives.

If you’re heading to this lively city in search of the most authentic Spaghetti Bolognese of your life, you’ll be disappointed. However, you will find the similar Ragu alla Bolognese: typically served with pappardelle or tagliatelle. Don’t forget to sprinkle a healthy helping of another local specialty, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, over the top.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: An Austrian twist on Italian cuisine

Italy’s northern regions border Austria, and you’re just as likely to find strudel on the menu here as pizza. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is renowned for its white wines, but you can also try its ‘orange’ wine, which is produced by prolonged maceration of must with grape skins. The region’s bounty also includes speciality cheeses and white asparagus. If you’re interested in sampling the region’s Austrian heritage, try the cherry gnocchi.

 

Northwest Italy

After your stint in Northeast Italy, road trip across to the other side of the country, where you’ll find the Michelin-starred restaurants of Milan, and the fertile Piedmont region, with its rich bounty of indulgences ranging from stews to chocolate.

Liguria: Pesto and Focaccia

Like pesto? You’ll love Liguria. Its traditional pesto is made from fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil - another regional speciality. The pesto is commonly served with pasta, and - perhaps more surprisingly - potatoes and green beans. Liguria is also home to Focaccia bread - a delicious staple in Italian restaurants around the world.

Lombardy: Michelin stars and risotto

Lombardy is home to the fashion capital of Milan, where you’ll find plenty of gourmet restaurants to indulge your fanciest foodie fantasies. While eating your way around this sophisticated city, don’t forget to sample Risotto alla Milanese. The dish is sauteed in broth and butter, cooked with onion, and then dressed in beef marrow, nutmeg, grated cheese, and saffron.

Piedmont: Wine and hazelnuts

The fertile countryside surrounding Turin, which sits in the shadow of the Alps, enables the production of Barolo and Barbaresco - two of Italy’s best wines. Here they are lovingly poured into rich stews, sauces, and a delicious red wine risotto.

Meanwhile, down in its valleys, hazelnuts abound. Locals have long used hazelnuts to produce mouthwatering gianduja hazelnut cream chocolate, which you can sample in Turin’s many chocolate shops and olde worlde cafes. It’s no surprise then that Turin was the birthplace of Nutella.

 

Central Italy

As you descend from the Austrian and Swiss influences of Northern Italy, the scenery - and the cuisine - becomes intensely Italian. In Central Italy, you’ll find the breathtaking ancient architecture of Rome, and the polished marble streets of Florence, with its gothic cathedral. In Central Italy, meat is King.

Lazio: Poor man’s food

The spectacular Italian capital of Rome is undoubtedly Lazio’s biggest attraction. Roman food is traditionally simple, with its roots in ‘poor man’s food’ - the concept of using few ingredients in creative ways, particularly offal. Coda alla vaccinara - a rich tomato-based stew - is a popular example of this form of cooking.

Opt for deep-fried street food for an energy boost while sightseeing, or pop into a pizzeria to buy pizza by the slice: Rome’s preferred method of serving up this national treasure.

Tuscany: Meat-heavy cuisine

Tuscany has long been a major foodie spot: the locals do a lot with meat here.

In the breathtaking Renaissance city of Florence, you’ll find Bistecca alla Fiorentina - Florentine T-bone steak with a trademark Porterhouse cut. In addition, Bernardo Buontalenti - a Florentine court artist - was the inventor of churned gelato. Since the 1600s, it’s been a staple in every square in Florence.

Other Tuscan specialities include the Lampredotto sandwich, made from the fourth stomach of a cow and served with a spicy sauce. Crostini Toscani comprises chopped chicken liver sauce spread on crusty bread.

Umbria: Truffles

Visit Umbria for the region’s rich truffles, found in the depths of its thick forests. The tartufo nero (black truffle) is in almost every dish in the region, while the prized white truffle, or tartufo bianco, makes an appearance around autumn.

 

Southern Italy

 

Apulia/Puglia: Seafood in the heel of Italy’s boot

Apulia is surrounded on three sides by water. This is undoubtedly a destination for seafood fans, who can indulge in polipetti - baby octopus eaten whole with a squeeze of lemon.

Dine on fresh fish in Baroque Lecce or head to the hills for a dish in one of the region’s idyllic whitewashed towns.

Campania: The birthplace of pizza

Campania is a region with a lot to offer the discerning traveller. It’s home to historic Pompeii, the glamorous, colourful Amalfi, the sophisticated island of Capri, and - of course - Naples.

In 18th-century Naples, a genius chef added tomato to traditional Roman focaccia bread, and the pizza was born. Traditional Neapolitan pizza has a thin, chewy crust, and only a light smattering of cheese. Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba - open since 1830 - is the oldest pizzeria in the world, and is not to be missed.

Along the stunning Amalfi Coast - a destination surely on everyone’s bucket list - you’ll find fresh fish, soft cheeses, and lemons, not to mention delectable soft pastries filled with custard and drizzled with chocolate.

 

The Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia both have their own distinct personalities, from which different gastronomical delights have sprung. If you have time to take in the islands during your foodie tour of Italy, you’re guaranteed a rather different experience than on the mainland.

Sicily: Cannoli and aubergine

Wander the polished streets of the spectacular capital of Palermo, and you’ll find cannoli shops on every corner. These hollow pastry tubes are filled with sweet ricotta and adorned with fruit, chocolate, or pistachio, and originated in the city when it was under Arab rule. Sicily also does a big trade in aubergines, which you can see being sold at Palermo’s many markets, and within many dishes such as the vegetable triplo sandwich - a local breakfast favourite.

Sardinia: Sweet and savoury pastries

Sardinia is famed for its seafood, but it also does a roaring trade in seadas: pastries that tread the fine line between sweet and savoury. These large pastry parcels contain deep-fried pecorino cheese, infused with lemon and drizzled with honey. They’re perfectly acceptable as both antipasto and dessert.

 

Have we missed your must-try Italian dish? Let us know in the comments