Lifestyle

6 Italian foods your family would love to try

*collaborative post

Italian foods are everywhere,
not just in Italy, and it’s no surprise why. 
Well known for its diversity, Italian foods vary depending on which part
of Italy you visit. But on the whole, it has had an impressive influence on
many cultures around the world. Pasta earnt a title as the worlds’ favourite
food’ in 2011, a global approval. Not to forget pizza either, a UK nation’s
favourite.

So, you’ve got yourself a Holiday villa in Italy , but you and your family are all hungry and want to know
what to munch on.
So, let’s take a look at
Italian foods your family would love to try.
Supplì

Nothing beats Supplì when
it comes to comfort food in a snack.
These amazing ‘deep-fried
balls’ can have varied fillings of meat and egg, but the most common fillings
are rice and mozzarella, infused with a light tomato sauce. All together it
creates this mouth-watering array of textures and flavours when eaten in one
bite! 
Supplì can also be
sauce-less for those who prefer Bianco and is still just as tasty!
The variety makes these
great for children to try different flavours and hopefully find a favourite
too!

A picture of supplì, deep fried rice balls


Pasta
There is a very good
chance you and your family have already tried pasta before, being a firm
favourite all over the world. However, there are so many different types of
pasta other than the bag you can purchase from your local store. And, there is
nothing like freshly made pasta either!
Aside from your usual
spaghetti, shell and penne, there is a pasta world out there that is waiting be
explored.  Choose from all kinds of
shapes and sizes such as Bigoli – a thick, long pasta shaped like spaghetti,
which is perfect for an oil dressing or light seafood sauces. Orecchiette is a
delightful small, circle-shaped pasta, its name meaning “little ears”, which
are, in particular, a great little vessel for broccoli, garlic and chilli.
Strozzapreti is a little twisty pasta that makes a great catcher for sauce and
other ingredients. Pesto is recommended for this pasta!
A picture of different shapes and types of dried pasta, garnished with a tomato and spinach leaf
There are far too many
pasta varieties to list here, but rest assured, there will be something that
everyone in the family will love!

Pizza

Pizza is absolutely
another favourite, and no one does it quite like Italy.
A far cry from the frozen
pizzas you can get from a supermarket aisle, the bases are made from scratch,
then usually baked in a pizza oven. The toppings are fresh, and the choice is
vast. Pizza is quite possibly the biggest family favourite of authentic Italian
food. If you’re stuck on what to try for tea, you can’t go wrong with a proper
Italian pizza.

A picture of a wood-fired oven with pizzas cooking inside it

Polenta

Meat is another typical
food that might come to mind when you think of Italy, in terms of their famous
charcuterie boards, cured meats and delicatessens. But Italy offers polenta as
a staple starch (along with pasta), which serves as a great vegetarian option.
Polenta is essentially mixed grain or maize flour mashed up to make a fritter.
While this might not sound the most appealing, polenta’s plain nature makes it
very versatile for many dressings and accompaniments.
It has a unique texture,
which might not be for everyone, but as a traditional food of Italy, it’s a
brilliant food for the family to try together!

Gelato
No one does ice-cream
like Italians! Gelato, ice-creams Italian name, was first introduced in Italy –
making Italy gelatos home. However, it’s not the same as your regular
ice-cream. Gelato is a specific ice-cream that is typically made of 3
ingredients; milk, sugar and flavourings. All together, they are churned at a
much slower rate than other ice-cream varieties, which leaves gelato much
denser.
Traditional flavours
include pistachio, cream, vanilla and Stracciatella, which is fresh mozzarella,
with added chocolate chunks!
Why not have a family
tasting session together and write down your favourites.

A picture of five different tubs of ice-cream of different flavours and colours

Digestivo

This is perhaps one for
just the parents while the kids enjoy their gelato. Digestives’ in Italy are
traditionally liquor that is drunk in a shot after dinner, in order to aid
digestion. The type of liquor can vary. Limoncello is a delicious, common
digestif but others can be sampled too, such as sweet vermouth. You can have
your own little tasting session when the children have gone to bed.

A picture of a bottle of limoncello, and lemons with the peel scattered around it

We hope this has inspired
your taste buds to try new Italian food and have fun with the family!

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