Why Italy

Why is Italian food in Italy not like Italian food anywhere else?

Hi guys, back from the South of Italy!!!! Sies man it was hot ek se, 45 degrees and humid as hell, with mosquitoes too- felt like being in Durban!!!! Okay, why is Italian food in Italy so unlike Italian food anywhere else? I mean, the basic recipes are quite simple but the taste is amazing- far better than the kak they serve up in Italian restaurants that I have been to in SA or in the UK? The ice-cream was "divine". The South of Italy was very similar to the Cape with prickly pears, cedars and aloes as well!!!!!!!! The only negative.- those dudes have a serious attitude problem, I mean they are seriously rude man! PS. I have now found out where SA taxi drivers must go when they die, whoever let Italians drive must not have liked them very much or perhaps it is their method of population control seeing as the Pope does not condone contraception! Anyway good to be back on virtual SA!!!!! I noticed that real Italian food is very different to ristorante food elsewhere, pasta is a starter on a small plate, sorbetta is between courses and not a desert and the pizzas are really thin!!!!!

Public Comments

1. Because in Italy it's just called "food"
2. Good to hear you enjoyed yourself. The only explanation i can give is that the food in Italy is produced with authentic Mediterranean ingredients, which will give it its own unique taste. I sound like i'm advertising for Dolmio.
3. Because you're at the source of it all. I mean, South African food tastes a hell lot better in SA than it does here.
4. I am afraid you are wrong if you ask two of the most respected food critics in the world A. A. Gill and Giles Coren plus many others say that the best Italian restaurants in the world are those in London. I would give you that the cheap restaurants are far superior to the cheap restaurants anywhere in the world including unbeleivably France (their cheap restaurants are shocking).
5. I do not think that this question applies only to Italian food. It is also food from other countries that are prepared differently, and as drumboy mentioned, with slightly different ingredients to Italy. Here in Germany, the Italian food is also different, as is the Greek food. It would seem that the holidaymakers in those countries bring back their memories of food that they ate, and demand it to be served in their own country as well. That is why Italian food in South Africa is totally different to Italian food in Germany, for example. And I am sure it is again different in the UK. And what always amazes me, is that one will find a Turkish person running an "Italian" restaurant, or a Sri Lankan running a "Greek" restaurant. No wonder it isn´t the same!
6. While the tomatoes is a big crop in Italy and the cheeses they use are distinct to the area, the flavors cannot be copied elsewhere without having to pay high import fees. so everyone uses the best imitation they can afford. They also use many more ingredients that most places don't use and as one of the answerers before me mentioned they have those Mediterranean spices not used in too many places .
7. 1. What cakes4africa already said. Any kind of "ethnic" restaurant always adapts to local tastes. For example, in the case of Italian food I find that here in Ireland people like pasta to be drenched in sauce and they will complain if this isn't the case even if less sauce is often more authentic. 2. Italian food is so popular and easy to make that many restaurants try their hands at it. So often no Italians were involved in the making of the food you get in Italian restaurants outside of Italy. 3. Italy is a Mediterranean country and therefore fresh Mediterranean vegetables are easily available and of better quality than either greenhouse veg or veg that has been picked unripe and shipped. A lot of Italian food, for instance, is tomato based and tomato sauce etc will come out much better if the tomatos were good to start off with.
8. Because restaurants outside of Italy are probably not with the knowledge of Italian people, just copying Italian food/style.
9. Welcome back!!! Hey, maybe they have a secret ingredient.
10. Welcome back. Only negative I have about eating in Italy is that they their hot food is not as hot as we expect it in UK. Other than that, would much rather eat Italian in Italy just because I'd be in Italy.
11. 1.Because people outside Italy have already developed their own tastes and flavours which they tend to stick to. Therefore Italian food has to adapt to them rather than the other way around. 2.The ingredients. Vegetables and fruit in Italy are like nowhere else on this planet. The tomatoes are a world apart from anywhere else. 3. Ambient. Eating in an Italian restaurant in Italy is difficult to duplicate. I hear what you say about ice cream and the driving! Although can you imagine what would happen if we had 3,5 million people driving on the roads of Cape Town.
12. Was glad you are back mate since I am answering this some days later now. I dated some Italian girl for quite some time and the food she made 'out of the shop' stuff was great, but when they made their own concoctions, well, she is referred to as my Ex now - hope that gives the tone to things!