Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the United States, if not the most popular food period. It comes at every level of quality from video gaming children’s microwave fodder to five-star level refinement. It also comes with a huge range of toppings, ingredients, crust types, and styles.

Some pizzas are even meant to be eaten while walking around while others appear to be intended for dining in. But what types of pizza are real and what kinds are just food on an edible plate with some red sauce? That’s a tough question but certain types are certainly canonical, while others are apocryphal. We had a look around to see which is which.

Chicago Style Pizza

Pizza from the windy city tends to come with a singularly high edge around the perimeter. This is the deep dish variety. It tends to feature large amounts of cheese melted into the sauce with large chunky bits of tomato and rich, dark flavors. You need a towel for this, and you definitely won’t be doing much walking around during your meal, or after.

New York Style Pizza

The famous New York Style of pizza is all about having a slice on foot while walking around the city taking in the sights. This is a large, hand tossed pie with a thin, broad crust and toppings spread out thin over the surface. You don’t want to pile too many toppings on because you’re expected to fold your slice up, hold it in one hand and go about your business. Mozzarella cheese is the commonest cheese used. The three main New York styles are ‘extra toppings,’ ‘cheese only,’ and ‘cheese with pepperoni.’

Italian Pizza

It is generally accepted that Italy is the origin of pizza. But historians argue that Rome actually appropriated it from either Egypt or Greece. Whoever did invent it though, had edible plates in mind as the food was eaten first by the soldiery who were not encouraged to do much sitting down. There are generally three types of pizza from Italy; Neopolitan, Sicilian, and Roman pizzas. Neopolitan features big chinks of San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Asian Pizza

Pizza really went through some major transformations on its way to Asia. Asian pizzas, probably most popular in South Korea and Japan due to their friendly ties to the West, lend a distinctively Asian take on the genre with marinated meat or chicken, rich sauces, and variations with soy sauce, red curry, and other traditional Asian flavors.

To discover a little taste of Italy, visit L’Amore today.

Italy is often stereotyped as the home of delicious Italian recipes, famous opera singers and lengthy words ending in vowels. When you dig deeper into the true identity of Italy, you find all sorts of tasty tidbits worth extensive savoring. Here are some facts about Italy you probably did not know.

The Number of Pasta Varieties in Italy Will Blow Your Mind

At this point in time, more than 500 types of pasta are consumed in Italy. How many can you name?

Italy has the Tallest Mountain in all of Europe

This mountain is called Mont Blanc, meaning white mountain. It is a section of the famous Alps mountain range. The mountain is in Italian territory next to the French border.

Italy is More Populated Than Most Think

Italy is one of Europe’s five most populous countries. The nation has the fourth most people in all of Europe thanks to its low death rate and high birth rate. Though Italy has about the same amount of space as Arizona, it has 10 times as many people as the Grand Canyon state.

Italy’s Empire was Once Quite Expansive

When the Roman Empire reached its height around A.D. 117, the Romans had conquered land stretching from North Africa to Britain, Syria and Portugal. The Italians ruled over 2.3 million miles of space, equaling the amount of land in India. This equates to around one-third of all the land in the United States. The Roman Empire ruled over 120 million people across four centuries.

Tomato Sauce Wasn’t Added to Pasta until the 1600s

Italians did not eat pasta with tomato sauce right away. The two ingredients were combined in the 1600s. Prior to this time, Italians ate pasta with sugar and honey.

Italy Rests on a Fault Line

Italy’s positioning on a fault like has resulted in numerous earthquakes. Making matters worse is the eruption of three volcanoes in the past century: Vesuvius, Stromboli and Etna.

Every Musical Notation is in Italian

Think of the musical notations that come to the top of your head. Adagio, Allegro and so on are all Italian words that stand for music tempo. These words were created by an Italian man named by Guido d’Arezzo.

Italy Hasn’t Been Around That Long

The nation of Italy originated as the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. This means Italy is only a century and a half old.

Italy’s Name is a bit of a Mystery

No one is exactly sure how the country’s namesake came about. Though it is known Italy stems from the root word that means an area of young cattle, this does not explain how the territory received its name. Some historians believe the name “Italy” was selected as the earliest southern Italian tribes used the bull as their symbol. Others are adamant the name is derived from one of the region’s first kings named Italus.

To discover a little taste of Italy, visit L’Amore today.

Italian cuisine comes from the long history of a storied and inventive people. Much of what we know and love from their culinary tradition is about savory entrées and beautiful customs that are centered around family, community, and making the most out of the ingredients on hand. So while Italian desserts may not come to mind readily when the subject of Italian food is tabled, the boot-shaped nation certainly has plenty to offer when it comes to offerings of the sweet variety. Here are a few of our favorite Italian desserts that would raise the profile of any table fortunate enough to hold them.

Bombolone

This fluffy, delicate, crème filled desert is very much like a doughnut- and may even have inspired them. They are lightly sprinkled with sugar and are meant to be served fresh straight out of the oven.

Amaretti

These delicate, crumbly shortbread cookies are crunchy, bittersweet, and soft on the inside. They may seem simple, but this is a combination of characteristics that is not easily achieved on a first try. Chefs who can produce these reliably have a firm grasp on timing and proportion.

Panettone

Like Amaretti, the Panettone features a spectrum of textures from the crust to the center. This dessert is traditionally made from the leftovers from other seductive Italian foods. This one is a cousin to sweet bread and is made with candied fruit.

Occhi di Bue

One of Italy’s most well known, and most delicate after dinner treats, Occhi di Bue is a round shortbread with either a jam or hazelnut center. It is a frequent companion to the famously light Italian breakfast.

Cartellate

Dipped in either wine syrup or honey, Cartellate is so pretty- it’s almost a shame to eat it. These delicate fritters are often sprinkled with nuts, powdered sugar, or dried fruit.

Gelato

A popular treat for Americans on vacation in Italy, Gelato is a denser version of ice cream with a higher milk-to-creme ratio than ordinary ice cream. The difference between this and ice cream may be small, but the experience is not.

Torta Della Nonna

The name means ‘Grandmother’s Cake,’ and if you know the first thing about Italian family dining traditions, this is all the endorsement it needs. These usually feature a uniquely lemony character which really makes them stand out wherever they are served.

Zeppole

Popular wherever they go, Zeppole is simply a ball of fried dough, topped with powdered sugar and often crème filled. They are traditionally served on Saint Joseph’s Day and occasionally feature an anchovy filling, making them an especially unique dessert.

Zabaglione

As fun to say as they are to eat, Zabaglione is a custard-based dessert made from Marsala wine, egg yolks, and sugar. They are usually paired with a biscotti or panettone.

For desserts containing the best of what Italy and America have to offer, visit L’Amore today.

Here in the United States, we love pizza and pasta. But we wondered, what about Canada, Mexico, England and others? What Italian that foods do other nations go gaga for?

The U.S.

Here in the United States, our number one Italian dish, of course, is pizza. We have a pretty poor habit of making it in ways that suit our boredom, but the dish will always be Italian at heart. We also love Italian sub sandwiches, but we make those our own as well.

England

In England, they too have a love affair with Italian cuisine, but one that differs to ours. The Brits have a special love for a dish called Spaghetti Bolognese. It’s a less saucy version of the familiar spaghetti with a meatier sauce. The English are also quite fond of Lasagna.

Mexico

Mexico has a lot of Italian restaurants, especially in Mexico City- the world’s most populous metropolitan area. It’s tough to pin down a particular favorite, but it’s safe to say that the Italian palate and the Mexican palate are birds of a feather with strong flavors, rich sauces, heavy use of hearty herbs- and of course the spices. There’s a lot of overlap as well between the two great cooking traditions, but we find that many of the most popular Italian dishes in Mexican-Italian restaurants are soup dishes heavy in beans and peppers. That was a bit of a surprise.

Canada

In Toronto, Canada- Pasta dishes are a big deal. Some ten percent of Toronto residents claim to have some Italian heritage- not that you need that to love Italian foods. Naturally, there are a lot of variations, like Canadianized Spaghetti and other pasta dishes.

Japan

We were surprised to find that Italian food also is quite popular in Japan despite their fierce nationalism. The truth is, Italian food is somewhat of a big deal in the land of the rising sun. They also take liberties with their pizzas, so we Americans can stop beating ourselves up about it. Japan enjoys a deep dish version of pizza with a soupy tomato sauce with islands of sharp cheese scattered around inside. They sauté whole leaf vegetables inside this tomato broth and eat it with chopsticks!

Russia

It turns out, in Moscow, Italian food is generously represented in a number of popular restaurants. The dishes range from pizza to pasta and seafood, but all with a particular Russian take on the theme. The hearty Russian eating habits are a good match for Italy’s influence. Russian-Italian fare has a strong Mediterranean influence as well as a great deal of accompaniment from South America. The Russians seem to take the cuisine of the romantic nations as a whole- which is a sweeping, but fair, take on a theme.

For dishes containing the best of what Italy and America have to offer, visit L’Amore today.