Italian food as we know it in America is not exactly what you will find if you go to Italy. In fact, there are some dishes that are different while others do not exist at all.
Many of these changes occurred when immigrants came over to the United States and did not have the access to the same ingredients used in Italy. Other dishes were created entirely in the United States and cannot be found in Italy.
These are some of the dishes you will have trouble finding in Italy.
- Chicken Alfredo. In Italy, if you ask for chicken on your pasta, you may get a strange look. The only meat typically served in a traditional pasta is livers and kidneys. Not to mention, this is usually only found in a tomato sauce. Alfredo as we know it is also different because it is made with butter and sage instead of cream and parsley.
- Garlic Bread. If you like garlic bread with your Italian food, you will find something very different in Italy. The baguette used to make the garlic bread in the US very different that what you find in Italy. You definitely will not find garlic butter and mozzarella on it. Instead, you will find Tuscan bread with garlic on it. Italians also use garlic to make bruschetta and would not use garlic butter.
- Spaghetti and Meatballs. Traditional spaghetti does not include meat in the sauce. You can find meatballs as a starter for your meal but not with pasta. Additionally, you can get meatballs as your main course but it would be served with beans, vegetables, or potatoes instead.
- Italian Dressing. If you like Italian dressing on your salad, in Italy you will not get what you are expecting. Instead, if you ask for Italian dressing, you will get a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes, you may even get a dressing that has white or red wine in it as well.
- Chicken Parmigiana. While you will find eggplant parmigiana, you will not find chicken or even veal parmigiana in Italy. This dish has been reproduced in the US and Canada with meat probably because it was more affordable here at the time.
- Neapolitan Ice Cream. This ice cream is supposed to be Italian and it is true that they layer ice cream together but they do not necessarily put chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry together. It’s locally known as Spumoni in Italy.
There is a good chance you have never enjoyed genuine Italian dishes. Stop on in for dinner at L’amore Italian Restaurant to experience the taste of real Italian food.
