What to Eat

Pasta and pizza play a substantial part in Italian recipes, but there are many regional specialities. Tuscany, for example, is noted for its bean dishes; the Po Valley for its rich risottos. Cheeses include mozzarella, pecorino (a hard sheep’s cheese) and gorgonzola.

National specialities:
Rome:

Gnocchi alla romana (semolina dumplings).
Piemonte:

Bagna caoda (an anchovy dip, served with vegetables).
Lombardy:
Panettone (Christmas cake with sultanas and candied fruit).
Liguria:
Pesto (sauce of basil, pine nuts and pecorino cheese).
Emilia-Romagna:
Parmigiano (parmesan cheese).

National drinks:
Wines are named after grape varieties, village or area of origin. The most widespread is the Chianti group of vineyards in Tuscany.
Roman wines include Albano and Frascati (whites); Barolo in Valle d’Aosta; Valpolicella in Veneto; Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio (whites); Cabernet and Pinot Nero (reds) in Friuli-Venezia; and Chianti, Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello in Tuscany.
Vermouths are popular in Piemonte.
Aperitifs such as Campari and Punt e Mes are excellent appetisers.
Italian liqueurs include Amaretto, Limoncello, Grappa and Strega.

Legal drinking age: 16. The government has proposed raising it to 18.

Tipping: Service charges and state taxes are included in all hotel bills. It is customary to give up to 10% in addition if service has been particularly good.

Travel Guide

	Factsheet
	Italy Weather
	Italy Images
	Maps
	What's On
	What to See
	Things To Do
	What to Eat
	Visa
	Business
	Travelling
	Mountains
	Beaches

Relevant Hotel Links
	Cheap Hotels in Liguria
	Cheap Hotels in Lombardy
	Cheap Hotels in Tuscany
	Cheap Hotels in Veneto
	Cheap Hotels in Rome