I don’t think it would be misleading to say that garlic is strongly associated with most European cuisines, particularly France, Italy and Spain. It might thus surprise you to know that garlic has long been treated with suspicion in Italy, being associated with poverty since Roman times and used to mask lesser quality ingredients. Famously, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi wouldn’t permit anyone in his cabinet to consume garlic while they were around him. Garlic is certainly not a staple in northern Italian cuisine and is more commonly used in southern Italy. To many chefs, great ingredients require little more than a splash of good oil and a pinch of salt. This is not to say that garlic isn’t present in Italian cuisine, but rather that it is used in a more delicate fashion, simmering cloves gently in oil to release their sweetness or simply infusing a dish with garlic before removing it.
