A Vibrant Cuisine

The differences between the south of Italy, especially the far south, and the north are highlighted in its food traditions. Pasta here means dried pasta, as opposed to the fresh home-made pasta and hearty polenta of the northern regions, and meat and cheese are eaten only in small quantities. A hot climate with relentless sunshine, slow industrialization and myriad historical influences has led to the cuisine of the south being mostly earthy and peasant-like with exotic twists of taste. Compared to the north, the flavours are somewhat stronger and the combinations of ingredients are bolder, which mirrors the extremes of the climate and landscape, and perhaps also the hot-blooded nature of the people.