For Italian people, eating is not only a need, it is one of the most famous and appreciated arts of this country.

ITALIAN MEALS

Indeed, Italian meals are not just served; they are also orchestrated.

THE STRUCTURE OF ITALIAN MEALSItalian meals are never hurried. In fact they are composed by various courses:

• Starters

• First courses

•Second courses

•Side dishes

• Desserts

First there is an ‘’antipasto in piedi’’, which literally means a ‘’standing’’ appetizer, served immediately upon the guests’ arrival before they are seated at the table and an ‘’antipasto a tavola’’, an appetizer served at the table.

This is often some type of ‘’bruschetta’’: Italian toasted bread served with various toppings, such as chopped tomatoes, pesto, olives, cheeses or garlic.

Starters

First courseThe starters are followed by a ‘’primo piatto’’

This dish is nearly always composed by either soup or pasta, or perhaps a soup with pasta, like ‘’tortellini in brodo’’.

PASTA TORTELLINI

Second courseThe first dish is naturally followed by the second course.

This is the main entreè, usually composed by meat or fish prepared according to regional tastes.

SHRIMPS ROAST BEEF WITH POTATOES

All Italian cooking is regional. In fact, there is no such thing as generic ‘’Italian food’’.

REGIONAL SPECIALITIES

Almost all Italian regions are famous for at least one typical dish.

Sicily is the biggest island of the Mediterranean Sea and it is located in the south of the Italian peninsula.

SICILY

Sicilian cuisine is one of the most famous in the world.It includes especially sweets and fried foods.

The ‘’Cannolo Siciliano’’ is one of the most famous Sicilian sweets.Its secret is its simplicity, in fact the Cannolo is composed by a

particular type of fried pasta stuffed with ‘’crema di ricotta’’

CANNOLO SICILIANO

The ‘’Arancina’’ is the most famous of Sicilian street food specialities.

It was invented in Palermo, the biggest city of Sicily.

It’a ball of rice breaded and fried, with a diameter of 8-10 cm, usually stuffed with meat sauce and peas.

It takes its name from the original shape and the typical golden colour, reminiscent of an orange (‘’arancia’’ in Italian).

ARANCINA