Italian American vs. Italian Cuisine free essay sample

As we shadow Primo and Secondo, two brothers that emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America, we learn a lot about the differences between Italian and Italian-American cuisine through the many obstacles they face. Primo is a gifted chef, a culinary genius determined not to waste his talent making routine dishes that American customers expect. Secondo is the smooth front man, trying to do anything to keep the restaurant financially afloat. Italian cuisine is known for its diversity throughout Italy’s different regions and its abundance of difference in taste. However the one thing they all have it common is its simplicity. The first known Italian food writer was a Greek Sicilian named Archestratus and he said, â€Å"that flavors should not be masked by spices, herbs or other seasonings. † Italians cuisines extreme simplicity explains why most dishes have only 4 to 8 different ingredients. In â€Å"Big Nights,† we can see Americans are not used to this simplicity, but rather foods indulged with ingredients, a common misinterpretation Americans have with Italian cuisine. We will write a custom essay sample on Italian American vs. Italian Cuisine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is highly distasteful to ask for ingredients that are not included in the dish already, such as extra salt, balsamic vinegar, or meat. Another common trait with Italian cuisine is their keen eye for quality and freshness in ingredients. We see this when Primo goes to a market to buy some herbs for the big dinner, but refuses to buy the spices because they seem old. Quality is just as important to Italian cuisine as the location these ingredients come from. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are two examples of ingredients where location is important. If you look closely on their labels you will see how the very good oils and vinegars are usually 100% from a certain region like Lucca, Siena, or Puglia. The lesser quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars will usually be a mix of different regions, but on the bottle will say, â€Å"Bottled in Italy. † A major difference between American and Italian cuisine is the importance of the meal structure. One line you will never hear a waiter in Italy say is â€Å"would you like your dishes as they are ready? † The meal structure consists of 3 or 4 courses usually. During the â€Å" Big Night† we experienced all the ourses. Normally an Italian meal is longer than an American meal and can last a few hours. Aperitivo is the start of the meal and usually includes a glass of champagne, sometimes nuts, chesses, sauce dips, and little quiches. Next comes the Antipasto and is comparable to the appetizer. A traditional Italian aperitivo includes a few different sliced meats, cheeses, and vegetable. It is heavier than Antipasto, but is still a starter. The first course comes afterwards and is called Primo. Usually a Primo doesn’t include meat and can be a risotto, gnocchi, or soup. The heartiest course of the meal is the secondo or piatto principale. Normally this course includes different kinds of meat or fish. A contorno or side dish is served with the secondo and usually is a dish of hot or cold vegetables. After getting through the first 3 courses if you are still hungry don’t worry because there is still desert. Il dolce or desert is popular after large nice meals. Frequent desert dishes are tiramisu, gelato, and panna cotta. With every meal Italians love a good glass of wine. Wine is very important to the Italian meal and that can explain why Italy leads the world in wine consumption. Just like their food Italians take their wines seriously and will always make sure that it will pair well with the meal. There are 20 wine regions in Italy and an importance is put on where the grapes are grown rather than what type of grape it is. Now that we dug into the characteristics of real Italian food lets take a look at Italian food in America, a cuisine that has transformed into what is now known as Italian-American cuisine. Most of what is called Italian food in America came from the immigrants from southern Italy and Sicily who arrived in the 18th and 19th century. They made up about 80% of all Italian immigrants. Interestingly, about half of the dishes that would become Italian staples in America originated in Naples. Pizza, pasta with seafood, and spaghetti with marinara sauce are a few of the well-known dishes. These foods were largely based on foods the immigrants could not afford back at home, but with American wages and more affordable ingredients they made this kind of food a regular in their diet. These dishes were heavy and rich with ingredients as this is what the immigrants dreamed about having. A great way to describe the differences between Italian-American and Italian cuisine is, Abundance vs.Harmony. Italian-American cooking uses far more spices, more sauce, much more cheese and meat. Pasta is an entree, which is almost never seen in Italy. Less importance is put on the quality of ingredients used and instead the importance is put on quantity. Overall, Italian-American cuisine is much more robust, compared to Italian food which can be described as poor mans food because of its simplicity and ingredient driven nature. This newfound prosperity of the immigrants can explain the differences between traditional Italian and Italian-American cuisine that was designed.