Italian: we're doing it wrong :P

[fireheart]

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/foo...-1226715929428

So apparently the things we consider "Italian" are incorrect. The one about the coffee was surprising....

[lordlundar]

So apparently the things we consider "Italian" are incorrect.

That is a result of the immigration processes in the early 1900's. You see, Italy has many regions and each has their own different rules and traditions. The problem is with the homogenization during the immigration process at the time, they were all considered "italian", regardless of which region they left from. This has caused a lot of those traditions to either be modified or dropped entirely as a result. For example, spaghetti bolognese, aka spaghetti and meat sauce is not even "Italian", it's American in origin.

As a result, even those rules don't particularly apply. For example, if you took rule 5 to Bologna, Italy, you would get at best laughed at. This is because bolognese, which had originated there, is actually a stew, not a sauce. Considering both are considered entrees, you would never order both, let alone mixed.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

And here I thought everything I needed to know about Italian food I learned from watching The Godfather trilogy . . .

Boy was I ever wrong.

[fireheart]

As a result, even those rules don't particularly apply. For example, if you took rule 5 to Bologna, Italy, you would get at best laughed at. This is because bolognese, which had originated there, is actually a stew, not a sauce. Considering both are considered entrees, you would never order both, let alone mixed.

Down in Aussieland, we had a huge wave of immigration in the 50's that consisted primarily of Italian and Greek migrants, along with a number of what came to be known as "Ten Pound Poms" (who came to Australia on an assisted migration scheme).

So the comments about Italians applies over here too.

[MoonCat]

Um, yeah, I got a couple issues with those.

"No Italian dish combines pasta with chicken." Chicken cacciatore? I always see it served with pasta. Now maybe that's an American thing, I can accept that, maybe I'll give them that one.

But no tomato sauce? Bologna! It's called "gravy", they serve it at my favorite Italian restaurant, and I dare anyone to go in there and tell the owners they're not serving Italian-style food.

[lordlundar]

Um, yeah, I got a couple issues with those.

"No Italian dish combines pasta with chicken." Chicken cacciatore? I always see it served with pasta. Now maybe that's an American thing, I can accept that, maybe I'll give them that one.

Most likely is an American thing, at least with the mixing with pasta. Though the dish did originate in Italy, I can find no mention of it actually being combined with pasta in the country. You have to remember, In just about every region in Italy, Pasta is considered a main dish in of itself, not a part of one and certainly not a side.

But no tomato sauce? Bologna! It's called "gravy", they serve it at my favorite Italian restaurant, and I dare anyone to go in there and tell the owners they're not serving Italian-style food.

*ahem*

As a result, even those rules don't particularly apply. For example, if you took rule 5 to Bologna, Italy, you would get at best laughed at. This is because bolognese, which had originated there, is actually a stew, not a sauce. Considering both are considered entrees, you would never order both, let alone mixed.

Now I can buy the "Italian-style" part, but that's mainly American perception of Italy. Here's the thing though, "Italian-style" is a far cry from "Italian", let alone it's regions like Sicilian, Tuscan, etc.

[MoonCat]

Bah, just gimme my red sauce!