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Italian Food
1 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND ENVIRONMENT
Located in southern Europe,Italy is slightly larger than the state of Arizona.Most of Italy is mountainous,and it is home to Mount Vesuvius,the only active volcano on the European mainland.
A fertile valley surrounds the Po River,the largest river in Italy.Many different plants thrive in its rich soil.Italy is surrounded by water on three sides and benefits from a variety of seafood and coastal vegetation.
Climate varies depending on elevation and region.Colder temperatures can be found in the mountainous regions,particularly within the high peaks of the Alps,a mountain range in the northwest.Temperatures are warmer in the Po River valley,the coastal lowlands,and on Italy's islands (Sicily and Sardinia),with an average annual temperature around 60°F.
Plants and animals also vary depending on elevation and region.Italy hosts a wide variety of trees,including conifers,beech,oak,and chestnut in the higher elevations.Evergreens,cork,juniper,laurel,and dwarf palms are widespread throughout the Po River Valley and Italy's islands.
2 HISTORY AND FOOD
From the early Middle Ages (beginning around A.D.500) to the late 1800s,Italy consisted of separate republics,each with different culinary (cooking) customs.These varying cooking practices,which were passed down from generation to generation,contributed to the diversity of Italian cuisine.Italy's neighboring countries,including France,Austria,and Yugoslavia,also contributed to differences in the country's cuisine.
Italy changed in many ways when the economy flourished following World War II (1939–45).During this time,farming was modernized and new technologies and farming systems were introduced.Various culinary practices throughout the country's regions began to be combined after people started migrating from the countryside to the cities.Many southern Italians traveled to the north at this time,introducing pizza to northern Italians.Those from the north introduced risotto (a rice dish) and polenta (a simple,cornmeal dish) to the south.Fast foods,mostly introduced from the United States,have brought more culinary diversity to Italy.However,pride in the culture of one's region,or companilismo,extends to the food of the locality,and regional cooking styles are celebrated throughout the country.
3 FOODS OF THE ITALIANS
Although Italians are known throughout the world for pizza,pasta,and tomato sauce,the national diet of Italy has traditionally differed greatly by region.Prior to the blending of cooking practices among different regions,it was possible to distinguish Italian cooking simply by the type of cooking fat used:butter was used in the north,pork fat in the center of the country,and olive oil in the south.Staple dishes in the north were rice and polenta,and pasta was most popular throughout the south.During the last decades of the twentieth century (1980s and 1990s),however,pasta and pizza (another traditional southern food) became popular in the north of Italy.Pasta is more likely to be served with a white cheese sauce in the north and a tomato-based sauce in the south.
Italians are known for their use of herbs in cooking,especially oregano,basil,thyme,parsley,rosemary,and sage.Cheese also plays an important role in Italian cuisine.There are more than 400 types of cheese made in Italy,with Parmesan,mozzarella,and asiago among the best known worldwide.Prosciutto ham,the most popular ingredient of the Italian antipasto (first course) was first made in Parma,a city that also gave its name to Parmesan cheese.