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Hello to you all! Today’s post comes right from you! I’m very glad to notice you take part to My Little Italy’s life!

One of you signaled me this article published by National Geographic (Australian site) and asked me to have a look and comment it:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/travel/10-iconic-italian-dishes-by-the-region.aspx

I went through it and I noticed there are actually some things that don’t really correspond to reality. Editors didn’t go deep into some themes, making the commonplaces take over. Anyway, I must say that National Geographic demonstrates to be a serious organization. Except for the small corrections I would do (but no big deal), the text is quite accurate! If you are not Italian, it can happen that something gets misplaced. It would be the same for me if I wrote about another country’s habits or tradition. They always share good information and make us want to know more about other lands. I really appreciate their job!!

Gelato is eaten all over Italy. It’s not typical from Rome. I’d say that you find so many “gelaterie” in Rome for 3 simple reasons:

1 – Rome is a big city

2 – Rome climate is warmer than in Bolzano, so you have more chances of wanting to eat something fresh

3 – Rome is always full of tourists, so ice cream is an easy and cheap snack or lunch to go.

Gelato and ice cream are perfectly synonyms. The difference is that, in Italy, we do it differently from other countries. I guess that any country has its own way of doing it. It’s like thinking that if you order beer, Bier, birra or cerveza you get different thinks. It’s just beer translated into other languages. If I order a German beer in Italy, I order a birra, not a Bier. That’s the same for gelato. We call gelato what you call ice cream. If I talk with an Italian friend about an ice cream I ate in London, while we are speaking Italian I’ll call it gelato even if it’s made abroad. Then, if we want to discuss the different recipes and methods of preparing it, it’s another theme. It’s the recipe that can make it healthier or creamier, not the name. I just don’t want people to get the idea that gelato means something different from ice cream. It’s just the translation.

Another thing…ant that’s the only serious mistake, I hope that people from Sardinia won’t read that their typical food is pecorino romano (which is delicious). Pecorino romano is from Rome. They have the as much delicious PECORINO SARDO. For instance, it’s like writing that Florida wine is typical from California. Doesn’t it sound strange? I’m sure it’s just a lexical distraction, but it should actually be corrected. It could disappoint both people from Rome and from Sardinia! You know how seriously we take our typical foods! 😀

Thank you my friend for sharing this article with me. I hope I satisfied your curiosity.

Note: Obviously, my posts haven’t any intention of offending anybody or of criticizing the goodness, quality and tastes of any dish or recipe. What I write is just a personal consideration concerning the adherence of the recipe to the Italian ones, considering local habits, usages and traditions. The mood of the blog can be ironic and sometimes sarcastic, but with no aim of disappointing anybody. If somebody feels offended or struck by my words, please don’t. Moreover feel free to write me and explain your point of view (public channels like this blog are best welcome). It would be a pleasure for me. My intention is a constructive and sincere exchange of opinions.