How Italian Food Conquered the World: 5 Fun Facts
Italian food as it should be: fresh, simple, and in-season
I just finished a must-read for any lover of Italian, or Italian-American, food: How Italian Food Conquered the World, by John Mariani. A thoughtful gift from my mother, the book explores how Italian food went from being completely unremarked-on by 19th-century travelers... to a global phenomenon
Here were five of the most interesting facts I found.
For most of the 20th century, Italians had terrible wine
Vineyard at the Valle d'Aosta, Italy
Thanks to sharecropping, a farmer gave most of what he grew to the landowner. Hardly any of his land was left for grapes—plus, the vines had to compete with other crops for nutrients. "There simply was very little demand for fine wine in Italy for most of the 20th century, and…
revealedrome.com