In Italy, the type of street food depends mostly on which region you are in.
I’ll post just a few examples of savoury food (the most popular example of sweet street food is ice cream obviously) but there are literally hundreds of different things.
Pizza
Pizza al taglio at Trastevere in Rome Image credit- Shoebill2
I don’t think you need an explanation for what is that!
But there is one type of pizza made to take away, called “pizza al taglio” (sliced pizza), which is prepared differently than normal round pizzas in restaurants. The dough is thicker and there are more toppings
Focaccia
Garlic and Cheese Focaccia – Michaelangelo, Aspendale Gardens | by spits
This soft and oily bread is delicious even plain, but it’s often filled with various stuff (ham, mozzarella, tomatoes, salad, etc)
Porchetta sandwich
Porchetta sandwich | by T.Tseng
A sandwich filled with pork which has been stuffed with herbs and spices and then spits roasted
Lampredotto sandwich
Lampredotto sandwich Image credit- Lucarelli
Found mostly in Florence, Siena and nearby areas of Tuscany.
It’s a sandwich made with tripes/stomach from the cow, cooked in broth and herbs and topped with green or spicy sauces.
Farinata/cecina
Cecina | by fugzu
Popular in Liguria and Tuscany regions. It’s a pancake made of chickpea flour. It can be eaten like this or be the filling for focaccia as well
Deep fried stuff Many different options could be fried: seafood, polenta (corn porridge), mozzarella sticks, potato sticks, etc.
Piadina
Piadina Riminese (Italian filled flatbread) photo taken by Kobako
Originally from Emilia-Romagna region. Can be filled with everything. “Stracchino” cream cheese is a popular filling
Arancini & Supplì
arancini | by stu_spivack
Deep fried rice balls with various fillings (tomato sauce, meat sauce, veggies, cheese, etc). different shapes and sizes, depending on the area. Arancini are from Sicily and Supplì are from Rome.
Panzerotti
gekochte Panzerotti or cooked panzerottis Image credit-GeoTrinity
Deep fried dough with fillings. Most common is just tomato sauce and mozzarella (similar to “calzone”). Originally from Puglia region
Obviously around the world pizza is the most famous Italian food but if you visit Italy, you will be surprised about how many different things you can easily find at every corner, most of them you probably never heard of.
Enjoy the distinct flavours of dishes from across the country and treat yourself with a wide range of authentic variety of delectable food choices like Tamda Rasa, Alambi Ros, Avial, Ney Choru, Green Gujarat, Aloo Dom, alooPuneri, Vangyachi Bhaji and Chicken Caferal.
Fulfil your sweet tooth cravings by gorging in traditionally made Tirangi Barfia, Moong Dal Halwa and Sheer Khurma while capturing the stunning view of the tranquil beach.
I cannot express my pride each time I play and see people groove to desi music in India and Abroad. This Independence Day, I have a vision of seeing India, as a place where the rest of the world gets their musical inspiration from. Being an Indian, I also wish for stronger rules for the safety of women and children in India. Happy Independence Day, Jai Hind!
~ DJ Paroma
With the endless list of problems India is struggling with like – corruption, poverty, sexism, classism, poor infrastructure – pollution is given least priority. Why? Because its impact isn’t seen immediately. And because everyone and every entity are contributing to the carbon footprint at different levels, there is no scope for assigning blame. But how about we forget about the blame and just take responsibility? We all would love a clean and green India, right? A country that isn’t defined as being ‘dirty’ and ‘unhygienic’. APD’s vision is to work on bringing pollution forward as a key challenge to progress and fighting it aggressively. We want to empower citizens to take control of their surroundings and be informed to ask authorities the right questions. We need more reasons to celebrate August 15th than just being relieved by the British. It’s a long journey and we need as many fighters on board to get to destination Swacch Bharath.
~ Abdullah A. Rehman
We are here yet again celebrating India’s Independence Day. In my eyes, we will attain true freedom, when we as a society will practice equality for men and women. By equality, I do not mean feminism, but I mean, the ability for women to get the same rights as men, wages on the same basis, women getting prominence and equal foot-front in our male-dominated society. Women should also be entitled to be the protagonists in movies, and not used just for objectification. Women to be able to walk freely in the wee hours of the day without having to worry about their safety. Women getting their right for their voice to be heard as well, as their opinion matters too in a society, And also a basic right for women to be educated, as when you educate a woman, you do not only educate one person but an entire family and probably a generation. The day we attain this kind of equality, we will be Independent in the true sense of the word. Happy Independence Day!
Greek lasagna, called pastitsio, is usually made with a tubular noodle such as penne rather than lasagna noodles. But it’s the white, creamy sauce that really sets this dish apart. The sauce is called béchamel and makes this Greek lasagna impossible to resist.
Pastichio (also spelled “pastitsio”) is like lasagne, but a big difference is using long tubes of macaroni, maccheroncelli, instead of flat layers of pasta, with a milk/cheese sauce.
The ingredients:
-2 pounds ground beef
-1 pound maccheroncelli
-1 small chopped onion,
-1 clove of garlic minced
-3 medium tomatoes chopped
-Chopped parsley
-Whites of two eggs
-About a stick of butter
-3/4 cup white wine (my mom used white zinfandel)
-Grated kefalograviera cheese (substitute parmesan or romano if you don’t have it)
-2 eggs with 2 additional egg yolks from the egg whites above (for four egg yolks total in this part)
Method–
Chop the ingredients listed above. Separate two egg yokes from the whites. Put the two egg whites in one bowl and the two yokes in another bowl that also has two whole eggs.
Boil a pound of the maccheroncelli pasta and add salt in it. Turn the heat to about medium on a large pot. Melt about half a stick of butter in the pan and add the chopped onions. Stir them and let it cook for a few minutes. Crumble 2 pounds of ground beef and add it to the pan and stir it (Trader Joe’s ground beef is my favorite). Add the minced garlic clove to the pan. Add pepper, salt, and keep stirring.
Drain the maccheroncelli and put it back in the pot. Put about 1/3 of a stick of butter in the pot with the maccheroncelli. Add tomatoes, parsley, and white wine to ground beef once it’s brown and stir. Let it cook for 45 minutes on a medium-low flame. Add a little salt to the pasta if you like and stir.
In a large pan, turn on the heat and melt one stick of butter in it. Gradually add 3/4 cup of flour to the pan and stir it thoroughly. Pour in the 4 cups of milk and stir it until it’s thick, but do not let it boil.
Add pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg to the milk and stir.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off heat to the ground beef after 45 minutes. Turn off heat to milk sauce when it’s thick.
Put some grated kefalograviera cheese into the milk and stir it. After it’s cooled down a little, beat the 4 eggs and add it to the sauce and stir. Add egg whites to ground beef mixture after it has cooled somewhat and stir it.
Put a layer of the pasta on the bottom of a baking pan like lasagna, then spread grated kefalograviera. Pour all the meat mixture onto the pasta and even it out. Put a layer of pasta on top of the meat and spread more grated kefalograviera cheese evenly. Then pour the milk sauce on the entire thing and spread the cheese evenly on top of the sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour (my mom did one hour). Let it cool for at least 30 minutes. And you’re done!
They have lots of meat dishes, such as the ever-popular gyro or the souvlaki. Other popular dishes include the Greek moussaka as well as seafood. A large part of the country is along the coastline and therefore Greek cuisine offers a rich selection of seafood specialities like calamari, various types of fish, octopus etc.
Their desserts are amazing as well; you can go for extremely sweet options like the loukoumades and bougatsa or stick to lighter desserts like Greek yoghurt and honey.
Of course, you mustn’t forget to order a shot of ouzo or a glass of retsina for a complete Greek dining experience.
Almost any dish, contains either lemon or tomato, but almost never both. This is true for meats, vegetables, legumes, and what we call “Ladera” which means “oily foods” and contains a wide variety of foods from green beans to “gemista”.
Greeks use olive oil for everything. They eat bread with almost anything (especially with the aforementioned “Ladera”, perhaps not with pasta). Greeks eat cheese in almost all our meals, and if the salad contains tomato and oil (like “choriatiki” or the one you call Greek salad) many people will dip the bread in the bottom of the plate to moisten it with oil and tomato juice. This is called a “papara” (which in other contexts can be a swear word) or more rarely “vouta”.
Finding a good souvlaki, a good bougatsa, a good frappe or espresso, a good cheese pie, is a must wherever you go. Greeks refuse to eat in touristy places where quality, especially in these can be lower. Ask the locals for all of these things, and 9 times out of 10, they will show you to the best place in the area. They will be happy to assist you, and even proud. Seriously, they have tasted these things a million times, they know what they are talking about.
It’s incredibly easy to live on a vegetarian diet in Greece. Not so much vegan, but for a vegetarian, it’s infinitely cheaper than most places in Europe. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grain stuff are of incredible quality, and so cheap. I mean it, if a country in Europe has the comparative advantage in incredible quality mass-produced vegetables, grains and fruit, it’s Greece and the margin from the second country is huge.
Tap water is served without charge in all restaurants, with the exception of some small Aegean islands.
Greek and Turkish traditional sweets, are nothing like you’ve ever tasted in Europe. Try them, you must. Whether it’s galaktoboureko, baklavas, kataifi or the more obscure “ravani” and “samali”, they are something completely different from what you have ever tasted in your life.
Greeks cook their meats good, really good.
Greeks don’t drink many sodas. Mainly coca cola, but even that, not so much.
There are some extra things that you should know as well. First, chocolates are a bit milkier compared to other countries. Greeks revere our local hard liquor, like ouzo, tsipouro and raki and local red and white wine. Cocktails are mostly for the summer. Burgers have somewhat of a following as well as hot dogs, but we mostly stay away from them. Greek pizza usually has too much bread. If you want to eat fish, your best bet is to find a trustworthy fish tavern recommended by others or locals, and ask them what is the freshest fish they have right now.
The best food to try when visiting Greece?
Greece is not only known for its rich history, art and famous monuments. It is also known for its unique cuisine. It is a Mediterranean cuisine and makes wide use of vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, wine, and meat (white and red, including lamb, poultry, rabbit and pork).
Here are some of the best dishes you should try when you visit Greece,
Moussaka
Super Easy Moussaka | by Jules: stone soup
This iconic Greek baked dish is based on layering: sautéed aubergine, minced meat fried pureed tomato, onion, garlic and spices like cinnamon and allspice, a bit of potato, and then a final fluffy topping of cheese and béchamel sauce.
Loukoumades
Loukoumades – Nikos Cakes AUD4 for 3 | by avlxyz
A Greek delicacy loved by children and adults alike, loukoumades are small fried doughnut-like balls drenched in honey syrup and sprinkled with various toppings such as cinnamon or crushed walnuts. People usually order a large plate of them to share with friends or family.
Souvlaki
Souvlaki | by pastitio
Perennially popular all over the world, these grilled meat (usually pork) skewers are often served with tzatziki (a sauce made from yoghurt, cucumber and mint), pita bread, salad or rice.
Taramasalata
Taramasalata (that tasted of nothing) & Greek beer | by Smoobs
This creamy pungent dip is many people’s favourite. Made from smoked fish roe (cod, carp or mullet), blended with olive oil and lemon, homemade taramasalata is indisputably superior to the bright pink industrial version sold in supermarkets.
Greek Salad
Tomatoes Greek Salad Onions Salad Greek Food
You would have had a Greek Salad before, but you probably haven’t had it the prepared the “right” way, which is to say the way the Greek prepare it. A traditional Greek salad (also called Horiatiki) includes tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives and a rather large brick of feta cheese on top. It’s so fresh and light, that it’s hard to resist ordering it.
Among all varieties of yoghurt, Greek yoghurt is the healthiest. It has the perfect ratio of protein and carbohydrate and is a brilliant post-workout snack. If you have a bowl of Greek yoghurt within 60 minutes of your workout, it releases amino acids that help repair muscles. Have a glass of water with your yoghurt and it improves the absorption of water by intestines thereby enhancing your hydration and also helps in colon detox.
A bowl of yoghurt is said to have 300 grams of calcium. So, if you are worried about your debilitating bone health, it’s always good to add yoghurt to your diet. It will not only maintain your bone density but also strengthen them. For the elderly who are at risk of osteoporosis, a cup of yoghurt daily after lunch is a healthy option.
People consuming yoghurt proved that if you replace an unhealthy snack in a day with yoghurt, it will help you cut down calories. This also helps burn belly fat.
In conclusion, Greece isn’t the most beautiful country in the world, but a very beautiful one. It doesn’t have the warmest or smartest people, although Greeks are one of the friendliest, creative and hard-working.
