History and traditions
Italian cooking is a collection of regional kitchens, each built on local ingredients: tomatoes and durum wheat in the south, rice, butter and veal in the north. Emigrants carried pizza and pasta around the world in the late 1800s, and the dishes kept changing where they landed.
Food economy and industry
Italy exports its food culture as much as its food: cheese, cured meats, olive oil, canned tomatoes, pasta and wine, many under protected regional names. Small producers and family restaurants sit alongside large exporters, and food tourism is a major source of income.