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Aceto Balsamico - Originated in Modena, this traditional flavoured vinegar is considered to be the best of all Italian vinegars. It has a mellow sweet flavour and is usually used as a salad dressing and is a favourite with chefs and gourmet food lovers. |
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Affettato - It means a selection of cold meats or cold cuts which is usually served as an antipasto. |
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Aglio - This is the Italian name for garlic and is a widely used ingredient in the Italian cooking as it adds flavours to almost most of the sauces, soups, grilled meats and stews. |
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Antipasto - Literally it means ‘before the meal’ and is considered to be the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. It is also compared to hors d’ oeuvres, but traditionally the meaning differs as this is usually served at the table and is considered to be the first course of the meal. Antipasto can be a combination of cold cuts, vegetables, olives and various cheeses. |
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Arrabiata - Usually tomato based, this is a spicy sauce, which has lots of chilli pepper and is ideal for those who just can’t do without spices in their food. This sauce goes well with Penne shaped pasta and is one of the most loved dishes. |
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Bagnacauda - This a sauce which is made with oil, lots of garlic and anchovies and is an integral part of cuisine of the Piedmont region. It is served piping hot and is usually used as a dip for crudités. |
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Barrique - Some red and white wines are refined inside these oak barrels with a volume of 200-250 litres. It is a treatment whih adds austerity to the wine, but determines the appearance of flavours which otherwise could not be achieved. Everything depends exclusively on the type of wood used and the ‘age’ of the barriques. |
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Basil - An aromatic herb used extensively in Italian cuisine. It is basil which gives that lassic added extra to a tomato sauce. It’ extremely fragrant leaves bring to life the world-famous pesto sauce, whose ingredients also include pine nuts, oil and pecorino cheese. |
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Béchamel - Named after a certain monsieur de Bechamel, this sauce is made from a combination of flour, milk, butter and spices and is usually in used in oven-baked dishes. |
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Bel Paese - It is a kind of a creamy light Italian cheese, which is pale yellow in colour and has a mild sweet flavour. It was originally produced in a town called Melzo near Milan in the Lombardy region. |
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Bolognese - Since it originated in Bologna, therefore this meat-based sauce for pasta is known as Bolognese, or also referred to as Ragù. |
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Bruschetta - This is a simple dish, which is extremely quick to prepare, simply toast a slice of bread, rub over it with a garlic clove, drizzle with a little oil and add a little salt. Diced tomatoes, pepper and anchovies can be added to make it more interesting. |
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Calzone - Made from pizza dough this is often referred to as a stuffed or folded pizza. The stuffing within this baked or fried turnover consists of mozzarella or fresh ricotta, vegetables and meat. In Italy the stuffing is usually cheese, ham or salami and tomatoes and it is never served with a sauce. |
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Canella - In Italian cinnamon is known as canella and is usually used for baking deserts and cookies. |
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Canerderli - These are bread dumplings, which are made with stale white or rye bread and are served with meat broths. The bread is prepared by soaking it in milk, binding it with eggs and finally adding parsley, nutmeg and caraway seeds for flavoring. |
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Capelli d’ angelo - This is an angel hair pasta which is usually paired with a light sauce |
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Cavolo - Cabbage is known as cavolo in Italian and a number of varieties are found in Italy. It is widely used in soups. |
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Dado - It is a bouillon cube, which is used for making meat, vegetables and fish stock. |
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Diavolillo - This is a hot chilli sauce which belongs to the regions of Abruzzo and Molise. This minced chilli is mixed with olive oil and is used in most of the soups, sauces and marinades. Spaghetti al Daivolillo is a signature dish of this region that uses Diavolillo. |
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Al Dente - Al Dente is the degree to which pasta is cooked, which means it should not be overcooked and should offer a bit of resistance when biting into it. |
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