Italian cuisine includes deeply rooted traditions common throughout the country, as well as all the diverse regional gastronomies, different from each other, especially between the north, the centre, and the south of Italy, which are in continuous exchange.[8][9][10] Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated with variations throughout the country.[11][12] Italian cuisine offers an abundance of taste, and is one of the most popular and copied around the world.[13] Italian cuisine has left a significant influence on several other cuisines around the world, particularly in that of the United States in the form of Italian-American cuisine.[14]
A key characteristic of Italian cuisine is its simplicity, with many dishes made up of few ingredients, and therefore Italian cooks often rely on the quality of the ingredients, rather than the complexity of preparation.[15][16] Italian cuisine is at the origin of a turnover of more than €200 billion worldwide.[17] Over the centuries, many popular dishes and recipes have often been created by ordinary people more so than by chefs, which is why many Italian recipes are suitable for home and daily cooking, respecting regional specificities, privileging only raw materials and ingredients from the region of origin of the dish and preserving its seasonality.[18][19][20]
^For example, in 2019, the American network CNN ranked first in a ranking of the best cuisines in the world; see: "Which country has the best food?". 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021. According to a survey conducted by the British market analysis company YouGov, out of 24 countries, Italian cuisine was the most internationally appreciated gastronomy with 84% of total preferences; see: "Sondaggio YouGov:l'84% delle persone nel mondo preferisce la cucina italiana". Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
^Related Articles (2 January 2009). "Italian cuisine". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
^Squires, Nick (23 August 2013). "Tiramisu claimed by Treviso". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.