Eating in Italy

Southern Italy also tells its story through its sweets. Each region preserves recipes born in convents, peasant kitchens, or pastry shops, often passed down for centuries and linked to religious festivals, weddings, and calendar events. The typical sweets of Southern Italy perfectly reflect the regions that created them, from Sicily to Sardinia, passing through Campania, Puglia, Abruzzo, Calabria, Molise, and Basilicata.

In Southern Italy, some of the most iconic cheeses in the world are produced. The stretched-curd traditions of Sicily and the creamy richness of Puglian burrata each tell their own story through milk, pastureland and the skilled hands of producers who still follow age-old methods.

Some trips are all about art galleries and architecture. Others revolve around switching off and soaking up the scenery. This time, though, it’s all about a proper food and wine itinerary in Italy. Here are five must-try first courses, each tied to a destination that deserves time on your itinerary. Start planning your food and wine trip to Italy and settle in for something memorable.

If you’re spending time in Italy, getting to grips with traditional pizza is part of understanding everyday life here.

If you’re trying to get your head around the best supermarkets in Italy, it can feel oddly complicated at first.

Italy has long been considered a dream destination for foodies, but the latest data suggests that reputation is more than romantic nostalgia.

The best food in Southern Italy is bold, seasonal and deeply tied to history. Greek settlers, Arab traders and Spanish rulers all left their mark. Cooking leans on olive oil, vegetables, seafood and proper sun-ripened tomatoes rather than butter and cream.

Easter in Italy is less about chocolate bunnies and more about long, noisy lunches built around recipes people have been making for generations.

Easter in Italy is one of those moments when family and food take centre stage.

Italian food culture goes far beyond recipes and restaurant menus. Several deeply rooted practices linked to farming, winemaking, cheesemaking and everyday rural life have made their way onto the UNESCO intangible heritage list.

Eating well in Italy is as much about place as it is about recipes.

Italian Christmas desserts aren’t a one‑off finale.

Christmas in Italy is all about long tables, clinking glasses and recipes that only come out once a year.

Autumn brings truffle season in Italy, meaning weekend markets with licensed hunters selling truffles, chef demos and tasting “labs,”. Undoubtedly a highlight on the foodie calendar in Italy, you can expect truffle‑dog displays and occasional auctions.

If you’re living in Italy or just visiting, grocery shopping can quickly eat into your budget — especially if you’re unfamiliar with the local supermarket scene.

Italy moves on unspoken rules and long‑standing habits. The ten things not to do in Italy are mostly about small courtesies—how you order, how you greet, and how you handle day‑to‑day travel.

Italy does cheese the way nonna does Sunday lunch: with pride and deep regional roots. Across the Alpine pastures, the Po Valley dairies and the sunny farms of Sicily, each area champions its own cheese styles. These are shaped by milk type, ageing traditions and DOP/IGP rules.

Latronico’s finally popping up on savvy travellers’ radars for two big reasons: wellness and wild nature. This small hill town in Basilicata’s Potenza province sits between the Monte Alpi massif and the edges of Pollino National Park.

Where can you find the best cheese in Italy? From the mountains of the Aosta Valley to the sunny landscapes of Sicily, Italy is a paradise for cheese lovers.

Verona is in northern Italy’s Veneto region, with the Adige River flowing right through its centre. While it's often linked to Shakespeare’s famous couple, the city's character is really shaped by its grand Roman amphitheatre and winding medieval lanes.

There's a bit of magic in the air once the August crowds have thinned out and the intense summer heat begins to soften. Italy seems to take a collective, relaxed breath, making it a pretty special time to visit.

Piedmont is a fascinating corner of Italy, a place where grand, elegant cities sit against a backdrop of snow-dusted alpine peaks. But deciding what to see in Piedmont is about more than just ticking off the sights.

Florence is where it all began back in the Renaissance, supposedly first whipped up for the Medici court. Forgetting the bright green pistachio and fluffy mounds piled high in shop windows is the first step, and understanding the real difference between gelato and ice cream is key to the hunt.

Hunting down the best gelato in Italy is one of those essential things you have to do when you're here, but it's good to know that gelato is so much more than just ice cream. It's a proper daily ritual, a treat that's taken very seriously and is seen as a true art form.

Strolling through a sunny Italian piazza, it’s easy to think that gelato is just the local word for ice cream. The debate of gelato vs ice cream, however, goes far beyond a simple translation.