Americans are Committing Crimes on Italian Food

The worst crime you could commit today, is to put ketchup on pasta.

Well, according to Italians that is. Italian cuisine is defined by fresh local ingredients, a passion for flavor, and a history of indelible marks that have shaped what we understand to be Italian food. The catch is, do we really know what Italian cuisine is?

The food consumed in the North of Italy, where beer and butter from the Barbarians reigns supreme, is far different than in the South, where olive oil and fresh produce take center stage. These nuances are lost on the world’s population according to a 2018 YouGov study that found a list of 11 culinary crimes committed against Italian cuisine according to natives.

Some culinary concepts seem ingrained in the culture of Italian cooking in America but are perceived as ghastly crimes that constitute a resounding, “Mamma Mia!”

The worst being ketchup with pasta, followed closely by putting pasta in cold water then boiling it, and then the infamous widely debated concept of putting pineapple on pizza. Dishes like fettucine alfredo, penne alla vodka, and garlic bread are staple Italian meals in the United States but go unrecognized by the Italian population. 

46% of Italians think snapping dry spaghetti before boiling is unacceptable, while only 18% of Americans see the issue with desecrating the art of the carb. 55% of Italians believe drinking a cappuccino after a meal is a sin, but just 10% of Americans agree. 48% of Italians think adding plain pasta to a dish then adding the sauce is unacceptable, while only 11% of Americans agree. How exactly did these culinary traditions get so distorted across the Atlantic Ocean?

Italian immigration hit its peak from 1880-1921 when approximately 4.2 million immigrants came to America during a period of serious hardship in Southern Italy, according to the Library of Congress immigration database. Upon arrival and in the midst of the Great Depression, they found that many of the fresh ingredients they relied on in Italy were either unavailable or unattainable in the States, so they had to adapt. Thus, Italian American cuisine became the norm and dishes such as spaghetti and meatballs gained increasing popularity. 

Italy has 20 regions with vastly different cuisines; pasta and pizza are not the two primary Italian food groups, contrary to popular belief. The nuances of it can become lost in translation and with various Italian fusions popping up across America, the traditions of Italian cuisine are forgotten beyond the borders of the boot.

“There is no such thing as Italian food,” says Benedetta Bianchini of Local Aromas, a family-run Italian business dedicated to educating the masses on the beauty and diversity of Italian cuisine.

The Tuscany region is known for its meats, highlighting dishes like Bistecca alla Fiorentina, while places like the Lombardy region of Northern Italy is defined by dishes like Risotto Milanese, made with butter and saffron. While pastries like Crostata di Ricotta e Visciole can only be made in the Roman Jewish Ghetto.

Each ingredient for each signature dish from every region of Italy has a distinct history attached to it. While these dishes are famous in Italy and take on a distinct place of prominence and pride in their communities, they are virtually unheard of by natural born Americans who claim Italian food is their favorite cuisine. 

So next time you sit down with your Papa John’s pizza and a glass of wine, consider the Italian hearts you’re breaking across the ocean.