“If you go to Italy, you must try the _______,” gushes your just-got-back-from-Italy friend. As if it were ever that simple. In Italy, there are 20 different regions, hundreds of regional dialects, and at least 350 kinds of pasta. And that’s just the pasta shapes, not the pasta sauce. The culture of the country, and especially its cuisine, is anything but monolithic.
That’s why proclaiming a single “must-try” dish in Italy isn’t just impossible, it’s misguided. I’d never recommend you order pesto in Puglia any more than I’d recommend you order handmade orecchiette in Liguria. Not because you won’t find decent versions, but because they’re not regional specialties, and generations of residents there haven’t grown up cooking, eating, and perfecting these dishes. Pizza in Venice? Probably a pass. But spaghetti con vongole? A big yes.
Regional dishes in Italy developed largely based on what produce, livestock, or game was prevalent in the area. That’s why basil, which thrives in Liguria’s coastal microclimate, is the star of Genovese pesto. The durum wheat cultivated in southern Italy is the base for Puglia’s orecchiette pasta, typically paired with another product of Puglian soil: turnip greens. And that’s why you’re better off ordering fish or seafood in Venice, rather than a mushroom and sausage pizza.
In my region of Umbria, pasta with wild boar or seasonal dishes with black truffles are specialties, but an hour south in Rome, you should seek out the best pasta carbonara or carciofi alla giudìa, the deep-fried artichokes that are a hallmark of Rome’s Jewish community.
The best way to find the “must-try” dish of each region is to do a little homework prior to your trip, and search for the specialty of each region and city you’re planning to visit. You can search for “best places to try X in X” lists, but chances are those listicles are recycled from each other. Local tourism websites and even your hotel website may offer tips on what to eat and where to eat it. You can also ask your taxi driver, tour guide, or concierge, and they will likely be happy to opine about the best food to eat in their city or area.
If you’re visiting several destinations in Italy, bring your appetite, sense of adventure, and taste for new foods and flavors. Just remember: it’s not all pizza, pasta and gelato—though admittedly, we do those quite well.