Truffles are a delicacy on the Via Francigena | Tim Charody
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The Top Italian Food Destinations
The Regions Of Italy Worth Walking & Cycling In If You Think With Your Stomach
Italy has blessed the world with foods we eat every day, as well as foods we wish we could eat every day! To get the best out of your food pilgrimage to Italy make sure you include one of these must-eat-at Italian destinations.
Piedmont
White truffles grow wild here. They cannot be cultivated or controlled. Truffles are a rare treat indeed, a delicacy that can command very high prices at a Sotheby’s auction. If you’re lucky, you might come across an affordable sample from the only place that seems to have an abundance of them, the Piedmont region, also home to a mouth-watering array of chocolates, cheeses and superb wines.
Explore Piedmont by foot or on bike.
Naples
Naples is the birthplace of pizza. Pizza! While this everyday icon might seem more American than apple pie let’s not forget its true origins, which lie in this gateway city to Pompeii and the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. The classic Neopolitan pizza has a thicker crust and topped with
mozzarella di bufala and tomatoes. It’s a fantastic cooking lesson to enjoy with before indulging in the famous local gelato.
Parma
When you gave the world Parmesan Cheese, Prosciutto Ham and pastas such as tortellini, and have neighbours nearby who blessed us with balsamic vinegar, you are possibly justified in crowning yourself as the best place in Italy for food. Situated close to the Appenine Mountains, Parma is one of the most anticipated food pilgrimage stops on the
Best of the Via Francigena tour.
Tuscany
Pure, strong flavours from only the freshest of ingredients. The simple Tuscan cooking style has won hearts and palates worldwide. Of course the pastas and local cakes are simply divine but for many food travellers to Tuscany the dream is as simple as kicking back with olive oil over traditional bruschetta and local Chianti.
Browse Tuscany trips.
Sicily
Thanks to the culinary influences of the Greeks, Arabs, French and Spanish, Sicily’s food culture offers some more complicated arrangements of the basics. Arancini balls, for example. Seafood staples of sardines and swordfish feature more heavily on Sicilian menus, as does a bit more spice. Sorbetta, sherbet and gelato’s originated here when the Arabs mixed the unmelted snows of Mt Etna with fruit-flavoured syrups to cool down.
Browse Sicily tours.
Prosecco & Venice
The Italian government changed the name of the Prosecco grape to Glera to protect the local Prosecco producers north of Venice from exploitation. While others started using the same grape, everyone knew that the best Prosecco only comes from the hills surrounding Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. And since you’ll likely get to the
Prosecco region via
Venice you should certainly seek out their best risotto, the Venetians gift to Italian cooking.
Is your mouth watering? Let us know where your most desired region in Italy to go for food is in the comment section below!