https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Grattachecca may not be easy to pronounce, but this traditional Roman summer treat has become a social media sensation among visitors to the Italian capital. https://www.thelocal.it/20250813/grattachecca-the-retro-summer-treat-you-have-to-try-in-rome Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:09:10 +0200 grattachecca-the-retro-summer-treat-you-have-to-try-in-rome If you think Italy's two most famous Christmas cakes are fairly similar, think again. What's the difference? Why are people in Italy so divided in the great cake debate? And which one, really, is the best? https://www.thelocal.it/20201210/panettone-or-pandoro-which-is-the-best-italian-christmas-cake Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:45:39 +0100 panettone-or-pandoro-which-is-the-best-italian-christmas-cake Italian food is widely adapted in Italy and beyond, but Italians are known to get upset if culinary experiments are taken too far. So where exactly is the line? Silvia Marchetti explains. https://www.thelocal.it/20211005/opinion-from-kiwi-pizza-to-mozzarella-sushi-why-theres-a-limit-to-innovation-in-italian-cuisine Tue, 05 Oct 2021 14:25:57 +0200 opinion-from-kiwi-pizza-to-mozzarella-sushi-why-theres-a-limit-to-innovation-in-italian-cuisine Most international visitors to Italy's major cities are no doubt hoping to sample the country's famed culinary delights. But if you want to savor the best of real Italian cuisine you'll need to travel further afield, writes Silvia Marchetti. https://www.thelocal.it/20210907/opinion-want-to-eat-well-in-italy-heres-why-you-should-ditch-the-cities Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:49:42 +0200 opinion-want-to-eat-well-in-italy-heres-why-you-should-ditch-the-cities Italy is for a second time fighting to block Croatia’s attempts to get EU recognition for its dessert wine, describing the move as "an attack on Made in Italy". https://www.thelocal.it/20210708/prosecco-wars-italy-protests-croatias-bid-for-special-status-for-its-prosek-wine Thu, 08 Jul 2021 13:31:42 +0200 prosecco-wars-italy-protests-croatias-bid-for-special-status-for-its-prosek-wine It has just three ingredients, but a lot of bite: artisan pasta maker Silvana Lanzetta shares her recipe for the perfect carbonara sauce. https://www.thelocal.it/20210219/how-to-make-the-perfect-spaghetti-carbonara-recipe Fri, 19 Feb 2021 12:08:17 +0100 how-to-make-the-perfect-spaghetti-carbonara-recipe Make your own nutella-filled Italian carnival pastries at home with this week's video recipe. https://www.thelocal.it/20200228/italian-recipe-of-the-week-frappe-ripiene-di-nutella Fri, 28 Feb 2020 18:44:50 +0100 italian-recipe-of-the-week-frappe-ripiene-di-nutella Artichokes are in season right now in Italy, and as any Roman will tell you, they're best served fried. This dish incorporates those carfiofi fritti into a comforting lasagna. https://www.thelocal.it/20200221/italian-recipe-of-the-week-fried-artichoke-lasagne Fri, 21 Feb 2020 17:14:07 +0100 italian-recipe-of-the-week-fried-artichoke-lasagne This week's mouthwatering Italian video recipe combines gnocchi, sausage and creamy stracchino cheese for the ultimate winter comfort food. https://www.thelocal.it/20200124/creamy-gnocchi-with-cheese-sausage-and-walnuts Fri, 24 Jan 2020 14:17:51 +0100 creamy-gnocchi-with-cheese-sausage-and-walnuts A 2,000-year-old fast-food stall unearthed from the ash of Pompeii has given researchers new clues about the snacking habits of the ancient Romans. https://www.thelocal.it/20201227/2000-year-old-fast-food-joint-found-in-pompeii Sun, 27 Dec 2020 09:36:34 +0100 2000-year-old-fast-food-joint-found-in-pompeii Juicy prawns are a central part of a traditional Christmas feast in many parts of Italy, and for many Italians, sucking on the freshly removed head is the very best part. https://www.thelocal.it/20201217/why-you-shouldnt-suck-prawn-heads-during-an-italian-christmas-feast Thu, 17 Dec 2020 11:37:24 +0100 why-you-shouldnt-suck-prawn-heads-during-an-italian-christmas-feast There are a few Italian food myths we need to put right. https://www.thelocal.it/20181106/common-myths-about-italian-food-you-need-to-stop-believing Tue, 06 Nov 2018 18:15:07 +0100 common-myths-about-italian-food-you-need-to-stop-believing At this time of year in Italy, there's nothing better than the flavours of the forest. If you love Italian porcini and other mushrooms, why not try this flavourful Tuscan soup? Food writer Silvana Lanzetta shares a traditional regional recipe. https://www.thelocal.it/20191011/how-to-make-tuscan-mushroom-soup-a-delicacy-from-maremma Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:22:13 +0200 how-to-make-tuscan-mushroom-soup-a-delicacy-from-maremma Italy is synonymous with good food, and yet Italian cuisine is often thought of abroad as little more than pizza and pasta. If you’ve spent any amount of time in the country, though, you’ll know every region has its own distinct cuisine. https://www.thelocal.it/20191103/the-most-delicious-foods-from-every-region-of-italy Sun, 03 Nov 2019 13:33:34 +0100 the-most-delicious-foods-from-every-region-of-italy Who doesn’t love a cheesy pasta bake? It’s delicious, easy, and practical, too. It lets you use up leftover ingredients from the fridge, and it will keep for lunch the next day – if you don’t eat it all at once! Food writer Silvana Lanzetta shares a favourite recipe. https://www.thelocal.it/20190503/how-to-make-the-perfect-italian-sausage-and-mushroom-pasta-bake Fri, 03 May 2019 11:06:07 +0200 how-to-make-the-perfect-italian-sausage-and-mushroom-pasta-bake This fresh take on a classic tiramisù is perfect for the hot weather. Neapolitan food writer Silvana Lanzetta tells us how it's done https://www.thelocal.it/20200724/how-to-make-strawberry-and-limoncello-tiramisu-recipe Fri, 24 Jul 2020 17:08:11 +0200 how-to-make-strawberry-and-limoncello-tiramisu-recipe Italian might be known as the language of love but - far more importantly - it's also the language of food. https://www.thelocal.it/20200123/the-italian-words-vocabulary-phrases-need-know-italy-restaurant-food-menus Thu, 23 Jan 2020 10:17:32 +0100 the-italian-words-vocabulary-phrases-need-know-italy-restaurant-food-menus A 60-year-old woman from the Italian region of Abruzzo prepared 90 olive all'ascolana – Ascoli-style stuffed olives - in less than an hour while having an operation to remove a brain tumour. https://www.thelocal.it/20200610/italian-woman-makes-stuffed-olives-while-having-brain-surgery Wed, 10 Jun 2020 13:20:09 +0200 italian-woman-makes-stuffed-olives-while-having-brain-surgery Need some inspiration in the kitchen? Here are some quick and easy recipes which, like many of the best Italian dishes, use as few as three ingredients. https://www.thelocal.it/20200403/four-simple-and-authentic-italian-recipes-to-make-this-weekend Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:38:44 +0200 four-simple-and-authentic-italian-recipes-to-make-this-weekend Italy is rated as one of the world's healthiest places to live. But what is it about the land famous for pizza and pasta that makes it so healthy? https://www.thelocal.it/20190227/what-is-it-that-makes-living-in-italy-so-healthy Wed, 27 Feb 2019 12:22:30 +0100 what-is-it-that-makes-living-in-italy-so-healthy