“Most Italians shudder at the thought of Hawaiian pizza, pasta to accompany meat, or cappuccino after lunch. It is not Italian!” says Hermina Deiana. She is an expert on Mediterranean cuisine, cookbook author and tomato sauce maker. Deiana once learned authentic cooking from her ex-husband’s family – and over the years she also learned what mistakes to avoid.
“Not serving the pasta al dente is a tragedy,” she laughs. According to Deiana, Italians show no mercy when it comes to the wrong preparation of their culinary heritage. “The spaghetti alla carbonara, the Roman national dish, should only be prepared with egg yolk, pecorino cheese and guanciale, an air-dried bacon made from the pig’s chin. Cream is strictly forbidden,” she explains. Anyway, the set of rules for pasta is tough. Because in the classic Italian food culture, the pasta has nothing to do with a main course, absolutely nothing. Pasta is served before the main course.
“Digestion is an important issue when it comes to choosing food. It by no means only affects older people. Anyone who thinks that culinary delights are solely based on enjoyment is mistaken. There are a number of health rules that determine what to eat, when and what to eat, what time and what season to eat or drink,” she describes.
In the photo gallery above, Deiana reveals what you should pay attention to in order not to disparage Italian food culture.