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elcome to WebFoodCulture! This site examines the most traditional international food and wine specialties from a cultural point of view, in the belief that knowledge can increase flavor. The following articles, therefore, include not just recipes, but also fascinating stories and interesting facts. In addition, recognizing the fundamental importance of the place of origin, these articles also provide valuable information on the most traditional restaurants to taste these specialties, without forgetting the historic manufacturers.
IN THIS WEBSITE:
The international culinary scene is like a huge, precious treasure, full of delicacies for both the palate and the mind: let’s visit together the most fascinating places in the world, finding out a new way of eating!
Prosecco wine, the Italian sparkling excellence.
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rosecco is undoubtedly one of the most famous and appreciated Italian wines in the world. The main reasons for such a reputation are its great pleasantness and versatility: characteristics that, during the last few years, have led to a huge increase in sales. Let’s find out its history, how it’s produced and a lot of interesting facts. Let’s visit the enchanting lands where its vines grow. (continue)
Italy – Section: Beverages / Veneto Region
Leonardo da Vinci and wine.
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robably not everyone knows that Leonardo da Vinci, the great Italian scientist and artist, was very interested in the world of wine. Let’s explore this topic with the precious help of Luca Maroni, esteemed oenologist and a great expert on the Tuscan genius. (continue)
Italy – Section: Beverages / Food culture
Asiago cheese, the dairy specialty from Italy
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siago, one of the most appreciated Italian cheeses, takes its name from the famous plateau located in the north-eastern part of the peninsula. Let’s find out the history of this dairy specialty, how it’s produced and its different types. Let’s try to understand what makes it worthy of the PDO label. (continue)
Italy – Section: Side dishes / Veneto Region
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ebFoodCulture is not just about the most traditional food and wine, but also about their place of origin: this ‘invisible ingredient’, often underestimated, is of fundamental importance, deeply influencing flavor, as well as enriching it with inimitable charm. To really understand this concept, just try sipping an Amarone surrounded by the magical hills of Veneto or enjoy a pizza while immersed in the festive noise of an ancient Neapolitan pizzeria.
Asado by an Argentine gaucho.
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sado is a traditional Argentine food: tasting it gives the opportunity to understand the spirit of the country. Let’s deepen the knowledge of this delicious specialty, finding out its fascinating history and how it’s prepared. Let’s visit the most traditional restaurant preparing it. (continue)
Argentine – Section: Main course
Margherita: pizza of Queens.
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ot many know that ‘Margherita’, the queen of pizzas, perhaps takes its name from a real one: Margherita of Savoy. Could it be true? Well, it’s enough to start an investigation, deepening the knowledge of the famous Neapolitan specialty. Let’s study its history and recipe. Let’s find the most traditional pizzeria where to eat it. (continue)
Italy – Section: Street food / First course
George Crum’s potato chips.
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ome types of food are so much part of our everyday life to attract little attention. Great is the surprise finding out their true origin, involving fascinating stories and interesting people. People like George Crum, a very special cook, considered by many the ‘accidental’ inventor of potato ‘chips’. (continue)
United States – Section: Street food / Appetizers
Space food: eating aboard the I.S.S.
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hinking about a group of people eating in orbit around our planet may seem a bit strange, even in the 21st Century. They have their meals aboard the I.S.S. , the International Space Station. Quoting a famous sci-fi television serie, this incredible place is the ‘final frontier’ for food. (continue)
United States – Section: Food culture
Frittelle and galani: pastries of the Venetian Carnival.
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he Venetian Carnival: an event unique in the world, renewing its magic year after year. During the period of its celebrations, the pastry chefs in the Doge’s city prepare delicious ‘frittelle’ and ‘galani’ (continue)
Italy – Section: Food places
Marsala: Florio’s wine.
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tudying a wine, it happens quite often to come across interesting stories: Marsala wine is no exception. Let’s meet the fascinating Italian family who made it famous worldwide: the Florios. Let’s find out how it’s made. Let’s visit its places. (continue)
Italy – Section: Beverages
Ballotta: Galileo’s trattoria.
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here are places where food, no matter how delicious, manages to acquire additional, unexpected flavour: places like ‘Ballotta’, a ‘trattoria’, serving traditional specialties since the XVII Century to all kind of customers. Among them, very famous people such as Galileo Galilei … and many others! (continue)
Italy – Section: Food places
Babbà, the King’s dessert.
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ven if the ‘babbà’ (or ‘babà’) is widely considered one of the most typical examples of Neapolitan pastry, its origins are from elsewhere: Northern Europe. Some historians stress the fact that it was the favourite dessert of a Polish king, Stanislao Leszczinski. (coming soon)
Wine Masters – Serie review.
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ine Masters is a documentary serie about the world of wine, created by the Dutch producer Klaas de Jong. An ambitious project, meant to engage viewers by giving them emotions that go far beyond classic information. (continue)
‘Potato Chips’.
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, the American jazz singer Bulee “Slim” Gaillard dedicates a song to one of the most famous appetizers in the world: the name of this song is ‘Potato Chips’ (continue)
Note: join Spotify and listen to the full song.
Empanadas in milonga.
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he ’empanada’ is a simple and yet delicious specialty originally from Spain, much appreciated in many countries of South America. It’s often served in the ‘milongas’, the tango ballrooms: the most famous are in Argentina, in the city of Buenos Aires. (coming soon)
Fire and chili pepper.
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he heat sensation felt eating chili peppers is not real: it’s, in fact, due to the interaction between a substance, capsaicin, with some receptors inside the mouth.
The images bearing the logo ‘webfoodculture’ are copyrighted.
The following images are public domain:
img-01 (*) – Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy (Wikipedia Link) {PD-US}
img-02 (*) – A group of Argentine gauchos, 1890 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-US}
img-03 (*) – ‘Fruit’, A.Mucha, 1897 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-US}
img-04 (*) – The adolescent Bacchus, Caravaggio, 1595/1997 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-US}
img-05 (*) – Portrait of Galileo Galilei, Justus Sustermans, 1640 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-Art} {PD-US}
img-06 (*) – Portrait of Stanisław Leszczyński, J.Girardet, 1750 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-Art} {PD-US}
img-07 (**) – Ernest Hemingway, Kenya, 1954, JFK Presidential Library (Wikipedia Link) {PD-US}
img-08 (*) – George Crum, 1900, Georgs S. Bolster Collection (Wikipedia Link) {PD-US}
img-09 (**) – I.S.S. and space shuttle Endeavour, image by NASA (Wikipedia Link) {PD-USGov-NASA}
img-10 (**) – Bags of I.S.S. food and utensils on tray, image by NASA (Wikipedia Link) {PD-USGov-NASA}
img-11 (*) – Self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, 1510/1515 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-Art} {PD-US}
The header images are public domain:
Image 01 (*) – Portrait of Galileo Galilei, Justus Sustermans, 1640 (Wikipedia Link) {PD-Art} {PD-US}
The following images are published courtesy of:
img-12 – Courtesy of Mr. Klaas de Jong and FarmHouse Prod.
img-13 – Antica Trattoria Ballotta, interior. Courtesy of Antica Trattoria Ballotta.
img-14 – Asiago cheese. Courtesy of the Consortium for the Protection of Asiago Cheese.
(*) The copyright of this image has expired.
(**) Image released in public domain by its author.