Culture & Tradition

  • In the spirit of the season, Italy becomes alive as it celebrates the holidays. Cities and villages alike are strung with twinkling lights, bustling with holiday markets, and — most exciting for us — filled with delicious food and drink.

  • Acronyms like DOP and IGP matter. Get the specifics with our glossary!

  • DOP, IGP, DOC — these letters are often found on the label of your favorite Italian food and drink, but what are they?

  • Whether red, white, or rosé, brightly spumante (sparkling) or lightly frizzante (semi-sparkling), Italy’s effervescent vini will make you forget all about France’s Champagne.

  • While not an official public holiday in Italy, December 31 is widely celebrated across the 20 regions.

  • Created in Roma, this long oval flatbread is served on a wooden pala, or “paddle.”

  • Even within all the regional varieties of pizza found in Italy, you'll find a few unique specialties. Enter: la pizza a ruota di carro.

  • We sat down with the experts at Afeltra, a prize-winning historic pasta factory, to go behind the scenes and find out how pasta is made.

  • When he's not brainstorming with the bakers at Eataly, Fulvio Marino continues to work with his family, grinding organic whole grains over their natural old mill stones.