Holidays in Italy - a dream! Whether after a photo tour or painting day on the beach, everyone is hungry! How convenient it is to stay in a country that has one of the best kitchens in the world. So many things we know from the Italian cuisine! But what's really right and what's just a myth? Did you know that ice cream was not invented by Italians? No? We neither! As Italy is one of our favourite painting and photography holiday destinations, we have compiled 10 amazing facts about Italian cuisine for you.

1. Pasta, pasta, pasta! The Italian cuisine without pasta is unthinkable! Did you know that there are over 400 types of pasta? Unbelievable right?
2. Not only the olives are a pleasure for the palate, but also the olive oil. Italians mainly cook with olive oil. That's why there are 16 olive oil producing areas in Italy. The best known are Sardinia, Sicily and Tuscany.
3. Ever wondered where the most famous pesto, the pesto verde, came from? From the region Trofie!
4. "Al dente" literally means "for the teeth". The pasta should therefore be cooked slightly bite and not completely soft.
5. The secret of the origin of pasta will probably always be unclear. The Chinese claim that they are the inventors, the Italians naturally claim this culinary masterpiece for themselves. A well-known pasta legend says that Marco Polo would have brought the tasty pasta from the far East home. If you want to know more, you can learn the whole story at the Spaghetti Museum in Pontedassio.
6. Italian cuisine has a greater influence on the development of eating habits than any other kitchen in the world and is the epitome of low-meat, fish, fruit and vegetable-rich nutrition.
7. When you think of the Italian cuisine, many think of pizza and pasta first - but there are many other great dishes from Bella Italia. The Cucina Italiana is a very strong regional cuisine, which has become very independent due to various influences from outside and by using regional ingredients and is now even intangible cultural asset of UNESCO.
8. Unlike in Germany, dinner is the main meal in Italy. This consists of a starter (antipasto), two main courses and a dessert. Of course, one or two Italian wines should not be missing!
9. In addition to olive oil, sausages and meat (especially Mortadella and Parma ham), cheeses (Parmesan and mozzarella) and of course pizza and pasta, the Chianti and Barolo wines are among the most internationally renowned Italian products.
10. PIZZA! Hard to believe, but the well-known pizza had to fight for its place in Italian kitchens. Until 1830, pizza was only sold by street vendors and special pizza bakeries. The first pizzeria opened in Naples and then pizza became quickly one of the favorite national dishes.