Food is the basic human need. But the food
choices over the globe are different in various regions due to various factors.
The essay tries to portray the variable factors that affect the food choice and
the topic deals with the specific Italian culture. As the famous actress Sophia
loren said - "Everything you see I owe to pasta." we will
be discussing the beautiful country named Italy and the main factors
influencing there food choices and the culture and the effect of food culture
in Italy including history, factors creating influence, socio economic and
other related factors ( such as – demographic, economic, climate, work pattern
and other determinants). The main purpose of the study is to find out the key
variables or the main factors affecting food choices in Italy to identify the
differences and the factors creating these differences in food choices.
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| My all time favorite Film |
Italy and
food choices:
Italy is a south
European country bordering Austria, Switzerland, France and Slovenia. A country
blessed with natural beauty and tourists. And as a result, the country is
flourished with food choices and differences in food consumption pattern. No
one who enters an Italian home should fail to receive an offering of food and
drink. Typically, breakfast consists of a hard roll, butter, strong coffee, and
fruit or juice. Traditionally, a large lunch made up the noon meal. Pasta was
generally part of the meal in all regions, along with soup, bread, and perhaps meat
or fish. Dinner consisted of leftovers. In more recent times, the family may
use the later meal as a family meal. The traditional food choice is changing,
and a heavy lunch may no longer be practical.
Now take a
look at some of the most delicious foods you will find in Italy.
Traditional first course of a formal meal in
Italy is called Antipasti which is the first course of a formal Italian meal.
That includes-
Antipasti:
·
Braciole- Simply thin slices of beef which are
pan-fried in their own juice, or in a small amount of light olive oil.
·
Nervetti - Pressed beef cartilage seasoned with
onions
· Bruschetta- Roasted bread rubbed
with garlic and topped with olive oil
· Prosciutto - Ham
These are the most common traditional formal part of the food choice on a
meal in Italy.
Breads:
·
Ciabatta
– Bread made from wheat flour and yeast
·
Ciriola
– Typical bread of Roma
·
Michetta
Typical bread of Milano
Now comes one of the most delicious food around the world- Pizza and to
be honest Italy is enriched with different types of pizza making and there is
no country with such variation.
Pizza:
·
Focaccia al Rosmarino – An appetizer based on
rosemary and olive oil, sometimes served with prosciutto
·
Pizza
Margherita - based on tomato and mozzarella
·
Pizza Quattro Stagioni - based on tomato and
divided in four sectors, one for each season:
- Spring: olives and
artichokes
- Summer: pepper
- Autumn: tomato and
mozzarella (like Pizza Margherita)
- Winter: mushrooms and
boiled egg
Now it is time for the wine. The Italian wine is famous around the world
and they have a history of making wine to the finest quality and the choice
regarding this type of drink varies on the taste of the consumer.
·
Bombino Bianco - a white Italian wine made of grape
·
Verdicchio
– Wine
with yellow/ green hay
·
Cinque Terre – straw yellow colored dry wine.
The
up stated foods are among the most popular food around the country and besides
these there are many other food choices available in Italy with a growing
number of options. The most notable thing here is that the regional difference
of food choices. As there variation in the genre of grapes in different region;
there are different types of wines and this is applicable for all food items
due to variety and availability along the country. Listed foods and their
features are taken from different books and sites for better understanding.
Defining
food choice:
Food choice can be defined as the selection of foods for consumption, which
results from the competing, reinforcing and interacting influences of a variety
of factors. These range from the sensory, physiological and psychological
responses of individual consumers to the interactions between social,
environmental and economic influences, and include the variety of foods
available and the activities of the food industry to promote them.
Factors
affecting the food choices:
There are factors that affect the choice and
they are not constant or fixed. Over the time it has been seen that people have
adapted to food choices according to their needs and demands. After a careful
analysis the following points are meant to be one of the prime reasons for the
change in food choice in Italy.
Familiarity
and Habit:
Familiarity and
the habit of taking food is one of the main reasons for food choices as
different researches have been made on this topic. Subjects stated ‘they were
eating the way that they were taught at home in the past and continued eating
according to those habits when they left their parents to go and live on their
own or started their own family’ (Brug et al. 1995).
Social
interactions
Food is a major
focus for social interactions. In one German study it was found that pleasure
from food was only partly determined by the sensory aspects of the food items.
Factors such as atmosphere, the table, mood and people were all important
aspects of the pleasure gained from eating occasions (Westenhoefer & Pudel,
1993)
Economic factor
For the
consumption of food it has been seen that the cost of the food and the
availability of the food is also very important to a culture and a country.
Italian people are no different. The costs of the foods in various zones in
Italy are responsible for it. It is seen that due to some change in the cost,
the food choice varies according to different zones featuring some of the local
foods only available at different zones in Italy.
Agricultural factor:
The climate of
Italy is important for the study. Climate of Italy The summer temperatures vary
between 16°C to 19°C. But temperatures in some parts can also rise up to 30°C.
While in winters, it ranges from 12°C to 2°C. The summer temperatures vary
between 16°C to 19°C. But temperatures in some parts can also rise up to 30°C.
While in winters, it ranges from 12°C to 2°C.
Due to the variation in different seasons in temperature and in climate have
made it possible to grow in a diverse manner in Italy and that is creating the
difference. From the up stated food list we can clearly see the difference in
food pattern in case of bread choice and availability.
Marketing factor:
The food
packaging and the marketing of the food is also important for the food choice.
As the food choice has some of the psychological impact and the current
marketers are more into furnishing their product; it is seen in Italy that
people tend to prefer more of the better packaged food and foods with good
quality and promotion.
Transportation factor
As enriched with
different types of wines, the transportation system is also responsible for the
change in food choice as more of the variations in wine are due to the
variation of quality in the raw materials and transportation. As transportation
is needed for a country’s development the food pattern has simultaneously
changed with the advancement in this sector.
Food preparation time
Although a bit off track reasoning that is
affecting the food choice but it can affect to greater extent as in a study it
is found that people of the European country is more concerned about the time
it takes to prepare the food. The study shows that younger and more highly
educated individuals reported food preparation time more frequently as a
barrier to a healthy diet (Lappalainen et al. 1997). That indicates that
normally food taking less time to prepare or foods with nutritious values at a
low time of processing is very much acceptable in Italy.
Personal
ideology
For a developed country like Italy
it is seen that the affluent people make the difference in the choice of their
food. While the affluent add to the food choices due to availability where as
the normal or mid income people try to justify their earnings through balanced
diets and delicious foods. Personal ideology is also responsible for the progression
of regional foods in Italy.
Employment
issue and food choice
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| Italian Restaurant |
Food choice is a relative factor
and it has a relationship with the employment factor. We can see that countries
with higher employment rate tend to spend more of their money on food. But, the
relative amount of money they use for other things are greater in number in
comparison with the costing of food consumption. Italy is blessed with natural
beauty that attracts the tourists and for that the smoother development of the
country has made it possible about the diversity in the food choice and adding
value to the economy of the country and as an indirect effect the Italian
people are getting more into foods causing a wide spread number of the Italian
restaurant.
Conclusion
Italians are known for their hospitality
especially in food and wine. The variety of the foods available here are mainly
due to variation in weather and climate. People are the ones who are making
choices among the diversified food choice in Italy and the reason they are
doing it basically relates to a few things. Food pattern is more complex and
diversified in countries with diversity in education, people of different age group,
income level and personal ideology and availability and the whole marketing of
the food, familiarity, taste, etc. These are the main reasons influencing the
changes in food choice within Italian culture .We can see where in the past,
people were looking for more delicious food which took time to prepare. But,
they are now trying to consume foods that are ready to eat meaning less time
for preparation of the food and are concerned about the balanced diet. These
factors have shaped up the food choices of the Italian people and now these
factors have become the culture of Italy that reflects the ultimate advancement
of the country through the factor of food choices.
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| See you Soon :) |
First, i had one reason to love Italy and that is the film Godfather. now, i guess i have more and hopefully you guys will like it :)
References:
·
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/quotes-about-italian-food.html
·
Brug
J, Debie S, van Assema P & Weijts W (1995) psychosocial determinants of
fruit and vegetable consumption among adults: results of focus group
interviews. Food Quality and Preference 6, 99–107
·
Institute
of European Food Studies (1996a) A Pan-EU Survey of Consumer
Attitudes to Food, Nutrition and Health,no. 1. Dublin: Institute of
European Food Studies.
·
Institute
of European Food Studies (1996b) A Pan–EU Survey of Consumer
Attitudes to Food, Nutrition and Health, no. 2. Dublin: Institute of
European Food Studies.
·
O’Doherty
JK & Holm L (1999) Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural
perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods. European Journal of
Clinical Nutrition
·
Consumer
Behavior by Lasnuk
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