Five Italian Food Staples That Are Not Commonly Heard Of In Italy!

The following food products have Italian roots but are not considered the ideal representation of Italian cuisine. They don't even exist in Italy!

1. Spaghetti with big meatballs

Best believe this so-called Italian meal is one of the most common myths in North America. In Italy, this meal (with big meatballs) is non-existent!

However, meatballs cooked in a unique variety of ways are famously served around the country. In Italy, there is only one meal that is most similar to, dare we say, American spaghetti and big meatballs.

However, the dish is made up of noodles and small meatballs and is only typically served in parts of southern Italy.

2. Fettuccini Alfredo

The Alfredo sauce commonly served in Italian restaurants is another huge Italian myth alongside the meal it is most frequently used for, the Fettuccini Alfredo.

Contrarily, however, the "Alfredo sauce" almost doesn't exist in Italy but there are many pasta sauces like it.

The origin of the "Alfredo sauce" in North America dates as far back as 1914 when Alfredo di Lelio, a Roman restaurateur, named his butter and cheese linguine after himself.

The sauce went on to become very popular thanks to early Hollywood stars. To date, it is only Alfredo's two known personal restaurants that still serve his sauce and the name "Alfredo" that are commonly talked about in Italy.

3. Italian Soda and Italian Cream Soda

In Italy, there is no such thing as "Italian soda." There are only a few traditional sodas native to Italy, and they are: ‘aranciata' (orange-based), ‘gassosa', ‘cedrata' (made from citron fruit), and ‘chinotto.'

On the other hand, the Italian sodas in North America have various flavors that tend to be sweeter and much more concentrated than the original Italian sodas.

4. Caesar Salad

The Caesar salad is another non-existent dish in Italy as opposed to the common belief that it originated from there.

On the other hand, the history of Caesar salads dates back to the 1920s when Caesar Cardini, who was an Italian immigrant that owned restaurants in California and Mexico.

He made the Caesar salad from leftovers, but it quickly became a fan favorite, thus its popularity to date.

5. Italian Wedding Soup

This is yet another non-existent dish in Italy. Unlike this dish may cause many to believe, Italian soups are generally basic and are created to complement notable dishes.

As a matter of fact, the Italian wedding soup is considered a mistranslation of ‘minestra maritata', married soup, in which vegetables and meat symbolically marry in one single dish!