Italian cuisine, which is among the oldest in Europe, was derived from Greek gourmet traditions which in turn were derived from Oriental cuisine.

Today, Italian cuisine is one of the best-known in the world. Pasta, risotto and pizza are widely enjoyed, together with charcuterie like mortadella, salami and zampone, and cheeses like gorgonzola and Parmesan.

Italy is also a major exporter of wine, with vine yards in virtually every province putting out a wide range of table wines, sparkling wines, vermouth and liquors.

True Italian specialities are regional. Lombardy, for example, is renowned for dishes which are rich in butter, its minestrone soup and osso bucco Milanese (a stew of pieces of unboned veal knuckle braised in white wine with onion and tomato).

The romantic region of Tuscany, meanwhile, is famed for its quality beef, pork and poultry; apart from being the home of the best known of Italian wines' Chianti

Other regional specialities are the fish and seafood dishes of Venice; and charcuterie and pasta from the city of Bologna in the region of Emilia-Romagna.

Italian pasta is world-famous. It can be simply mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese or covered with a thick tomato sauce. Otherwise, it can be served with a variety of sauces, the more common examples being bolognaise (beef and vegetable-based) and carbonara (made with ham, eggs, fresh cream, pepper and grated cheese).

Italian cooking also employs the extensive use of herbs like basil, thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary and parsley to flavour pasta dishes.

Famous regional variations of Italian meat dishes include the Florentine bistecca (grilled entrecote steak), as well as picatta (thin slices of meat with a lemon or Marsala sauce) and vitello tomato (veal in a tuna and anchovy sauce garnished with capers) from Naples

An Italian meal often ends with cheese and fruit, or desserts and cakes, followed by espresso coffee

Popular Italian desserts include zuppa inglese (trifle), cassata (multi-flavoured ice cream) and zabaglione (egg yolks, wine and sugar whisked over a gentle heat).