“Most Italians shudder at the thought of Hawaiian pizza, pasta to accompany meat, or cappuccino after lunch. It’s not italiano!” says Hermina Deiana. She is an expert in Mediterranean cuisine, cookbook author and tomato sauce producer. Deiana once learned authentic cooking from her ex-husband’s family – and over the years she also learned which mistakes to avoid .
“Not serving the pasta al dente is a tragedy,” she laughs. According to Deiana, Italians don’t show any mercy when it comes to the wrong preparation of their culinary heritage. “The spaghetti alla carbonara, the Roman national dish, must only be prepared with egg yolk, pecorino cheese and guanciale, an air-dried bacon made from the pork chin. Cream is strictly forbidden,” she explains. In any case, the set of rules for pasta is tough. Because in the classic Italian food culture, the pasta has nothing to do with a main course, absolutely nothing at all. Pasta is served before the main course.
“Digestion is an important issue when it comes to choosing food. This by no means only affects older people. Anyone who thinks that culinary delights are based exclusively on enjoyment is mistaken. There are a number of health rules that say what to eat, when and what to eat what time and what season to eat or drink,” she describes.
In the photo series above, Deiana reveals what you should pay attention to in order not to denigrate Italian food culture.