The Italian cuisine debate has reignited with historian Alessandro Barbero’s latest comments, which added a fresh perspective to a long-standing discussion. In a recent interview, Barbero argued that there is no true national Italian cuisine; instead, what we often call “Italian” abroad is primarily a product of the Italian American experience. Barbero, a well-known historian and divulgator, says that Italian American dishes, such as spaghetti with meatballs, have shaped international views on Italian food more than any single regional cuisine in Italy.
Origins of the controversy: Grandi’s provocative claims and Italy’s UNESCO bid
The dispute around the authenticity of Italian cuisine began heating up in March 2023, when food historian Alberto Grandi lit up the controversy in an article for The Financial Times. Grandi claimed that some of Italy’s most iconic dishes, including pizza and carbonara, were relatively modern inventions, with many Italians unaware of them before the 1950s. He further suggested that American products like Wisconsin parmesan could be valid substitutes for traditional Italian ingredients. As you can imagine, these claims were met with significant backlash from Italian food purists, with organizations like Coldiretti condemning Grandi’s statements as economically damaging and culturally reductive.
In contrast to Grandi’s provocative stance, Italy’s UNESCO bid to recognize Italian cuisine as part of the intangible cultural heritage emphasized the deep cultural connections between food, history, and regional traditions, highlighting the “mosaic of traditions” that defines Italian culinary practices, a perspective Grandi’s critique failed to address adequately.
Italian American cuisine as Italy’s true national cuisine?
Barbero’s viewpoint, however, sits at an intersection between the modern critiques raised by Grandi and the cultural pride emphasized by Italy’s UNESCO proposal: while he acknowledges that Italian American cuisine has shaped international perceptions of Italian food, he argues that Italy itself cannot be defined by a singular, unified culinary tradition. Italy’s regional diversity, he continues, makes it impossible to identify a cohesive national cuisine, and even the concept of regional cuisines is somewhat flawed, as regions like Sicily or Piedmont have distinct culinary identities, while others like Lombardy or Emilia-Romagna are far more fragmented.
But Barbero’s most striking claim is, undoubtedly, that Italian American cuisine is, in fact, the closest thing to a national cuisine that exists for the Belpaese: this statement shifts the discourse about authenticity in a significant way, suggesting that the diaspora played a larger role in solidifying an Italian culinary identity than Italy itself. And if it’s true that dishes like pizza and carbonara became synonymous with Italy globally, Barbero’s analysis encourages a more subtle, in-depth understanding of how food traditions evolved and adapted, particularly in response to immigration and cultural exchange.
Barbero’s comments also invite us to reconsider the nature of authenticity: while purists may reject Italian American cuisine as inauthentic, Barbero’s argument positions it as a genuine evolution of our culinary heritage, where the fusion of Italian ingredients with American products, and the adaptation of recipes to suit the tastes and resources of Italian immigrants in the US created food that stands on its own, distinct yet deeply rooted in Italian tradition.
The dynamic nature of Italian cuisine
In this light, Barbero’s take on Italian American cuisine provides a refreshing counterpoint to both Grandi’s criticism and the quite idealized image of Italian food presented by UNESCO advocates, because he underscores the importance of recognizing food not just as a cultural artifact but as a dynamic and evolving practice that reflects broader societal changes.
The debate over the authenticity and evolution of Italian cuisine is likely to continue, especially in light of its ongoing candidacy to become part of the UNESCO Heritage, and the recent publication of Grandi’s book on the topic, La Cucina Italiana non Esiste. But Barbero’s insights are more pivotal than any diatribe, because they remind us how food is, often, the mirror and result of historical changes, migration, adaptation, and of the constant dialogue between tradition and innovation, in a perspective that challenges the idea of one “true” version of Italian cuisine, while stressing the rich, diverse and constantly evolving nature of food cultures.
