If you want to learn about Italian culture, there is no better lens from which to look than through Italy's food traditions and regional cuisines. 

Today on the podcast we welcome Dottoressa Arianna Salomon, a PhD candidate at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, and a graduate of Università Ca' Foscari in Venice, Italy. This semester at FAU, Dott.ssa Salomon is teaching a course entitled, "Italian Culture Through Food," and she was kind enough to share some of her insights on this episode. 

Food is a central part of Italian life, and it is used to celebrate special occasions, such as holidays and weddings. It is also used to show hospitality to guests. But perhaps more significantly, it has a central role in daily life. The Mediterranean Diet, Slow Food, the regional cuisines in Italy… these concepts all speak to the importance of what we eat, how we prepare it, and whom we share our meals with.

Buon appetito!