Food in Italy between the two World Wars

There is something about Italian food that distinguishes it from all other cuisines. This is a story behind the evolution of food in Italy from World War I to World War II. After the World War II, the country experienced the most well thrived economic reforms. It was a miracle. People were migrating as they decided to look past the damage caused by the war. This is when Italians decided to reform their food too. There were newly found resources, access to newer ingredients and products that were better than the previous era. There was mass production and consumption of cheese, cold nuts, spices and desserts.

A generation that witnessed evolution in Italy

The Italian generation had a pretty good number of options when it came to food. But the past struggle that Italian veterans went through in order to assure meals on their plates instilled a sense of respect for food. The younger generation was taught about the importance of food and how to value it. Wastage, fuss, dislikes and preferences were seldom honored in the name of food. Kids were taught to value the meals they were getting and were told stories about the days when it was difficult for people to find food. They were narrated the struggles and battles the people of Italy went through during war. They were told about the stories of hunger and how people migrated in order to get basic meal for two times a day. The Nazi occupation taught Italian generations a very important lesson; food is rare and food shall be cherished.

Those were hard times, especially being preceded by the brutality of the First World War. Then there were years of Mussolini rule that led to scarcity of food. The youth was divided and people were disconnected. There was a section of society that was well fed and a section that was perennially hungry. Italian Civilization saw the Italian food transforming between the two great World Wars.

Italian Food: Summed up in a book

This extensive tale of Italian Cuisine and its evolution has been summed up by Karima Moyer-Nocchi in her book titled ‘Chewing The Fat: an Oral History of Italian Foodways From Fascism to Dolce Vita’. The book has excerpts from interviews of elder Italian women from distinguished social backgrounds and geographical origins. The book has just one central character and that is food. It also tells how it affected the social and political scenarios. The readers will go through an extensive introduction to Italian food and delicacies. They have a glimpse of recipes and cooking methods that have been forgotten by Italians themselves. The book tells how availability and scarcity of food united people in good and bad times. The motive behind these stories is to let people know how tough the journey has been. History might not repeat itself but the people should know and value the struggle their predecessors went through. It also tells people how crucial it is to hold on to the authenticity of the Italian culture in this time of recession.