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“Italian” food that would make a real Italian cringe

While many people would likely claim to be familiar with Italian cuisine, most Italians might disagree. Many Italians feel that their traditional dishes are butchered abroad. Even the things you’ve considered Italian staples your whole life are not the true dishes you think they are.

Click through this gallery to discover the dishes that Italians label as crimes against their cuisine.




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Pasta

In Italy, there is nothing more typical than a bowl of pasta. Its preparation is so simple that it seems impossible to mess up. However…




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Pasta or paste?

While you’ve probably eaten pasta many times, it’s also likely that you’ve eaten overdone noodles. One of the most common mistakes is to cook the pasta for ages. The result? Something formless with a soggy consistency. Definitely not up to Italian standards.




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Cooking pasta

So, how do you cook pasta? Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil, add the pasta (don’t break it in half), and wait for it to cook. Easy, isn’t it? Yet there are still those who put the pasta in while the water is cold!




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The real carbonara


Despite the creamy texture of carbonara, there’s actually no cream involved. 
The seasoning is made of eggs, bacon, pecorino cheese, and pepper. So if you’ve been eating this dish with cream, it’s not the traditional Italian dish you thought it was.




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Pasta, pesto, and… salmon?


It might be tasty, but do not tell any Italians that this dish is from their country!




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Spaghetti with meatballs


Spaghetti with meatballs is a very popular dish, especially in the United States. Many would never doubt its Italian origin, but, in reality, you’ll never find it in a true Italian restaurant.




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The right pesto


Outside of Italy, this meal is made with any random nut. But in Italy, the only acceptable ingredient is pine nuts.




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Seafood spaghetti… with cheese!


A basic rule of Italian gastronomy is that seafood should not be paired with cheese so that it won’t be overpowered. If you want to eat like a true Italian, stop sprinkling parmesan cheese on seafood pasta!




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Side dish


If you’ve ever had pasta as a side dish, you’re doing Italian wrong! Pasta is always the highlight of the meal, not an extra.




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Veal Milanese


The Italian recipe is quite specific for this dish: place the veal cutlet into the egg and the breadcrumbs, then fry it in butter. However, many places replace veal with chicken, or fry it in oil instead of butter. This is a travesty by Italian standards.




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Caprese salad


Nothing is more disappointing than biting into processed cheese instead of buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte combined with tomatoes and basil.




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Eggplant parmigiana


The traditional parmigiana is done completely differently outside of Italy. For example, in the United States the eggplant is replaced with chicken cutlets.




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Tiramisu


Outside of Italy, whipped cream replaces mascarpone cheese: a true tragedy for Italians!




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Canned food


Canned food was invented for those who love Italian food, but don’t know how to cook it. However, an Italian would never dare to season pasta with sauce from a jar.




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Pizza

The traditional Italian pizza is a margarita pizza. The secret lies in the tasty balance of just a few ingredients: tomatoes, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and basil. That’s it.




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Exaggeration


However, outside of Italy, it seems that pizzas must contain at least 10 ingredients to be edible!




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Strange combinations


Pizza is generally considered by the Italians to be one of their most mistreated dishes. Foreign versions often include flavors that Italians would never even dream of eating. Let’s take a look.




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Greek pizza


Combining pizza dough, Greek salad, and meatballs in a single dish is not something an Italian would ever do.




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Sauerkraut pizza


What about this version? You can find it in Germany, of course! While the Germans are putting their own spin on a classic, Italians everywhere are refusing to call this pizza.




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Chicago-style pizza


Despite the fact that this pizza is well-loved in its home city, an Italian would actually consider it a weird quiche.




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Sushi pizza


Imagination has no limits, and sometimes to an Italian that’s not the best thing.




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Kebab pizza


Pizza and kebab are two different dishes, but together they seem to be one of the most appreciated meals outside of Italy. However, they would never stand for it in the Mediterranean nation.




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Banana curry pizza


In Sweden, they love pizza, so they invented this creative variant with tomato, curry cheese, smoked ham, and bananas cut into slices. This might not appeal to everyone, and it definitely doesn’t appeal to Italians.




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Hawaiian pizza


One of the most controversial and dividing pizzas out there: tomatoes, cheese, ham, and… pineapple! An impossible dish to find in Italy.




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Carbonara pizza


A real crime! Never, ever, tell an Italian you had a carbonara pizza.




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Cappuccino and pizza


Both were invented in Italy, but you’ll never see an Italian consuming them at the same time!




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Pepperoni pizza


This classic is not without controversy. Italians do not eat salami on their pizzas, thank you very much.




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28/28 SLIDES