Traditional vs. Modern Cooking in Italian Restaurants: A Review

This literature review examines the transformation of Italian restaurants, comparing traditional cooking techniques with modern innovations. It explores the impact of globalization, changing dining habits, and customer preferences on the authenticity of Italian cuisine. The review highlights the significance of fusion methods, the role of marketing and communication, and the influence of ingredient availability on Italian dishes. It also analyzes specific examples of how modern restaurants adapt to regional tastes while considering traditional Italian culinary rules and habits. The study concludes that while traditional methods are still valued by native Italians, a fusion approach often proves more successful in appealing to a broader global audience. The references include articles and books discussing the evolution of Italian food and restaurant practices.

Literature Review: Traditional and Modern Cooking in Italian Restaurant
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Contents
Literature Review............................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Background Literature.....................................................................................................................3
Parent Literature..............................................................................................................................4
Immediate Literature.......................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7
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Literature Review
Introduction
This study aims to define new concepts on the modernisation of Italian restaurants as well
as authenticity related to the traditional methods in Italian cooking. This research is basically
comparing the significance of innovation in the Italian restaurants and traditional values for the
native Italians. However, it has been found in many of the previous researches that fusion of
traditional and modern methods are the most accepted form of Italian food outside Italy.
Furthermore, it can also be seen that dining habits are also changing and revolutionising from
time to time (Jenkins, 2012). Thus, in the present study it can be implied that food industry has
dynamic and capricious nature that forces it to determine new ways in the cooking process and
procedures where Italian cooking is no exception.
Background Literature
Hazan, 2012 describes that traditional methods of cooking have been a tough errand for
today’s lifestyle as it includes slow cooking techniques, fermentations and canning which is a
process and procedure of time. Traditional methods of cooking are more flavourful for natives
and comprised of some basic dining habits. However, in the present scenario, everybody is busy
with their work and life. Not everybody wants to devote their time only for cooking or wants
every meal after so much patience and time. It has also been observed that the taste and flavour
of traditional dishes with the traditional methods are not being accepted by people outside the
country of the dish (Hazan, 2012). In the contrary, globalisation and immigration of Italians in
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the other part of the world has introduced some new innovative dishes which includes the taste
and fusion of the spices and culture of other country with the traditional methods.
Additionally, Waters (2011) elucidates that the fusion process and procedure has widely
accepted by the world and changed the authenticity of the traditional Italian meals. Not only has
this changed the traditional methods of the Italian dishes but also influenced the strict dining
habits preserved by the Italians for breakfast, lunch and meals combinations. On the other hand,
it has been analysed that the fusion of Italian meals in a restaurant is an imperative development
that helps it selling their dishes more than the traditional one (Waters, 2011). Traditional food by
grandmother or mother was based on the taste that is being introduced to a child from the start
and which is flavour with love of mother towards her family.
Parent Literature
As per, Cassi, 2011, in this modern era, everybody wants something new and innovative
to sooth their taste buds. Due to globalisation, in food industry so many spices, flavours and
cultures are mixed which has replaced the traditional values and cultures. Today, so many
restaurants are popular for their mixed fusion of traditional and modern methods which are loved
by everybody and earning lots of money out of that modernization (Cassi, 2011). Traditional
methods in Italian cooking takes time like slow cooking for enhanced flavours preservation of
certain items in a specific temperature and time which cannot be implemented by restaurants in
current situations. Fast food services with appropriate tastes and flavours more than traditional
method is must for the survival of the restaurants. Hence, adopting newness in the Italian dishes
are very important which is also led by the examples such as Barilla company is producing many
Italian products which helps people in making quick Italian dishes with good taste and high
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quality of food. It has also applied many traditional procedures of Italian kitchen to influence the
authenticity of the food and high standards of input ingredients (Cassi, 2011).
In the opinion of Taylor, 2012 communication and marketing food is also necessary for
any restaurants that facilitates popularity in the market and increase its income. The feedbacks of
the customers to improve the food quality and adopt its taste according to the regional customers
are another way of market communication that helps the restaurants in their existence. Although
native Italians may not agree with the fusion of Italian dishes as they believe and cook their food
like rituals and with certain dining habits which are not understandable by other people, but
globally Italian dishes are loved with some amendments and mixed with some other flavours
only (Taylor, 2012). Even in old times Italian kitchens was only had high quality of olive oils,
salt, black pepper and herbs with cheese as main dish ingredients, then immigrants from other
places introduced other vegetables like potatoes, corns, tomatoes and beans which are being
farmed and integrated in primary Italian dishes. Thus, it can be integrated that food in the Italian
kitchen was never based on only specific ingredients and methods and changes in the Italian
kitchen was constant from the beginning (Taylor, 2012).
Immediate Literature
According to Hackman, (2015) the changes in the modern restaurants of Italian kitchens
are mainly includes some of the rules and proportions that are not traditional or prohibited. For
example, garlic in the dishes are used as a most important ingredient and highlighted in the
flavour, whereas Italians does not agree with this procedure as a tradition. Onions are also used
as controversial ingredient in the traditional kitchen with modern process of cooking (Hackman,
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2015). It has also been observed that simple pasta dish with cheese and basils were one of the
most common meals of Italians which was never considered as a main meal in the restaurants.
Moreover, Hackman demonstrates some of the dining habits like offering cappuccino with
croissant is just a breakfast thing which is not served after noon in Italy, on the other hand there
is no rule applies in anywhere else. Some more illustrations like pasta is always boiled slightly
undercooked in Italian tradition, shapes of pasta is specifically attached with its sauces and
ingredients and no meatball pasta concept is there (Hackman, 2015). Along with this, no cheese
is added in seafood pasta recopies. Thus, these traditions are not being followed by today’s
restaurants due to demand of flavour and tastes by the local customers of the restaurants.
Conclusion
Thus, from the above literature review it can be analysed that traditional methods are
only followed by the natives or Italians, however fusion version of Italian dishes are liked by the
majority of the population. From this observation, Italian restaurants around the world are
changing their ways to cook Italian dishes in modern styles that are more suitable in the
particular region.
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References
Cassi, D. 2011. Science and cooking: the era of molecular cuisine. EMBO Reports 12(3),pp. 191-
196.
Hackman, R. 2015. What do real Italians think about New York's Italian food? [Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/18/what-do-real-italians-think-
about-new-yorks-italian-food [Accessed on: 11 September, 2017].
Hazan, M. 2012. The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Pan Macmillan.
Jenkins, S. 2012. In Italian Food, What's Authentic and Does It Really Even Matter? The
Atlantic. August Issues. [Online] Available at:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/in-italian-food-whats-authentic-and-does-it-
really-even-matter/253346/ [Accessed on: 11 September, 2017].
Taylor, A. L. 2012. Has Italian food lost its 'authenticity'? [Online] Available at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/19648820 [Accessed on: 11 September, 2017]
Waters, A. 2011. Recipes and Lessons from a Delicious Cooking Revolution. Penguin UK.
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