When Italy Throws You a Culinary Curveballs
When you think about eating in Italy, you’re probably picturing silky carbonara, dreamy gelato, and maybe a cheeky Aperol spritz (or three).
But guess what? Italy’s got some wild culinary cards up its sleeve - and we’re here for it. 🃏
On our adventures (and a few accidental orders 😅), we’ve stumbled across some offbeat Italian eats you probably didn’t know existed - but definitely need to.
🐎 Horse Meat in Puglia
Yup. You read that right. Horse.
In Puglia, horse meat is a totally normal part of the menu - you’ll find it cooked into rich pasta sauces, tucked into sandwiches, or even sliced deli-style like prosciutto.
We definitely ate it without realizing... and honestly, didn’t even skip a beat.
(If you're wondering - it tastes like a richer beef.)
🧅 Fegato alla Veneziana (Venetian Liver and Onions)
During one of our first EVER trips to Italy, no menu, only handwritten words on a wall. We point at something random, full of optimism. What lands on our table? A giant tray of liver and onions.
Good news? It’s actually delicious - tender, savory, with a melt-in-your-mouth vibe.
Bad news? Liver is kind of a "small portion, big impact" kind of dish... and we had, like, four servings.
🍟🍕 Pizza with Wurstel and Fries
Italians are famously picky about pizza (DON'T even think about pineapple), yet somehow, almost every pizzeria has a pizza on the menu with hot dogs and French fries thrown on top.
Mostly ordered by kids, which is wild because Italian kids are usually out here eating truffle pasta like tiny food critics.
Cultural mystery? Absolutely. Delicious? …We’ll let you decide.
🥣 Jota Triestina (Beans and Sauerkraut Soup from Trieste)
Think you know Italian food? Trieste is here to humble you.
This hearty, sour, stick-to-your-ribs soup is packed with beans, sauerkraut, and smoked meat and it feels way more Austrian or Slovenian than spaghetti-and-meatballs.
If you’re from the south of Italy, there’s a good chance you’ve never even heard of it.
It’s cozy, it’s tangy, and it’s basically a culinary plot twist.
✅ The Takeaway:
Italy is full of surprises - not everything is pasta and pizza (and honestly, it’s way more fun that way). Next time you’re traveling, don’t just order what you know. Take a risk. Point at the menu randomly. (Maybe just… like… check if it’s liver first. 😅)
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