“Most Italians shudder at the thought of Hawaiian pizza, pasta for meat, or cappuccino after lunch. It is not Italiansays Hermina Deiana. She is an expert on Mediterranean cuisine, cookbook author and tomato sauce producer. Deiana once learned authentic cooking from her ex-husband’s family – and over the years she also learned what mistakes to avoid.
– Not serving the pasta al dente is a tragedy, she laughs. According to Deiana, Italians do not show any mercy when it comes to incorrect preparation of their culinary heritage. “Spaghetti alla carbonara, the Roman national dish, must only be prepared with egg yolk, pecorino cheese and guanciale, an air-dried bacon made from pork chop. Cream is strictly forbidden,” she explains. Either way, the rules for pasta are tough. Because in the classic Italian food culture, pasta has nothing to do with a main course, absolutely nothing at all. Pasta is served before the main course.
“Digestion is an important issue when it comes to choosing food. This in no way affects only older people. Anyone who believes that culinary delights are based solely on pleasure is wrong. There are a number of health rules that say what to eat, when and what to eat when and what season to eat or drink », she describes.
In the photo series above, Deiana reveals what you should be aware of in order not to degrade Italian food culture.