Winter wine is a German tradition that migrates south to sunny Italy in the dead of winter.

Here's a look at some of the things that most Italians serve around Christmas.

Forget the sweet, watery beige-colored brew you slurped as a kid. This is Italian hot chocolate.

If eating forearm-length strips of pure white pig fat sounds like bad, think again.

The United Nations lists no fewer than 21 different fish that can be classified as “sardines.”

In Italy, the barbecue never seems to have evolved beyond meat, heat and eat, wasting a host of wonderful vacation days.

The modern sugarcoated barbarians are not at the gate, they're in the supermarket.

The tomato is a relative newcomer to the Mediterranean peninsula. It had to fend off generations of diffidence and distrust.

Of my list of underappreciated Italian formaggi, the Bagóss stands out.

Italy’s first golden green plant is the fava bean, a legume with a noble pedigree.

Stefano produced a pasta dish that was as succulent as it was simple.

Tuscan Chianina is a far cry from slim, soggy specimens that often line supermarket shelves.