There's Life Beyond Spaghetti! Quiz

Answer: cacciucco

Cacciucco has its origins in the coastal towns of Tuscany and Liguria, though its name may have come from Turkish. While it is mostly associated with the port city of Livorno (Leghorn), there are many local variants of it. It is a hearty fisherman's stew similar to the French bouillabaisse, which includes different kinds of fish and shellfish.

Feijoada is a rich meat-and-bean stew from Brazil, while gumbo is a stew of meat o shellfish thickened with okra and a roux of flour and fat, typical of Louisiana's Creole cuisine. Tagine is a North African stew named after the earthenware dish in which it is cooked.

Answer: mostarda

Originally from the Lombardian city of Cremona, mostarda is a sweet-spicy condiment made with candied fruit in a mustard-flavoured syrup. It is also served with cheese, and can be purchased in grocery stores nationwide. "Bollito misto" includes various cuts of beef, and occasionally also chicken and sausage.

"Marmellata" means jam, while "maionese" is mayonnaise, and "senape" is mustard (the one you put on hot dogs!).

Answer: saffron

Saffron, which is produced in Italy's central region of Abruzzo, gives risotto alla milanese its distinctive yellow colour and delicate taste. The risotto is traditionally made with the marrow contained in the shank bone, though nowadays butter is more often used. Arborio rice, a short-grain variety of rice grown in the Po Valley, is the foundation of a good risotto.

Cardamom and cumin are not typical of Italian cuisine, while nutmeg is used to season béchamel sauce and other dishes.

Answer: lentils

In most Italian homes, "cotechino con lenticchie" (cotechino and lentils) will be served on New Year's Day, sometimes immediately after midnight. According to many cultures, eating pork will bring good luck, while lentils represent coins - therefore guaranteeing financial prosperity in the new year.

In the Southern USA, black-eyed peas and pork are eaten for the same reason. Italian lentils are usually small and brown, and keep their shape when cooked. Cotechino, a speciality of Modena (30 km north of Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region), is a large, highly seasoned pork sausage encased in thick pork rind (cotica) that can often be found as part of a "bollito misto".

Answer: cheese

Fonduta is the Italian equivalent of the French word "fondue" (meaning "melted"). Like its French and Swiss counterparts, the Valle d'Aosta dish is made with cheese, though the variety used is Fontina, a mild, nutty-tasting cheese that melts well. Valle d'Aosta lies in Italy's north-western part, on the border with France: the Italian side of Mont Blanc, the Alps' highest peak, is located there. Valle d'Aosta is also one of the country's two officially bilingual regions - Italian and French being the official languages.

Answer: artichokes

As their name implies, "carciofi alla giudia" belong to the rich tradition of Jewish-Roman cuisine. Whole globe artichokes are deep-fried until crispy, and served upside down with the leaves opened like the petals of a flower. The Roman Jewish community, smaller than in the past after the Nazi raid of 1943, but still thriving in the ancient Ghetto on the right bank of the Tiber, is one of the oldest in the world.

A visit to the Ghetto is highly recommended to those who want to try this dish and other Jewish-Roman specialities.

Answer: porchetta

Known also outside Italy (especially in parts of the world with a strong presence of Italian immigrants, such as Toronto or Philadelphia), porchetta is a must for meat lovers. It is generally made from the body of a whole pig, gutted, boned and rolled around a stuffing of herbs and garlic, then roasted on a spit. Ariccia, in the Castelli Romani area south-west of Rome, is the town most closely associated with it. A variant of porchetta, called "porceddu" (suckling pig), is found in Sardinia, where it is made with a whole suckling pig roasted over a fire of juniper and myrtle fronds.

The other three words also denote Italian meat dishes. "Braciola" refers to sliced meat, either plain or rolled around a filling, while "brasato" and "stufato" are general terms used for stews and pot roasts.

Answer: swordfish

Swordfish has been fished for centuries in the temperate waters around southern Italy, and its flesh features in several tasty dishes from Calabria and Sicily. "Pescespada alla ghiotta" consists of chunks of swordfish fried in olive oil and served with a tangy sauce of tomatoes, onions, capers and parsley.

Unfortunately, frequent consumption of swordfish is not recommended because of the high levels of mercury present in the flesh of these beautiful, majestic fish.

Answer: liver

"Fegato alla veneziana" (Venetian-style liver) is a simple but rich-tasting dish made with thinly-sliced calf's liver sautéed with onions and red wine. Liver, as well as brains, tongue, tail and other organ meats, can be easily found in butcher's shops throughout the country, and form the basis of many regional dishes that are well worth sampling for adventurous eaters.

The expression "avere fegato" (literally "to have liver") is the Italian counterpart of the English "to have guts".

Answer: eggplant (aubergine)

Called "eggplant parmesan" in the US, in spite of its name "parmigiana di melanzane" (melanzane Parma-style) does not contain Parmesan cheese, but rather fresh mozzarella or ricotta (which is more common in the Sicilian version of this dish). The eggplant is sliced thin, fried in olive oil, and layered with tomato sauce and cheese.

The frying is essential for the flavour of this dish, though unfortunately it makes it rather unsuitable for low-calorie diets!