Unarguably, one of the best things about Italy is the food. Everyone knows about pizza and spaghetti, but what about rare flavors of Italian gelato like watermelon or spicy chocolate? What about octopus salad and other dishes that are hard to describe until you’ve tasted them yourself? During my time living in Italy on Rome Abroad’s au pair program, these are the dishes that stuck with me most. Here’s my list of favorite foods from Italian cuisine.
1. Octopus Salad
Ask any chef and they’ll tell you: octopus is one tricky ingredient to cook. Undercook it and the meat turns rubbery; overcook it and it turns rock hard. So getting it right takes skill. Once a chef does, octopus adds an exciting texture to a salad, and the taste is even better with a squeeze of lemon.
2. Pastries (Especially Napoleonkas!)
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Italy’s pastries. Unlike a lot of American sweets, Italian pastries know when to stop before they get too sweet. With just the right amount of creamy fluff and flaky crispness, they’re simply delectable.
3. Pasta Sauce
By far, the best reason Italian spaghetti and pasta dishes are so delicious is the sauce. There’s a real difference between a jar of sauce from home and a sauce simmered slowly with good tomatoes, olive oil, and time.
4. Mozzarella (& Other Cheeses)
Let me preface this by saying: the mozzarella you’ve had back home is nothing like the real thing. Italian mozzarella is creamy with a texture unlike anything mass-produced. Italians don’t just put it on pizza — they eat it plain as a side to the main meal. If you like cheese at all, real Italian mozzarella is something you have to try.
5. Horse Meat
I know it sounds unusual, but honestly, this has been some of the most delicious meat I’ve had the privilege to try. Imagine a very lean steak, softer than average beef.
Horse is genuinely tasty — my recommendation is never say never!
6. Gelato
Italy isn’t famous for gelato for nothing — it really is all you think it will be, and more. What’s great about a real gelateria is this: the flavors are made from the real ingredient. That means watermelon-flavored gelato actually tastes like watermelon, not the artificial flavor Americans tend to associate with the word.
In other words, “the snozzberries taste like snozzberries!” The same goes for pistachio, spicy chocolate, lemon, hazelnut — you name the flavor.
7. Prosciutto
If you like meat, prosciutto might be right up your alley. It’s ham that’s been dry-cured and typically cut into very thin slices, usually served uncooked (though a cooked version exists too). Commonly served with cantaloupe, it makes a great appetizer or a light end to an Italian meal.
8. Fried Zucchini Flowers
Eating flowers sounds like something deer do, right? Well, I’m happy to be a deer then. Fried zucchini flowers are delicious, and once you try one, you’ll feel like you can never eat enough. Trust me.
FAQ: Italian Foods
What’s the most unusual Italian food to try?
Dishes like octopus salad, horse meat, and fried zucchini flowers surprise a lot of first-time visitors — they’re common in Italian home cooking and local restaurants, even though they’re less familiar outside of Italy.
Is horse meat commonly eaten in Italy?
Yes, horse meat has a long culinary tradition in parts of Italy and still shows up on some regional menus. It’s not on every menu, but it’s not hidden or unusual to order either.
What’s the difference between gelato and regular ice cream?
Gelato is typically denser and less airy than American-style ice cream, with a lower fat content, and is often made in small batches with real fruit and other natural ingredients — which is why the flavors tend to taste truer to the original ingredient.
Will I get to try foods like this while living in Italy as an au pair?
Many au pairs try these dishes through host family meals, local markets, and exploring on their own time — food is one of the easiest ways to get to know a new city once you’ve settled in.
If reading about octopus salad and real Italian gelato has you dreaming of your own kitchen table in Italy, that’s a good sign.
Part of the Rome Abroad team helping young women live and work abroad as au pairs since 2015.
