I have spent many holidays in Italy and never eaten well. They have no idea how to make a good pizza.

Why do we have to have every meal smothered in parmesan in case we taste the rest? Why do we have to have mozarella, which tastes! like well chewed cardboard. Why does everything taste of tomato, basil and parmesan. Once in a while, ok, but always!!

Because that is what Pizza is all about. Basil. Oregano, sundried tomatoes, Good Olive oil and Mozzarella to start off with. Other meals have basically but not normally the same ingredients. Well what do you expect fish n chips or a fry up?

Why have you had many holiday's there if you do not like the food? It s a very healthy diet for the most part. I have had wonderful holidays in Italy, Northern and Southern and the food is wonderful. Polenta up in Milan is great, seafood in Naples superb

I am so pleased that you have enjoyed it. I try hard. I love food. But really mozzarella!! We were introduced to Limoncella. ... very forgetable.

I was in Rome last year at what was considered to be a good restaurant. Most of our party left the Mozzarella. They did a fairly good job with then lasagne but nothing like the quality in Nice.

I stayed at an hotel on the Amalfi coast. They were so proud of their food that they gave us a book of their recipes when we left. It was very!! unmemorable.

I have tried buying food in Italy and cooking for myself. It is better but the quality does not approach that in the south of France.

I am sorry. I wish it was better but it isn't. We get Parma ham and I much prefer Jambon de Bayonne....

But the Italians don't just eat mozzarella and lasagne. They cook other things in their own specific style. Take a look what the chef's do on GFL, not all pasta but seasonings and herbs. Potatoes in olive oil. mmm But I guess if you don't like it there is no point in trying to persuade.

I can't understnad the negative feeling myself. Italian (Med) food is a very healthy food. They are showing a series of david Rocco. He cooks Italian. Oh sisteract. you mentioned Potaotes with olive oil but ddon't forget the rosemary. WOW. You are right you can't convince anyone and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I have travelled to many countries in the world and mostly enjoyed their food. Breakfast in Germany is great but nothing else. I have listened to the programmes about Italian food and tried hard to find something worthwhile.

I was in a restaurant in the south of Sardinia, famed for its sea food. What happened? It was smothered in tomato, basil and Parmesan. This was after a pasta dish which consisted of a bowl of pasta, a teaspoon of meat sauce (with tomato and basil) and drowned in parmesan.

I want very much to find enjoyable Italian food but I am now convinced that it is only possible when not cooked by Italians.

Have you ever thought of asking the restaurant or hotel to serve you the parmesan seperately, or "on the side"? I am sure most would oblige in fact I am suprised that this is not already the case.

Have you also tried Carbonara etc? There is so much more to Italian food than you are describing. Saying that Italians cannot cook their own foods is a little harsh though I feel.

I was believing this series of posts until Nunnbutt mentioned that in Sardinia, a seafood restaurant served fish with parmesan. That is very unlikely. Sorry

But when in any restaurant in Italy or where ever the menu has a varied list of Pastas, Soups etc. If it was just the ingreindents you mentioned then why give you a menu.

The point I am making is that I have tried very hard to enjoy Italian food. Their wine is OK!.

And yes! I have tried most things. Generally they are beautifully described but all to often taste the same.

It was shellfish with parmesan, which surprised me too.

Don't get me wrong. Italian food can be great. The dutch cook the best pizzas and the French cook the best pasta. Try finding somewhere in Venice to eat a good meal, I have and I have yet to find it./

The best Italian food is probably in New York and interestingly Istambul.

Nunnbutt..........sounds like you should change holiday location if you dislike Italian food so much. What do you expect to be served in Italy.............fish and chips? Don't know what sort of places you are eating in but I lived in Italy for 10 years and never ever had parmesan served with fish or my pasta covered in parmesan - it is always presented in a separate bowl. You obviously don't have a clue about Italian food especially if you think they make it better in Istanbul. I suppose you think that Turkish Delight is better in China and Norweigians make better curries!!! By the way if you want the name of a good restaurant in Venice I can name a dozen but of course there won't be any 'fish and chips' on the menu or 'big mac's'. Maybe you should try Butlins next time............sounds more up your street!!

sonia, you wrote what i was thinking pmsl

Well said Sonia

My mum's Italian and our food was never covered in tomato sauce or parmesan......in fact Italians generally eat pasta with very little sauce and the same with their pizzas. It sounds as though you just don't like Italian food so there is no point in critising it.