Pizza, pasta, mozzarella, burrata, parmesan, gelato, limoncello. Once you think you have conquered every type of mouthwatering Italian food, there is another to sample. Is there an end to the country's delicious fare? We sincerely hope not. So, how can the rest of us adopt some of the core philosophies of Italian cooking - fresh local ingredients and explosive flavours curated with love - in our own kitchens? We spoke to Italian cook Eleonora Galasso, who was born in Rome and is the author of As the Romans Do, to find out. 

How has Italy maintained such a vibrant food culture? Italy is divided into 20 regions and 110 provinces, each one of them resonating with a unique style of cooking. The food strongly represents our inner identity, so it's still the language we would definitely go by. 

What are some of your fondest memories of food and eating growing up? I grew up  for most of the time on the heel of the boot, the Apulia region amidst voices of women, the smell of fresh ingredients, the mysterious secrets of the cupboard. As a child I wasn't really allowed into the kitchen, so I would spy from the keyhole limpet. I was forbidden from entering my great grandmother’s kitchen, but I was allowed to taste the linguine to make sure they were “al dente”. The rest is history.