There is no doubt that if you were to name the most internationally renowned Italian foods, many of them would probably come from the South: pizza, carbonara, and ice cream are just a few. Indeed, the South of Italy accounts for a large number of Italian cultural stereotypes: just think of the typical Neapolitan man singing passionately in the streets and gobbling down his pizza Margherita while waving his hands as he tries to continue talking.

This is of course only a cliché, though it goes to exemplify just how rich in cultural images and traditions the South of Italy is. Consisting of six regions, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicilia, Southern Italy has historically been a very poor and rudimental land marked by sharp contrasts, with the poorest parts of society subsisting on a diet largely made of wheat and vegetables while the nobility of the Regno delle Due Sicilie feeding on luxurious and sophisticated foods.