If there's one thing Italians do not accept, it’s messing around with the culinary traditions which reflect our identity.  So it’s no surprise that food historian Alberto Grandi's theories on the origins of several iconic Italian foods, which in his view aren't really Italian but made-in-the-USA, have caused such a stir in Italy and made the national headlines after they were shared in a Financial Times article published this weekend.

Television talk shows have debated his controversial theories. Farmers’ lobby group Coldiretti and trade union Unimpresa issued statements slamming Grandi’s words as an “attack” against Made in Italy products, saying they risk favouring counterfeit Italian-sounding goods made abroad.