Italy’s cuisine is as varied as the terroir: from the Alps and Apennine Mountains to the sun-baked shores of Puglia, from the volcanic soil of Etna and Vesuvius to the northern Lakes and the hills of Tuscany, produce and ingredients follow the land. Still, the country has a staggering number of high quality products, which goes some way to showing the sheer biodiversity on offer within a single nation, formed of twenty incredibly different regions.

Roscioli – Roman classics and original dishes made with quality ingredients. Recommended dishes: mortadella, Cantabrian anchovies with butter and toast, fresh ricotta, carbonara, rigatoni with yuzu butter and bottarga, rigatoni with butter and Parmigiano. Ask for the French wine list. Trattoria Da Cesare al Casaletto – out of the way,…

What I love about Italian cuisine is its simplicity and its respect for ingredients. In that sense, one could draw many similarities to cooking philosophy in Japan. Here, at Armando al Pantheon trattoria in Rome (Salita dè Crescenzi, 31, 00186, Rome, Italy; tel. +39 06 6880 3034) anchovies and prunes on…

When in Rome, I can’t get enough of Jewish-style (whole fried) artichokes, which you can find at the Roman Ghetto. My favourite place to have them – is Da Gigetto ( Via del Portico D’Ottavia 21/a-22, 00186 Rome;tel.+39 06 686 1105). (The crunchy leaves are the best part!)

One address which is an absolute must if you are visiting Rome is Roscioli (Via dei Giubbonari, 21, Rome, tel. 066 864045 ). Initially, it was a bakery, later a gourmet shop and a restaurant was added. The products are of unbelievable quality but it’s not only them that make…

Fassi, or Palazzo del Freddo is one of the oldest gelaterias in Italy (last year it turned 130 ). The only shop in Rome is still owned by the founder’s family. It seems that time has stopped at Palazzo del Freddo-the simple, cantine like decor makes you travel to the middle of…

Jewish style artichokes from Piperno restaurant in the Roman Ghetto. You eat everything – the artichoke heart, crispy leaves… One of my favourite Roman specialities. The Romanesco artichokes season is from February to April and you can find them now pretty everywhere in the Ghetto area.

When I asked my Roman friends if they knew any “hidden gems ” unknown to the tourists they started laughing,- “Everywhere there are tourists!”. Until this moment I have been to only one restaurant (two if you count gelateria) which was touristy. Ristorante Matricianella And it was Ristorante Matricianella (…

Thanks, Jupiter, to the Roman friends! Like this, we didn’t have to go to a place full of tourists and mediocre food. Instead, we had a lovely lunch in Rome’s Jewish quarter. A very lively trattoria called Giggetto al Portico D’Ottavia. Now, I must confess, I love trattoria Italian food…

I don’t know how about you, but when I am Italy I don’t want to eat out in too gastronomic restaurants. For me, Italian cuisine is all about hearty, convivial food that I found in Matricianella, this simple and cosy restaurant in the heart of Rome. I did dine in…