Pasta and pizza, in all their infinitely delicious and universally appealing varieties, are inextricably connected to Italian identity. This book tells the story of how cuisine born in the south of Italy during the Arab conquest became a foundation for the creation of a nation.

"Pasta and pizza are inextricably connected to Italian identity. In this book, Franco La Cecla tells the story of how a food born in the south of Italy during the Arab conquest became a foundation for the creation of a new nation. As La Cecla shows, this process intensified as millions of Italian immigrants to the Americas. It was abroad that pasta and pizza became synonymous with being Italian. La Cecla's study will be of interest to a wide range of readers, from social theorists to avid foodies."--book jacket.