-Meghana Harikumar (cbedit@imaws.org)

Italian cuisine is one of the most loved cuisines across the globe. From a variety of bread and cheese to beloved dishes like pizza and pasta, Italian cuisine has consistently captured the hearts of people of all ages. With a rich history of travel, Italians have carried their culinary traditions with them to various countries, with India being one of the prominent destinations.

As Italian cuisine gained popularity in Bengaluru, the cuisine has become more easily available to people due to its simplicity, variety, affordability, and uniqueness.

Pizza Anyone?

Pizza is undeniably one of the most renowned and delectable Italian dishes. From the regular fluffy base, and thin crust, to Sourdough now, the culinary revolution has fueled remarkable growth in Bengaluru. “Thin crust pizzas can be made using sourdough base too. But what’s interesting is the use of the word Sourdough which is used quite frequently by many brands lately. Our sourdough culture dates back to 2016 which is used to make all our pizzas at Brik Oven. With people getting to know a lot more about sourdough pizzas and their benefits I think it will be a hit for the foreseeable future. And thin crust as a category has its own fan base; I feel both these can coexist to cater to different preferences,” said Sreeram Anvesh, Co-founder, Brik Oven.

Pasta, Freshly Made

The freshly made dough is cut into different shapes and then cooked with desired flavors is such a hit in recent times. “We make our own pasta, the eggless ones. More than homemade pasta being a trend, for us it is all about freshness and quality. Ravioli and gluten-free Gnochhi is a hit at our restaurants,” said Pallavi and Arjun, Founders, The Kind.

“Apart from the freshly made regular filled Tortellini and Ravioli offerings, we focus on an array of short Pasta including Garganelli, Trofie, Cavatelli, and long Pasta like homemade Pappardelle with Saffron Rabbit Ragout, which is also a mass favorite”, added Executive Chef Gaurvav Paul, Ministry of Food and Seta.

Did You Say Tiramisu?

Even if some disagree with tiramisu’s claim as the ultimate coffee-based dessert in Bengaluru, it has been winning the hearts and stomachs of the population in the city. Many variations of Tiramisu are being introduced and that is the trend.“Tiramisu is now so popular in Bengaluru that it turns up in all kinds of menus, not just Italian restaurant chefs in the city regard it as a mark of skill to make the dessert and serve it in different versions with special pride,” said Prafulla Raya, Co-Founder, Deck Of Brews.

“Thanks to social media the various trends of tiramisu have inspired quite a few restaurants to innovate and add their own touch in terms of presentation and; flavors. When we had a tiramisu festival at Brik Oven we were pleasantly surprised by how well the flavors were accepted by the customers, so as far as there’s demand for it from the customers to try something new it will definitely stay, until the next trend,” adds Sreeram Anvesh.

Speaking about the trendy Tiramisu Pallavi and Arjun added, “For us, nothing beats the OG Tiramisu. We have not seen many flavors come and go but the numbers for the original are unbeatable. Seasonally restaurants try to do things differently for special menus but most of those don’t make it to the long-term menu.”

Tomatoes, Was There A Price Hike?

The tomato price spike problem has had an effect on the Indian food business during the past several weeks, as well as on every Indian home. Well, Italian Cuisine is mostly about tomatoes and the surprisingly recent hike in prices does not seem to have made a difference in the industry as they prefer quality over cost-cutting. “We are fortunate to get constant support and great working relationships with local farms and vendors. Our direct purchase helped us stabilize our costing. The market inflation on tomatoes didn’t have a direct impact on us. We continued to serve the dishes at all our restaurants without changes and cost saving,” said Pallavi and Arjun.

“Tomatoes are certainly important in contemporary Italian cuisine and could not be perfect without tomatoes. As the hike is for the time being we cannot increase the price nor can we compromise with quality. We do not compromise on quality hence the price did not bother us much,” added Prafulla.