"Sam" > wrote in message
...
> In terms of either taste only, health - dietary benefits, ease of
> cooking, or a combo of all of these and any other factors, what makes
> Italian food so unique and compelling to you, compared to dishes of
> other countries you also greatly admire.

The main attraction for me is taste. Health benefits are good too, but that
is not what brought it to my attention.

If you compare cooking in Italy today to the typical US meal, they use more
fresh, local, pure ingredients that we do. They are fortunate to have
climates from north to south that allow for the best cheeses, lemons, pork,
wines, olive oils and breads. There are many types of Italian cooking, but
I've never had a bad meal in Italy.