Italians are a vibrant, passionate and colourful people and the Italian community is a reflection of Italian life. Little Italy was originally home to many Italians immigrating to Montreal after World War II. The Italian community, its buildings, cultural events, trattorias and cafes and boutiques give this area of Montreal a real Italian zest. The Italian community is undeniably famous for great food, world champion athletes and truly fantastic cars.
The Italian community has a reputation as connoisseurs of good food. Fresh vegetables, fruit and olive oil, cheese and wine dominant the cuisine and play an important role in Italian life. The garden and wine making are traditions in Italian community. Marco Polo has been credited with bringing pasta to Italy in 1295 but there are many in the Italian community who believe pasta is a Sicilian culinary innovation. Regardless of the provenance of pasta all agree that that the Italians turned a simple flour and water recipe into a dominant world cuisine
Pizza and pasta are the iconic Italian foods found in every corner of the globe and are just two of the many regional varieties of Italian food. The north of Italy is characterized by the use of butter rather than olive oil and more meat dishes than in the south. The south of Italy is known for a variety of pastas and the use of tomatoes, extra virgin oil and many herbs and spices not used in the north. The Italian community and their fresh, healthful approach to eating is now recognized by experts as the Mediterranean Diet.
Italians bring a lot of game to the world of football and no other sport brings the Italian community together like football. The World Cup is always the big sporting event in Italian life and the defining moment for the sporting community was the 9th of July 2006 when Italy won the World Cup.
Bicycle and car racing are another passion of the Italian community. There are not enough superlatives to describe an Italian car whether it is an Alpha Romeo, Maserati or the classic Ferarri. Recently, a police car version of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 was acquired by the Italian police to deter speeding on the highways! The 560-horsepower, 203-mph car is just an everyday police car with style.
