1. The thermometer is an Italian invention
2. Italy's contributions to science include the barometer, electric battery, nitroglycerin, and wireless telegraphy.
3. With almost 40 million visitors, Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world.
4. The majority of Italian-American immigrants came from Naples and southern Italy.
5. The average Italian consumes 26 gallons of wine a year.
6. Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe
7. Since the end of WWII, Italy has seen almost 60 governments come and go
8. Italians used to be known for having large families, however Italy is now known for having Europe's lowest birthrate
9. Italy's richest man is Silvio Berlusconi politician and Media guru
10. There have been more than one new government per year in Italy since its constitution as a republic

Ten things you didn't know about Italian Food

1. When in Italy, don't request for Fetuccini All'Alfredo, unless of course, you're in Il Vero Alfredo Restaurant in Rome.

Want a sure fire way to annoy an Italian chef? Ask him to prepare Alfredo pasta!

Alfredo pasta isn't your typical pasta variant like, say, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. Its history goes something like this: an Italian, Alfredo di Lelio opened 'Alfredo' restaurant in Rome back in 1914. The best seller in the menu? Fettuccine all’Alfredo. Alfredo eventually put up a restaurant in New York and sometime in between then and now, the rest of the world thought that Fettuccine All'Alfredo is a common variant of Italian pasta.

To put it simply, imagine how you'd react when a foreigner requests you to cook Linda's Adobo. You'd probably say “Who the heck is Linda and how am I supposed to know what's her adobo like”, right? That's how Italian chefs feel whenever they're asked for Fettuccine all’Alfredo.

2. Bolognese (pronounce: 'bolonyese') pasta is not spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs-- at least, not to Italian chefs and residents of Bologna.

“A Bolognese pasta is not Bolognese if not made from ragù,” Chef Lombardi emphasized. Ragù alla bolognese is made of beef from a cow's plate section, fresh bacon, onions, carrot, celery, very little tomato paste, meat broth, dry wine, milk, salt and pepper and is usually served a top of fresh tagliatelle-- not spaghetti.

Not Bolognese

“It's quite sad for us Italians, especially people from the Bologna region, how overused the word Bolognese has become. Nowadays, just because the pasta is red and with meat, it's Bolognese. Ragu is not even red!” Chef Lombardi lectured.

3. Pizzas are always thin (well, a little thicker when done Lazio style) and should be eaten using your hands. 

Italians are particular about their pizzas. Did you know that they even have a bill that specifies guidelines for a traditional Italian pizza?

Lombardi's Pizza Napoletana

Authentic Napoletana Pizzas are thin, non-greasy, and topped with just mozarella, tomatoes, and basil. Lazio style pizzas (the rectangular ones sold on the streets) on the other hand can go just a little thicker.

Chef Davide Lombardi shows you how Italians eat their pizzas

As for the accepted way of eating pizzas? Discard your knife and fork and use your hands, please!

Just last year, Donald Trump and Sarah Palin was lambasted online for eating pizzas using knife and fork; a commenter even said that what they did was akin to drinking beer using a straw. And while no one would really persecute you when you eat pizzas using a fork, it won't hurt if you eat it the Italian way. In fact, it makes your dining more enjoyable. “We usually eat pizzas this way,” Chef Lombardi said, as he folded the pizza slice before stuffing it into his mouth.

4. Speaking of pizzas, don't order Pepperoni pizza in Italy. 

“If we were in Italy and you asked me to prepare 'Peperoni' pizza, I'll give you a pizza filled with bell peppers,” an amused Chef Lombardi said. The Pepperoni that we know that has ham slices and all is more American than Italian.

Pepperoni Pizza

Chef explains further, “Peperoni (spelled with one 'p') in Italian means bell pepper. If you want pizza with slices of slightly spicy sausage, ask for Pizza Calabrese. That's the closest thing we have to your Pepperoni.”

5. Authentic Quattro Formaggio pizzas must use four of any of Italy's more than 400 cheeses-- most common are: mozarella, pecorino, gorgonzola, and provolone. 

Quattro Formaggio

Chef Lombardi finds it funny whenever he reads a supposedly authentic Italian menu that has gruyere (a French cheese) and cheddar (English) in their 'Quattro Formaggio'.

6. Caesar Salad? Not Italian.

Just like Alfredo pasta, Caesar Salad is not Italy's national salad, despite having the same name as the famous Roman general.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Caesar Salad is not Italian...

Caesar Salad is a recipe of an Italian immigrant and restaurateur named Caesar Cardini. It was also popularized in the United States.

7. Espresso, a popular Italian method of serving coffee, gives you less caffeine than regular drip coffee. 

For real? For real. Lots of online forums will tell you how a cup of regular brewed coffee has about 115 milligrams of caffeine, slightly higher that what you'll get from an espresso: about 80mg so we'll no longer dwell on this.

8. Italians are not as fond of sweets as their neighbors.

“We have quite a few dolce (desserts) but not as many as the French. We have tiramisu, panna cotta, gelato, and a few more,” Chef Lombardi explained.

Tiramisu

Most Italians do not need something sweet after meal. According to him, a slice of fruit most often suffices.

9. Italians do not subsist on pizzas and pastas alone.

Risotto

10. The most expensive truffle ever sold was found in Italy, not France. 

Truffle, a rare and expensive mushroom that costs as much as £210,000 a piece, is sourced from Italy. In fact, white truffles-- the more expensive kind, are harvested in Alba in Piedmonte, Italy. 

Truffles are best mixed with pastas!