Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine consisting of the
ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques developed in Italy since
Roman times and later spread around the world together with waves of
Italian diaspora. Some of these foods were imported from other cultures.
Significant changes occurred with the colonization of the Americas and
the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, maize and sugar
beet—the latter introduced in quantity in the 18th century. It is one of
the best-known and most appreciated gastronomies worldwide.