Italian cuisine, like all Italian food, is amazingly diverse. Each of Italy’s twenty regions has its own unique set of flavours, recipes, products and ingredients. In fact, the Italian regions were formally ununited as a nation until the mid-19th century, so each individual region retained much of its own distinct identity. The climate and natural landscape have played a significant role in shaping regional cuisines. The northern regions are dominated by creamy risotto and other delicately flavoured dishes, while the sun-kissed south is dominated by bright recipes with olive oil and tomatoes as key ingredients.