Foods Americans Eat That People Would Never Eat in Italy

Spaghetti and meatballs exist separately in Italy, but you probably won’t find them together on a menu.

This “classic Italian meal” was actually created by Italian-Americans.

According to The Smithsonian, when Italians immigrated to the US at the turn of the 20th century, the majority came from Southern Italy, which was experiencing economic poverty.

In a thriving America, immigrants were able to buy more meat, but not filet mignon, so they disguised their rough cuts as meatballs.

The ingredients for marinara sauce were widely available, so they paired these foods with another widely available Italian food: spaghetti.