15 things you thought to be Italian… But they are not!

Italy is home to such beautiful (and often good!) things, and it’s not unusual finding that some inventions, attributed to other countries, they actually happen to be Italian. But even the opposite may reveal true: you could be sure that such and such thing was Italian and, by chance, you found out that it is not!

Below we have identified "15 things you thought were Italian... But they aren't!": let's go find out all of them!

The world of cooking is highly competitive and highly subject to influence and contamination. It is not always possible to trace the origin of a particular recipe or food. It is in this area, particularly conducive to the emergence of beliefs and clichés, that we have identified some not actually italian foods, but there’s more!

There are, in fact, other things that look or sound Italian but actually have a totally different origin. Here are 15 things that look Italian but aren't, which might surprise you:

-Italian Soda
-Fashion Brands
-Fest of the Seven Fish
-Italian Dressing
-Super Mario
-Spaghetti with Meatballs
-Fettuccine Alfredo
-Tomatoes
-Cannoli
-Head scarf
-Spaghetti with chicken
-Graffe
-Fedora
-Spaghetti with bolognese
-Eggplant

Despite the name, this pleasant, refreshing drink made of soda water with the addition of colorful, fruit-flavored syrups isn't actually Italian.

In Italy, soda water is carbonated water with added minerals, which, however, almost no one would order in a bar. It's mostly used as a base for more elaborate cocktails.

Gucci, Armani, Valentino, the great Italian fashion brands need no introduction and are 100% Italian. However, there are also many other labels that are thought to be Italian simply because of the way their names sound, but in reality, they aren't.

A few examples? Massimo Dutti is a Spanish fashion house, Aldo is a Canadian footwear brand, and Enzo Angiolini which is an American label.

In many parts of Italy, fish is eaten on Christmas Eve, but there is no set number of dishes, and very few people have published their names as the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Many people don't even know what it is, except in some areas of Calabria and Sicily, where this christmas tradition originated and was then exported by emigrants immediately after the war.

By name but not by fact. The salad seasoning known as Italian Dressing isn't actually Italian at all. The name likely originates from the use of ingredients typical of Mediterranean cuisine, primarily olive oil, vinegar, and lemon.

The countless variations, however, also include ingredients that an Italian ganny would never mix with the others, such as peppers and corn syrup.

He dresses in Italian style, has an Italian name, wears an Italian mustache, and (almost) speaks Italian, yet he's Japanese. Created by Siregu Miyamoto, the friendly plumber was originally called Jumpmen, but it seems he was actually inspired by an Italian-American.

Mario Segale is the name of the entrepreneur who owned a warehouse used by Nintendo in the United States and inspired the famous character.

The origin of spaghetti and meatballs, a great classic of Italian cuisine... is not actually Italian! No one there would dream of putting whole meatballs on a plate of pasta.

Even when you want to combine these two ingredients, perhaps as a "day after recipe", to not waste leftovers, the meatballs are chopped up to resemble simple ground meat.

Here is another big misunderstanding: fettuccine Alfredo origin is Italian, but only to some extent. The recipe that is served today has nothing to do with the dish that was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio for his wife who had just given birth.

To taste the original recipe the only solution is going to Rome, to get to know the original tradition at the restaurant Il Vero Alfredo.

Tomato is used in Italy in a thousand variations. As many know, however, it is actually a Central/South American plant. The first European country to import it was Spain and, given its close relationship with Italy in the 16th century, tomatoes soon arrived here as well.

For almost two centuries is wasn’t even very successful in Italy, probably because of the taste, not associated with anything known up to that time.

Cannolo is one of Sicily's sweet excellences, a mouth-watering recipe, but this delicacy made with ricotta cheese, candied fruit and chocolate may have Arab origins!

Indeed, it is likely that some women who lived in one of the harems of Caltanissetta (derived from Kalt El Nissa) invented it. They were skilled cooks so they devised the cannolo by reworking an Arab recipe using ingredients found in Sicily.

Perhaps it's Sophia Loren's fault, or the fashion runways are the ones to blame, anyway many people think the Italian Scarf is actually an Italian invention. Certainly, this simple silk handkerchief has come a long way in Italian cinema and fashion.

Actually, this timeless accessory, whose origins are ancient and largely unknown, arrived in Italy from France and in Italy is commonly known by its French name, foulard.

Pasta with chicken is one of those dishes for which a starred chef might get sick. Pairing two famous and simple recipes from Italian cuisine is an all-American way to have it all and now.

The matter is determining what makes a side dish to what, and especially whether one wants to venture into these daring culinary experiments.

Graffa, the symbol of Campanian pastry, of which there are a thousand versions and variations, always strictly fried and sugar-coated. It’s actually an Austrian dessert, though.

During the 18th century Campania was under Austrian domination, so inevitably, if you visit the city, you’ll notice that Naples’ cuisine was also influenced by the recipes of the rulers.

An iconic accessory, originally a women's hat and then becoming a men's staple starting in the 1930s, the Fedora wasn't born in Italy, even though the famous Italian brand Borsalino contributed significantly to its popularity.

This hat actually originates from France and takes its name from a stage character played by Sara Bernardt in the late 18th century.

Bolognese Ragù is a famous sauce in Italy, with which you can dress tagliatelle or magnificent lasagna yet, no one knows why, there is a widespread idea that its combination with spaghetti depict a typical Italian dish.

This particular kind of “Bolognese” very often consist of just two forkfuls of plain pasta lightly smeared with a tiny bit of meat sauce, not far from the terrifying pasta with ketchup!

A true queen of the table during the summer, eggplant is used in so many preparations: fried, roasted or simply cooked in a pan, it is always delicious.

Perhaps not everyone knows, however, that the eggplant is a vegetable of Indian origin and was brought to Europe only from the 16th century, once again, thanks to the Arabs.