Though Italians profess "One for all and all for one," the cultural identity roams from region to region as does its dialects, cuisines, architecture and craftsmanship. There is an even larger division between the richer north and the poorer south of Italy. The divide between the "two Italies" has much to do with the different cuisine that seems to have an affinity with the Eastern Mediterranean, Arab states and North Africa. The bounty of the soil has made food one of the constants. Much time is spent preparing and eating it, placing the Italian diet among the healthiest in the world.

There is no more versatile, better-loved foods in the universe than pasta. Though it may have originated in the Orient, no food is more Italian and the names and shapes vary region to region. Fettucine in Rome is called tagliatelle in Bologna. Fusilli in most of Italy is named something else in Apulia. Getting past the distinctive pasta names and preparations, the delectable sweets of Italy including the kingmakers, cannoli and sfogliatelle, are not a regular part of the daily meal and Italian diet. They gain in importance the further south one goes. Sicilian desserts are reputed to be among the best and richest, but in most other parts, fresh fruit in season is by far the favorite.

However, when the special occasion and the celebration is just right in the different regions of Italy, assorted pastries are sure to make the family table.

While the regular offerings in northeastern Italy include spaghetti alle Vongole (spaghetti with fresh clams in a chili pepper sauce), Tiramisu, Italy's most famous dessert, is a prepared rich and soft blend of espresso-soaked sponge cake or ladyfingers and mascarpone dessert cheese. Originally created in Siena (Tuscany) for Grand Duke Cosimo de'Medici III and named zuppa del duca (the duke's soup), it made its way to Florence and then England where it became very popular. Eventually, zuppa del duca made its way to Treviso (Veneto), where Tiramisu was perfected. This delicious dessert (whose literal translation means "pick me up") can now be found in Italian restaurants all over the world and has even gained popularity in recent years.

Venice, also located in the Veneto region, is credited with giving the world Amaretti, macaroon-type cookies made from ground almonds or almond paste, sugar and egg whites, during the Renaissance. Amaratti are diverse and can be served with ice cream, dessert wine or liqueur, and can also be sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam for an extra special treat.

Another Venetian dessert is Zabaglione. Made with egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine or other sweet liquor, zabaglione is a custard traditionally served, hot or cold, with fresh figs or ladyfingers. Originated in Venice when the city ruled the Adriatic, zabaglione was originally made with honey instead of sugar and Cyprus wine instead of Marsala.

Milan is known for contributing both panettone, the traditional Christmas cake, and Colomba Pasquale ("Easter Dove" in English), panettone's Easter counterpart.

Siena (Tuscany) is credited with introducing the dark, fruitcake-like dessert spiced with cinnamon and cloves known as panforte. Panforte ("strong bread"), which often contains fruits and nuts, can be served with dessert wine or even enjoyed with tea or coffee at breakfast. It got its name due to its strong, spicy flavor and was once used as payment to nuns and monks by inhabitants of the monastery of Montecellesi as a form of tax.

Biscotti were first created in Tuscany many centuries ago. While the word "biscotti" in Italian generally means "cookie" or "biscuit," the biscotti we are talking about here are the long, crispy twice-baked cookies that go so well dunked in coffee (and some varieties even in wine) and can be found in coffee shops and bakeries pretty much anywhere. Across Italy are dozens of varieties of the long and dry biscotti baked with almonds and other nuts. Traditionally made with almonds, today biscotti can be found in a myriad of different flavors, made with various nuts and even dipped in chocolate!

Other Tuscan desserts include torta di riso, a rice cake served with a fruit sauce and seasonal fruit, cantucci, a sweet biscuit served with a Tuscan dessert wine, brigidini, anise-flavored cookies, and a raisin cake called buccellato.

Rome's contribution to the sweet tooth is the torta di ricotta, a cheesecake filled with ricotta, Marsala and lemon. The Eternal City is also known for gelato, cream puffs called bignè, sponge cake dipped in sweet liqueur and layered with whipped cream, candied fruit and chopped chocolate known as zuppa inglese, sweet raisin buns called maritozzi and rum-soaked fruit and nut cake called pan giallo. Dessert is usually topped off with anise-flavored sambuca.

Naples boasts such fare as "real" pizza, delicious calzones and the freshest mozzarella di bufala. However, Neapolitan desserts are just as mouthwatering. Sfogliatelle are crispy, flakey shell-shaped pastries filled with a creamy filling usually made of ricotta or even almond paste. Struffoli, usually reserved for the Christmas season, are bite-sized pieces of fried dough drenched in honey and decorated with multi-colored sprinkles. And last but certainly not least, the Neapolitans have zeppole, friend donut-like rings dusted in sugar and traditionally served during St. Joseph's Day (la festa di San Giuseppe) in mid-March. Zeppole can also come in the form of deep-fried dough balls and may be filled with a variety of fillings such as custard or a cannoli-style pastry cream.

Speaking of cannoli, Sicily is arguably the "granddaddy of dessert destinations" with other contributions like cassata, nougat and marzipan. Cannoli originated in Palermo where they were a regular part of Carnevale. The cream-filled tube-shaped fried pastry dough shells are an essential part of Sicilian culture. As is cassata, a pound cake moistened with liqueur and layered with filling similar to cannoli cream. Torrone is a nougat candy made of honey, egg whites, vanilla and almonds. While it is popularly associated with Sicily, its history is actually based in ancient Rome.

With all of these mouthwatering desserts, is it any wonder that Italians have perfected la dolce vita?