Although countless people around the world can trace their Italian ancestry to Calabria, Calabrian cuisine tends to remain under the radar. It's a shame because the wild, unspoiled southern Italian region teems with delights. Here's a look at six fundamentals of Calabrian cuisine that are also widely beloved around the peninsula. 

1.  Licorice
Cultivated in Calabria for centuries, Calabrian licorice was first mentioned in the Encyclopaedia Britannica in 1928, which called it "the most popular in Great Britain." It's held PDO status since 2011, and it's available as a fresh or dried root and as an extract. Known for its anti-inflammatory, digestive, thirst-quenching, and aphrodisiac qualities, Calabrian licorice has even garnered a dedicated museum: the Giorgio Amarelli Museum in Rossano, a town in the northern part of the region near the Ionian coast.