This list includes 36 Italian foods that start with B, from “Babà al rum” to “Busiate al pesto trapanese”. They range from breads and cheeses to seafood pastas and desserts, useful for cooking, travel, or menu planning.
Italian foods that start with B are a diverse group of regional specialties, from rustic street foods to refined desserts. Many trace their origins to local ingredients and traditions, such as Neapolitan “Babà al rum” dating to the 18th century.
Below you’ll find the table with Food, Region, and Main ingredients.
Food: The dish name helps you identify the item quickly and find matching recipes or regional notes.
Region: Shows the Italian region or town where the item is traditional, helping you understand local context and flavors.
Main ingredients: Lists three to five key components so you can gauge flavors, pantry needs, or recipe suitability.
Italian foods that start with B
| Name | Category | Region | Main ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bagna cauda | sauce | Piedmont | garlic, anchovies, olive oil, butter |
| Baccalà alla Vicentina | dish | Veneto (Vicenza) | salted cod, onions, milk, anchovies, olive oil |
| Baccalà mantecato | dish | Veneto (Venice) | salted cod, olive oil, garlic, milk |
| Baccalà alla Napoletana | dish | Campania (Naples) | salted cod, tomatoes, olives, capers |
| Brodetto | dish | Marche (Ancona) | mixed fish, tomatoes, garlic, white wine, olive oil |
| Braciole | dish | Southern Italy | thin beef or pork, garlic, parsley, cheese, breadcrumbs |
| Bresaola | cured meat | Lombardy (Valtellina) | beef, salt, pepper, spices |
| Bruschetta | snack | Tuscany | bread, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes |
| Burrata | cheese | Puglia (Andria) | mozzarella, cream, milk, salt |
| Bocconcini | cheese | Campania | mozzarella, milk, rennet, salt |
| Bocconcini di bufala | cheese | Campania (Caserta) | buffalo milk mozzarella, rennet, salt |
| Bicerin | drink | Piedmont (Turin) | espresso, hot chocolate, cream |
| Barolo | drink | Piedmont (Langhe) | Nebbiolo grapes, yeast |
| Barbaresco | drink | Piedmont (Langhe) | Nebbiolo grapes, yeast |
| Brunello di Montalcino | drink | Tuscany (Montalcino) | Sangiovese grapes, yeast |
| Bignè | pastry | Nationwide | flour, eggs, butter, cream |
| Baci di Dama | pastry | Piedmont | hazelnuts, flour, sugar, chocolate |
| Bomboloni | pastry | Tuscany/North Italy | flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, jam or custard |
| Babà al rum | dessert | Campania (Naples) | flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, rum syrup |
| Biscotti di Prato | dessert | Tuscany (Prato) | almonds, flour, sugar, eggs |
| Brutti ma buoni | dessert | Piedmont | hazelnuts, sugar, egg whites |
| Bocconotto | pastry | Abruzzo (Lanciano) | pastry dough, almond cream or jam, sugar |
| Bombette | snack | Puglia (Valle d’Itria) | pork slices, cheese, pancetta, herbs |
| Besciamella | sauce | Nationwide | milk, butter, flour, nutmeg |
| Brovada | dish | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | turnips, grape pomace, salt |
| Bollito misto | dish | Piedmont/Emilia-Romagna | beef cuts, veal, cotechino, vegetables |
| Bottarga | cured meat | Sardinia, Sicily | mullet or tuna roe, salt |
| Barbajada | drink | Lombardy (Milan) | chocolate, coffee, milk, sugar |
| Bucatini all’Amatriciana | dish | Lazio (Amatrice/Rome) | bucatini, guanciale, tomato, Pecorino Romano |
| Budino | dessert | Nationwide | milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch |
| Buccellato di Lucca | pastry | Tuscany (Lucca) | flour, sugar, raisins, anise, olive oil |
| Bagnet verd (Bagnetto verde) | sauce | Piedmont | parsley, capers, garlic, anchovies, olive oil |
| Bagnetto rosso | sauce | Piedmont | tomatoes, red peppers, olive oil, vinegar |
| Bargnolino | drink | Emilia-Romagna | sloe berries, sugar, alcohol |
| Bardiccio | cured meat | Tuscany (Lamporecchio) | pork offal, pork meat, fennel, pepper |
| Busiate al pesto trapanese | dish | Sicily (Trapani) | busiate pasta, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, basil |
Descriptions
Bagna cauda
Warm garlic-and-anchovy dip from Piedmont served sizzling with raw or boiled vegetables; a communal winter classic.
Baccalà alla Vicentina
Slow-cooked shredded salted cod with onions and milk, traditionally served over polenta in Vicenza.
Baccalà mantecato
Whipped creamy spread of salt cod emulsified with olive oil, served on crostini — a Venetian staple.
Baccalà alla Napoletana
Neapolitan-style salt cod stewed with tomatoes, olives and capers; common at festive meals.
Brodetto
Rustic Adriatic fish stew with local variations by town, typically served with toasted bread or polenta.
Braciole
Meat slices rolled with herb-and-cheese filling, braised in tomato sauce — hearty family comfort food.
Bresaola
Lean, air-dried cured beef from Valtellina, served paper-thin with lemon, olive oil and rocket.
Bruschetta
Grilled bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil; often topped with fresh tomatoes or seasonal ingredients.
Burrata
Fresh cheese with a soft mozzarella shell and rich, creamy center; best eaten the day it’s made.
Bocconcini
Small rounds of fresh mozzarella, commonly used in salads and antipasti.
Bocconcini di bufala
Smaller balls of buffalo mozzarella with a richer, creamier texture than cow’s milk bocconcini.
Bicerin
Layered hot drink of espresso, thick chocolate and whipped cream — a historic Turin specialty served in small glasses.
Barolo
Full-bodied red wine from the Langhe hills, renowned for structure and aging potential.
Barbaresco
Elegant red wine from Barbaresco, made with Nebbiolo and prized for finesse.
Brunello di Montalcino
Prestigious Tuscan red wine from Montalcino, noted for concentration and longevity.
Bignè
Choux-pastry puffs filled with custard or cream, a staple of Italian pastry shops.
Baci di Dama
Two hazelnut cookies sandwiched with chocolate; delicate Piedmontese biscuits whose name means “lady’s kisses.”
Bomboloni
Deep-fried filled doughnuts popular across Italy, often filled with custard, jam or chocolate.
Babà al rum
Yeast cake soaked in rum syrup — an iconic Neapolitan dessert, light and boozy.
Biscotti di Prato
Twice-baked almond biscuits (cantucci) traditionally dunked into Vin Santo.
Brutti ma buoni
Crunchy, meringue-like nut cookies; the name means “ugly but good.”
Bocconotto
Small filled tarts with almond or jam filling, typical of Abruzzo and neighboring regions.
Bombette
Small grilled pork rolls stuffed with cheese and herbs, a popular Apulian street-food specialty.
Besciamella
Italian béchamel sauce used in lasagne and baked dishes; smooth and creamy binder.
Brovada
Turnips fermented in grape pomace and served with boiled pork or polenta — a rustic winter specialty.
Bollito misto
Assortment of simmered meats served with condiments like salsa verde and mostarda, a Northern celebratory meal.
Bottarga
Pressed, salted fish roe shaved over pasta or crostini; prized Mediterranean delicacy.
Barbajada
19th-century Milanese chocolate-coffee drink once enjoyed for breakfast or as an afternoon treat.
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Pasta of bucatini tossed with cured pork cheek, tomato and pecorino — a Roman countryside classic.
Budino
Italian-style pudding or custard, served in many flavors (chocolate, caramel) and chilled.
Buccellato di Lucca
Ring-shaped sweet bread studded with raisins and anise, traditional in Lucca.
Bagnet verd (Bagnetto verde)
Fresh green sauce served with bollito; herb-forward Piedmontese condiment.
Bagnetto rosso
Piedmontese red sauce served with boiled meats, tangy and spiced.
Bargnolino
Homemade sloe-berry liqueur, ruby-colored and served as a digestivo or after-dinner sipper.
Bardiccio
Rustic Tuscan sausage made from leftover cuts, coarsely minced and often grilled or fried.
Busiate al pesto trapanese
Twisted pasta from Trapani tossed with a raw almond-and-tomato pesto — a bright Sicilian favorite.