I'm in the middle of reading the Count of Monte Cristo and was surprised by this passage (Franz, Albert and The Count express similar sentiments throughout their stay in Rome):

but on the contrary ate like a man who for the last four or five months had been condemned to partake of Italian cookery -- that is, the worst in the world.

I, and I'm sure countless others on here, have made or had Italian food and found it delicious, so this is a particularly stand out comment.

Here are my Qs:

• Is this merely a 19th century French man having national pride and slagging off a nearby region?

• If it was true that Italian cooking at the time was not known for being good cuisine, why? Was it only the Tuscan region?

• If it was true that Italian cooking was bad then, what changed to change its reputation?