Italian Food Traditions
Italy is known for its amazing foods and cuisine, but during my summer in Italy, I also discovered that Italy also has many specific food traditions I didn’t previously know about. Now that I’m no longer in Italy and am missing all the good food, I decided to write a post about three different Italian food traditions I learned about while in Italy this summer.
#1. Aperitivo
For the first three weeks in Italy, I thought the word “aperitivo” referred to dinner. The first aperitivo I was invited to was a sort of pot luck garden party that seemed to function as dinner. Whenever work colleagues would plan aperitivos, they would be for common dinner times. There were Italian words that everyone in the office would used instead of their English counterparts. It seemed logical to me. How wrong I was.
Aperitivos are a pre-meal drink, often served with side dishes. Wine is a standard choice of drink, but cocktails are also common. Some bars and restaurants have simple side dishes, while other offer different types of fresh pasta, Italian cheeses, prosciutto, grilled vegetables, and sandwiches. The food for an aperitivo is not supposed to replace your dinner, but it can.
I really like the concept of an aperitivo. Europe, and particularly southern Europe, has a strong coffee culture. People will often get together for a casual coffee to relax and catch up. Aperitivos feel like the late afternoon/early evening/after-work Italian equivalent of getting coffee. They are a great way to relax and catch up with friends over a drink and some light food.
#2. Coffee
I don’t drink coffee, and after this summer I think I never will, because if Italy did not convince me to start drinking coffee, nothing will. Coffee is a huge part of Italian culture. Every weekday morning, without fail, there would be a message in the trainee group chat announcing where people were getting a coffee break. The same would happen in the afternoon. Not to mention the after lunch coffee.
While I did not learn how to drink coffee over the summer, I did learn about Italian coffee traditions. Italians only drink cappuccino, latte macchiato or any milky form of coffee in the morning, and never after a meal. Waiters will give you weird looks if you order coffee with milk. An espresso is simply known as un caffè. It’s the standard form of coffee, and what everyone drinks after meals.
#3. Meal Structure
I am almost certain that I have to yet to properly order the right type of dish (or series of dishes) for a meal at a restaurant in Italy. Italian restaurant menus divide dishes into different categories, which include “primo” (first) and “secondo” (second) course dishes. I am not quite able to distinguish between the two. They both seem like main course dishes, and it seems like too much to order one of each.
According to Wikipedia, however, there is a difference. Primo is the first main meal course. It is usually a hot non-meat dish, like risotto, pasta, gnocchi, or lasagne. Secondo is a heavier second dish than the primo course, and usually includes some type of meat or fish, like pork, steak, or salmon. Which of the two is most important depends on the region and meal.
