At table in Italy
📖 How is the menu structured?
🍽️ From breakfast to dinner. A 24-hour round.
🍝 Italian food culture. A top 20 of typical Italian eating habits.
Italy is a country full of wonderful, ancient customs and manners. The Italian is only too proud of it! Nothing beats their country, their cuisine and their customs!
If you have ever been on holiday in Italy then you will no doubt know that the menu differs from those from the Netherlands.
I will explain the different courses, customs and habits for you. So that the next time you dine out at an Italian restaurant, you will be well prepared.
The structure of the menu
🍴ANTIPASTI: The literal translation of antipasti is 'before the meal'. (Il pasto = the meal). It's a bit confusing, but in fact this is not the first course, but something you eat before starting the meal.
🍴 PRIMI PIATTI: Second on the menu we find Primi Piatti. Primi means 'first' in plural, and piatti means 'plates'. So these are the first plates. You are now naturally wondering what is on the first plate? Primi piatti is always a hot dish, usually pasta.
As Dutch people, we have long had to get used to the fact that after a plate of pasta or risotto comes another main course. Especially because usually large portions are served. By now we are used to it, and we share 1 porti of pasta together to leave some space for the main course. (Secondo Piatto)
🍴 SECONDI PIATTI: Dit is the main course. The second plate always contains fish or meat. (Vegetarian dishes are still hard to find.) Depending on where you are in Italy, you will find more or less fish on the menu. The closer you are to the coast, there is more fish on the menu, if there is any meat at all. Inland, there is always meat on the menu and almost no fish. Italians value freshness.
And then we Dutch have also had to get used to the fact that potatoes or chips are not automatically served with the main course.
At first, we were not the only foreign guests who were presented with a plate with a delicious piece of meat with.....niks to go with it!
So we had clearly missed the heading "Contorni" on the menu.
🍴CONTORNI: are the side dishes and so you do not get these as standard with your main course. Some examples of contorni are potatoes from the oven, braised spinach or grilled vegetables. You have to order these separately and they usually cost a few euros per dish.
🍰DOLCE: High time to dine elaborately. Italians love sweet dishes, so there is no shortage of choice. They often use seasonal daily fresh produce that is not on the menu. The waiter will then quickly list a rite of dessert at your table. For tourists who do not have a good command of the language, this is difficult to follow. Don't be embarrassed to ask for it to be repeated. Sometimes if you are lucky there is a display case where you can point out your desired dolce!
☕ CAFFÈ & DIGESTIVO: Once you have passed these 'plates' (courses) of antipasti, pasta, meat or fish and also a nice sweet dessert, after dessert comes coffee. Yes, after dessert. You would think that a cup of coffee would go well with a biscuit-like dessert, but the Italians think differently. Coffee only after 'il dolce'. When talking about a cup of coffee, the emphasis is on 'kopJE'! The contents fit comfortably into a thimble. What the Dutch call espresso is simply 'Caffè' to an Italian. Cappuccino is considered 'breakfast coffee' in Italy so prefer not to order it. Of course, the customer is king, but behind your back you will be laughed at; "Oh dear, here comes another foreigner!"
La Cena, or well you can always finish dinner with a digestivo, for example a liqueur such as amaro or grappa. 🥃 Limoncello is by far the best known 🍋.
🍕PIZZA: Now I hear you thinking: is Pizza also a course? No, in the Italian menu, pizza is not listed as a separate course. Pizza can be served as a main course. In Italian cuisine, pizza is considered a quick bite and is often eaten as an informal meal.
From Breakfast to Dinner
La colazione 🥐
An Italian's breakfast is different from what we are used to. In Italy, it is customary to have a quick cappuccino with a cornetto or a brioche in the morning. This is done at a little bar, often standing at the counter.
Want to follow the local customs during your first coffee break in an Italian café? Then keep the following in mind: after 11am, don't order cappuccino or cappucc (pronounced; kapoetsj). The real Italian switches to caffè. By which we mean espresso. You drink it with lots of sugar. Enjoy an espresso as it is meant to be; hot, strong and sweet!
Il Pranzo 🍲
Lunch, too, is different. A simple ham and cheese sandwich tucked away in a plastic bag or lunch box? Not possible! No Possible!
In Italy, you have lunch at noon in the little bar around the corner or in a restaurant. This is immediately the reason why you can't reach anyone between 12 and 15. Menù di lavoro (work menu) is especially meant for that. For €13, you have a two-course lunch accompanied by a glass of wine. The employer contributes part of the cost. No, the coffee machine and cup-a-soup snack that are oh so common in the Netherlands are unknown in Italy.
On Sundays, il Pranzo is the main meal of the day. You go to La mamma or to a restaurant. Enjoy several courses together with the whole family. You may therefore find that you can't get into a restaurant on Sunday afternoon if you haven't made a reservation. Inside, it is crowded. Busy guests talking, children screaming and waiters nervously and stressfully trying to keep everything on track.
Aperitivo 🍸
In the Netherlands, around cocktail time, you often hear, "Let's have a pilsner" In Italy, people are more likely to take a glass of white wine. "Prendere un Bianchino"-
The time to have a glass of wine together then is around 6pm. After work and before dinner. Besides the wine, a small snack of the house is often served on the terrace. Like olives, salty chips or a pizza point.
La Cena 🥘
The elaborate meal. Take your time and enjoy. Piano Piano.
Around 8pm at the table. Not before. Not even in a restaurant. You arrive at the closed door. Most Italians don't even trickle in until after nine. Wine on the table. And according to Italian custom, everyone serves themselves.
Italian food culture
Italian food culture, you could write a book about it.
Let's stick to a top 20 Italian eating habits here
- Bread with meals. Use it to scrape your plate clean. This is called 'fare la scarpetta'. And is much appreciated!
- Spaghetti you eat with a fork. Just a fork. Adding a spoon is not-done, And a knife? NOO WAY!!!
- Plate empty, plate gone! The waiter is almost panicky when it comes to clearing up. It is commonplace for your empty plate to be taken away already while your tablemates are still eating.
- No Cappuccino after 11
- When you arrive at a restaurant, you wait a while for the waiter to take you to a table. They know exactly which table is free.
- As soon as you are served your plate start eating. Don't wait until everyone at the table has his/her food. People don't like cold food.
- Parmesan cheese, delicious! But not with fish dishes.
- Salad is never, ever eaten with the main course. And certainly not on the same plate. You are not going to ruin your carefully prepared hot main course with cold vegetables! A salad is eaten after your plate of the main course is empty.
- Potatoes are considered vegetables in Italy. And falls under "Contorni"
- Do you specify that you want the salad beforehand, or that you want pasta alongside and at the same time as your main course. Or that one orders a primi 2x and the other orders a secondo first and then a primi. Then, 9 times out of 10, this goes wrong. You run the risk of everything coming at the same time or being served in reverse order. The service gets really upset with this kind of criss-cross unusual action.
- An Italian almost never eats all the courses on the menu. Usually a combinaition of them. Eg Antipasto and Primo, Antipasto and Secondo, Primo and Secondo)
- An Italian drinks wine with food. That's what wine is for. Feel free to order the house wine. These are often very tasty. They are served in half- or whole-litre carafes. Water is also always drunk alongside wine. Aqua Naturale (still) or Aqua Frizzante (bubbly)
- Ketchup on your pasta! Oh, no. Don't you dare. A lot of thought goes into the fresh tomato sauce.
- Pineapple on pizza is a No Go! Love pineapple on pizza? Just keep it a secret
- With pizza, people drink beer! Wine with pizza is of course possible, but an Italian thinks this is weird. Beer and pizza do well together.
- While waiting for the delicious pizza, a bowl of chips. Just to nibble on in advance.
- Eating and walking is not possible. Eating is a moment of rest. No quick snack on the go. So no sandwich in your hand when walking through town either. Eating; you take your time for that.
- Were the eyes bigger than the stomach? In other words; maybe too much ordered after all? Feel free to ask for a Doggybag. It's always a good idea. One does not like to waste.
- Tipping is common. But a small amount is sufficient. This is often already included in the price.
- Checkout is at the bar, where the till is. Not at the table.
Above all, don't be put off by all these table rules. Feel free to mingle with the locals. First of all, enjoy the delicious food prepared by the chef. The staff will welcome you with open arms and always offer a helping hand if you are at a loss for words. And another thing...it's okay to be a bit of a pushover. After all, you are a tourist!
Tip: Many restaurants in Le Marche do not have English-language menus. Use your mobile. Google -translate now - Google lens (photo)
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