LearnthecorrectvocabularyandsentencesfororderingfoodinItaly. PODCAST.
Therearesomecommonpractices,setphrasesandwordsyoucanuseanywhere inItaly fororderingfoodandmakeyourselfunderstood. Wearegoingtoseethemtogether.
Lacolazione-Breakfast
Italianbreakfastisverysimple.Peopleeatthecolazioneat homeoratcafeterias(inItalywesimplycallita”bar”).Weusuallyhaveacaffelatte,(coffeeandmilk),cappuccino,orevenasimplecaffèandasweetpastry,abriocheorcornetto(croissant).
InaB&B,a socalledagriturismo, youcaneattastylocalfoodlikesalameandprosciutto,formaggio(cheese)pane(bread)anddolcifattiincasa (homemadecakes)forbreakfast.
Ilpranzo-Lunch
Ilpranzoisusuallylighterthanlacena (supper).Onholiday however,proportionsandportionsarenotundercontrol.Ifyouwantalightmeal,youcaneata paninoconaffettati(delimeatlikeprosciuttoetc) porchetta (spit-roastedpork)formaggio.Youcanaskasalumiere (grocer)toprepareitforyouandfillitthewayyoulikeit.
Anothergoodandcheapoptionisamenùa10euro,ormenùturisticoalunchsetwhichincludesaprimopiatto (pastaorrisotto),secondopiatto-carneopesce (meatorfish), contornodiverdura (patate,pomodori,insalataverde – sidedish,usuallypotatoes,tomatoesorgreensalad),pane(bread)acqua(water)andsometimesevenavinodellacasa,1/4 literof housewine.Uncaffèespressoisalwayspartofit.
Ifyourbudgetallowsafulllunchinatrattoriaorristorante,ofcourseyoucaneatanddrinkasmuchasyouwant.ThecoursesofanItalianmealare:antipasto(appetizer),primo(firstdish),secondo(maindish),contorno(sidedish),formaggio(cheese),dolce(dessert),caffèandifyouarereadytotakeanap,anamaro(typicalItaliantonicliquor).Readytopaythebill?Askthewaiter,Ilcontoperfavore.
Lacena-Supper
Lacenacanberather cheapatapizzeria orexpensiveinanelegantristorante.
Antipasto – Starter
Italiansusually startadinner withsomeappetizers.Weusuallyeataffettati, cheese,andthefamousgrilledvegetablesmarinatedinoliveoil,thesocalledsottolio.
Ifyoupreferfish,especiallyifyouarevisitingaplaceonthecoast,youcanorderanantipastodimare, aselectionofcoldseafoodandfish,pickled in oliveoilandlemon,ormoresophisticatedcoldentries.
Ifyoutrustyourwaiter,andseethatotherpeoplearehavinganiceantipasto,youcanaskfortheantipastodellacasa,aselectionofpopularappetizers.
Primipiatti
ForgetabouttheItaliandishesyoucanfindathome. YouwillneverfindAmerican fettuccineAlfredo ormacaroniandcheese.Italiansdon’tevenknowwhattheyare.
Pastaisking,from theextremenorthtoSicily.Thevarietyofshapes,fillings,saucesandcondimentsishuge.
Risottoisprettycommoneverywherebutitismorepopularin thenorthernpartofthecountry.Pastaisusuallyservedaldente.Ifit’sovercooked wesayitisscotta. Youcanunderstandiftherestaurantisdecentif theyserveyourpastawithaformaggiera, acheesebowl,withgratedparmigianoorpecorino. Askforitifthewaiter forgets.
Nowadaysrestaurantsservinggluten-freepastaareeasytofindinbigcities.
Maybeyou’renotinthemoodforeatingmuchoryouhadaquitecaloriclunch,soyoucanaskthewaiterforasmall portion,ortoshareyourprimopiatto.
Let’srecapwithapodcast:
- Vorrei degliaffettati-I’dlikeamixofdelimeat
- Vorrei unantipastodimare-I’dlikeaseafoodappetizer
- Vorrei unantipastodellacasa-I’dlikesome houseappetizers
- Vorrei unapastaalragù/alpesto
- Chetipodipastamiconsiglia?Whatkindofpastado yousuggest?
- Possoaveredelformaggiograttugiato?CanIhavesomegratedcheese?
- Qualeprimodellacasamiconsiglia?
- Vorrei unapastaaldente
- Avetedellapastasenzaglutine?Doyouhaveglutenfreepasta?
- Possiamoavereunaporzioneindue?Canweshareoneportionintwo?
- Possoavereunaporzioneabbondante?CanIhavealargeportion?
Ilsecondo-Main course
“Primo”and”secondo”canbeequallyconsideredmaincourses,butthesecondoisfarmorediverse.Meatandfish arethemainingredientsofasecondo.
Ifyouorderasteak,thefamousbisteccafiorentina,grilled t-bonesteak, itoften comesalsangue(literally”bloody”rare),butyoucanhaveitcottaapuntino(medium)orbencotta(welldone).
TheItaliancoastlineisverylong,andsoisthemenuofpesce -fishandfruttidimare -seafood.
Bothmeatandfisharecookedindifferentfashions:bollito-boiled,grigliato-grilled,fritto-fried,inumido-stewed,alvapore-steamed,alforno-intheoven,inpadella-panfried.
Dependingonthemaincourseyoucanaskamatchingcontorno,sidedish.Freshandgreenvegetables(verdura)areas commonas theubiquitouspotatoes.
- Qualesecondodicarne/dipescemiconsiglia?
- Ilpesceèfrescoosurgelato?(freshorfrozen)
- Vorreiunabistecca…
- …alsangue,…cottaapuntino,…bencotta
- Vorreidelpesce…
- …alvapore,…grigliato…inumido,
- …bollito,…fritto,…alforno,…inpadella
- Percontornovorrei…
- …dellepatatealforno/bollite/fritte
- …un’insalataverde/mista
- …dellaverdurabollita
Bevande-Drinks
Italyisoneofthelargestproducersofwineintheworld.Andmineralwater.Thelatteriseasytoorder.Youcanhaveyouracqua naturale(still)orfrizzante(fizzy).
Youcanorderunacaraffa (apitcher)ofvinodellacasa(housewine)unbicchiere(aglass)orunabottiglia(abottle). Sometimesalocal vinodellacasaischeaperandbetterthanbottledwine.
- Vorreiunabottigliadiacqua…
- …naturale
- …frizzante
- Vorreiunabottiglia/caraffa/bicchiere
- divino…
- …dellacasa
- …rosso-red
- …bianco-white
- …rosato-rosè
- …fermo-still
- …frizzante-sparkling
- …secco-dry
- …dolce-sweet
Dolce,caffè -Dessert,coffee
- Vorreiuncaffè
- …uncappuccino
- …unamaro
- ilcontoperfavore
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