21 Jan Eating Cultures Around the World: Italy

True confession: One of the reasons why I love being an Italian American woman is that I can use it as an excuse to eat my face off sometimes. Ha! Italians sure do know and love their food and we make up any reason / excuse we can think of to start new food traditions.

If you’re born into an Italian family, you’re almost certain to be a natural-born foodie! Italy is known worldwide as being a global leader in fresh and seasonal cuisine. From pizza to pasta to breads, one thing is clear, Italian food is meant to be savored.

Also, eating locally and eating in-season are the two cardinal rules. In fact, many Italians look down upon imported foods. Italians maintain patience throughout the year and enjoy the foods that are readily available during specific seasons. Eating foods out of season is something a faithful Italian would never do. It is not surprising, then, that shopping at local markets is much more common than shopping at supermarkets in Italy. Although one of my Italian grandfathers was born and raised in the U.S. (the other was born in Italy), he still went to local stores almost daily just to pick up what he needed to cook that evening.

The dining experience in Italy is meant to be a time during which one can relax and spend time with family and friends. In Italy, meals are much more leisurely and can take quite some time, usually up to 1-2 hours. Meals are also usually enjoyed later in the day, with lunch around 1:00pm and dinner at 8:00pm or later.

Fun little story: when I visited Italy after college, I was starving by 6pm (having spent the day sightseeing around Rome with a friend). I went to a trattoria for dinner and had to wait on their front step for them to open the restaurant, since they hadn’t yet opened for dinner. The sweet owner opened the door to the restaurant and smiled, then he laughed at me, said something in Italian about me being a “hungry girl who runs on American time” and invited me in for limoncello and an appetizer to hold me over until they opened at 7:30pm for the early-birds. God bless that man – I was SO hungry and grateful!

There are two main types of restaurants in Italy: trattorias and osterias. A trattoria usually sells affordable, local foods and an osteria is usually family-owned and sells homecooked-style meals, often-times served at communal tables.

For breakfast, it is common for Italians to enjoy some sort of pastry or bread such as a cornetti or brioche, along with a cappuccino or espresso beverage. Cookies, pastries, fruit salad, yoghurt and muesli are also common breakfast foods. Eggs and nuts may also join the meal for some protein, but breakfast isn’t usually very large.

Lunch is usually the largest meal of the day and often includes three courses: antipasto, primo piatto, and secondo piatto. This is equivalent to our version of an appetizer, first course and main entree. Appetizers are usually olives, cheeses, and cured meats. First dishes are usually some sort of pasta, rice, or soup dish. Main entrees usually feature some sort of meat or fish along with a vegetable side. For dessert, fruit, gelato, or sorbetto are the standard fare, as are nuts (typically enjoyed alongside the fruit, if you’re having it). However, Italians also enjoy pastries and cake as part of a mid-afternoon break along with some coffee, especially around holidays.

Dinner, or cena, follows the same pattern as lunch with three courses: antipasto, primo piatto, and secondo piatto. The main difference here is that wine is more common during dinner time, and grappa (or brandy) is common as an after-dinner drink.

With all of this late and large eating, you may wonder how the heck the Italians stay so slim and trim? Well, the answer is all about their portion sizes. While they may eat plenty of carbs, pasta is rarely eaten as a “main dish” portion, and is typically an appetizer-size portion (a primo piatto). Also, fresh veggies are the meal staples, with a reasonable size portion of fish or meat alongside. In Italy (and for most Italian Americans like myself), your mixed greens salad (if you’re having one) comes at the end of the meal to help fill you up (you’re less likely to go for seconds of the calorie-heavy items when you know you still have salad to eat, too).

Are you ready to dive in and fall in love with Italian food, or what!? As my grandparents would say, “mangia” (let’s eat)!