Useful Italian Food Vocabulary
Today we will delve into the wonderful world of Italian cuisine, and the essential food vocabulary that is must for anyone who wishes to travel to Italy to immerse themselves in the gastronomical delights that abound!
For food lovers, experiencing the food of Italy is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures, and Italy has an abundance of choice. Not to mention that each region of Italy is like its own country when it comes to its food- each proud of its own tastes, flavours and specialities. From spaghetti alla carbonara in Rome, to truffles in Piedmont, to the arancini in Sicily, Italy truly is a gourmet dream that has something for everyone.
Food is at the epicentre of Italian culture, even cities cite food in their nicknames; take, for example, Bologna, which is known as la grassa (“the fat”), la dotta (“the learned”), and la rossa (the red). The fact that la grassa features in its title underlines its commitment to making sure its inhabitants and guests associate it as a city that adores food!
In Italy, meal time is perhaps one of the most important and fundamental of Italian traditions, it brings family and friends together. With that in mind, let’s delve into the world of Italian cuisine and the vocabulary you will encounter.
Breakfast– la colazione
Breakfast in Italy is a reason in itself to get up! Whether it be observing the hustle and bustle of a busy breakfast bar, or ease into the day whilst people watching, breakfast time in Italy is as much about the event as it is about sustenance. Daily commuters often start their day with un caffè (a coffee- but, in Italy, remember a coffee is an espresso!), which is often enjoyed while standing up at the bar, such is the hurry to get on with the day… or maybe eager to get to lunch! Choices of coffee will also come in the form of a cappuccino, macchiato, cortado, doppio, ristretto, lungo, americano, and for children (and some adults!), un bicchiere di latte (glass of milk).
Coffee is central to Italian heritage, but, equally, breakfast would not be breakfast without the array of sweet and savory treats available! Whether it be i cornetti (pastries), i biscotti (biscuits), un pezzo di torta or crostata (piece of cake), o un po’ di formaggio con un po’ di carne (a little cheese and meat), an Italian breakfast is an inclusive and grand affair that caters to all.
For the health conscious amongst you, knowledge of fruits may be useful: plum- prugna/susina>/i>; apple- mela; blueberry- mirtillo; apricot- albicocca: cherry- ciliegia; fig- fico; melon- melone; grapes- uva; orange- arancia; peach- pesca, and watermelon- anguria, to name but a few!
Lunch– il pranzo
Lunchtime in Italy is no quick event! Unless opting for a merenda (snack), the sacred ritual of a “real” lunch is to sit down and participate in a languorous lunch that involves the consumption of many dishes!
Pasta, as we all know, is the staple of an Italian diet, and the varieties are numerous… ravioli, orecchiette (“little ears”), farfalle (butterflies), linguine, spaghetti, minestrone, are some of the main types you will come across. The other “p”- pizza, is also an Italian staple, and comes in many shapes and sizes. Each region will claim to have the best; however, it is commonly accepted by Italians- begrudgingly! – that Naples makes some of the country’s most delicious pizza.
When ordering food, the following terms will be sure to crop up: crudo or a crudo– raw; al dente (literally meaning, “to the tooth”, a term used to describe the point at which pasta is properly cooked: firm to the bite); al forno (“in the oven”), this refers to a dish cooked in the oven; gnocchi, the Italian word for dumpling, the most common form is made from potato, but gnocchi may also be made from ricotta, spinach, flour and semolina; tomato sauce- salsa di pomodoro, and condimento, which refers to a dressing, including the dressing on a salad or the sauce for pasta.
Late afternoon– il pomeriggio
Stuzzichini (nibbles/snacks) are also commonplace during un’aperitivo (aperitif). Whether it be olive (olives), patatine fritte (crisps), bruschetta, which are slices of grilled bread that have been coated with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, often topped with tomatoes and herbs, or maybe taralli (small rings made from crispy bread dough with oil), un’aperitivo is a wonderful affair, and announces the start of an evening. It also gives an opportunity to sit and watch the world go and observe una passeggiata, which is a leisurely stroll that is integral to any respectable Italian evening.
Dinner– la cena
The main event! Dinner time in Italy is an elaborate and spectacular affair!
Before sitting down to a sumptuous supper, un’antipasto may be ordered, antipasto is the Italian word for appetizer or hors d’oeuvre, and antipasti (plural) are always served at table, just before the primo piatto (first plate).
Primi piatti (plural) may consist of dishes that feature bruschetta (toasted bread), cheese (formaggio), salame (salami), ham (prosciutto), and other meats (carne), and you can also be sure that il pane<//i> (bread) will always be on the table to enjoy!
For the main event, un secondo piatto (second plate), you will find a variety of meats, some of the most popular being beef (manzo); chicken (pollo); lamb (agnello); pork (maiale); rabbit (coniglio); wild boar (cinghiale); sausages (salsicce), turkey (tacchino), or veal (vitello).
If your preference is fish (pesce), then here are some of the words you are likley to come across (hopefully whilst in a restaurant overlooking the Ligurian sea!): Cod (merluzzo); salmon(salmone); sea bream (orata); tuna (tonno); snapper (dentice), and, an acquired taste, but delicacy in some parts- octopus (polpo).
When choosing your side dishes (i contorni), you will often see the following: chips (patatine fritte), mashed potato (purè di patate), as well as an array of vegetables and legumes, such as artichoke (carciofo); aubergine (melanzana); courgette (zucchina); asparagus (asparago); cauliflower (cavolfiore); cabbage (cavolo); mushrooms (funghi); pumpkin (zucca); tomato (pomodoro); beans (fagioli), and lentils (lenticchie).
Il dolce
Of course, no Italian feast would be complete without il dolce, which means “sweet”, and is the word used for a desert. Some are already known around the world, namely the tiramisu, which literally translates so wonderfully to “pick me up”, cannoli (famous Sicilian sweet, a tube-shaped fried pastry filled with cream and ricotta cheese), affogato (ice cream served with a shot of espresso over it), and panettone (that sweet bread we all know and enjoy at Christmas time!). You may also see on a desert menu torta della nonna (“cake of nan”), or semifreddo, which means “half cold/frozen” and is a kind of ice cream.
Il gelato
A culinary tour of Italy would not be complete without a special mention of gelato and some of the many, MANY flavours you can find in Italy. Here we break it into categories to make life- and choice- easier!
Fruits: fragola– strawberry; lampone-raspberry; pesca– peach; albicocca– apricot; frutti di bosco– “fruits of the forest,” usually a mix of fruits like blueberries and blackberries; limone– lemon; fico– fig
Creams and nuts: fior di latte– this literally means “flower of milk”; vaniglia– vanilla (interesting fact: in Italy it is not a very common flavour, probably because there are so many other varierties of vanilla-like flavors!); cocco– coconut; affè– coffee; amarena (bitter dark cherry); cioccolato fondente– dark chocolate. For the real chocolate coinnoisours, there is an even darker version called cioccolato fondente extra noir; cioccolato al latte– milk chocolate; pistacchio– pistacchio; mandorla– almond; nocciola– hazelnut; noce– walnut; stracciatella– vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips, and bacio– (literally meaning “kiss”!) a heavenly combination of choclate and hazlenut!
If you are feeling indulgent (and brave!), you could order a gelato brioche, which is a brioche filled with your favourite ice cream! Not for the faint-hearted!
This segment has explored the deliciousness of Italian food vocabulary. Now that you are equipped with some of the most useful words, you can book your trip to Italy and look forward to indulging in all the delicacies and delights that Italian cuisine has to offer. Buon appetito!
If you would like to know more about learning Italian, or developing any Italian skills that you already have, do not hesitate to contact us at info@italiancitizenshiplanguageschool.com, and one of our friendly team will be in touch to answer your queries!
