Espresso – what the Italians, ahem, call il caffè – is so popular you find it all around the world. If you love il caffè italiano [Italian coffee] and want to try replicating it outside of Italy, stock up on Italian-roasted coffee and bring una moka home. The word moka refers to a specific kind of caffettiera, a simple espresso maker for at-home use originally invented in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti. The Bialetti brand … Continue reading Moka shopping
In 2016, Milanese shock jock Giuseppe Cruciani taunted vegetarians by cooking and eating a rabbit while on the air. This prompted a few “vegan fundamentalists” to protest outside the radio station, and Cruciani eventually exited the building, carrying a large salame [what we’d call a salami in English], to continue fanning the flames of controversy. Despite how this particular episode was framed, i vegetariani [vegetarians] are not exactly … Continue reading Vegetarians in Italy
Not sure about etiquette when dining in an Italian pizzeria? Relax, pizzerie [pizzeriaS] tend to be casual places…and happy places, since everyone has a chance to enjoy this: Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions tourists have about dining in pizzerie in Italy: Can I eat with my hands? Pizzerie serve la pizza tonda [round pizza] whole, uncut, on top of a plate. If you’re new to this … Continue reading Eating at a sit-down pizzeria in Italy
La Pasqua [Easter] is celebrated throughout Italy and, like most holidays, is associated with specific foods. In this post, we’ll look at four of the most popular sweets linked to la Pasqua in Italy. You’ll see pasticcerie [cake shops] start making and displaying these treats several weeks before the springtime holiday. La colomba pasquale [Easter dove]: a plus- or cross-shaped cake that roughly mimics the shape of a bird, with a taste and … Continue reading Easter sweets
Counting gelato flavors is like counting stars: an ambitious yet ultimately impossible task, given the seemingly infinite number of possibilities. But why count them when you can taste them? Unit 14 in Italian Through Food lists several dozen of the most popular gelato flavors. In this post, we’ll explore a few gusti [flavors] named after colors, a particular category in that the flavors keep changing. gelato blu / gelato azzurro / gelato Puffo: … Continue reading Color flavors of gelato
Italian Through Food 