The 5 things you absolutely should not do when you go to Italy

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the foodies of online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat and what to cook. This time our chefs serve you: 5 x don't do this if you're going to Italy.

Bikini in your suitcase, sunglasses in your hair and off you go, the vacation can begin. At least, if you know how to behave a little in a foreign country. If you ignore these five rules of etiquette for Italy, then just stay home.

If you love good food, then you love Italy. It's that simple. If you want to make a decent impression on the locals of your Italian holiday destination, behave a bit like a real Italian. No, don't ride around cursing on a scooter and leave the mafia alone, just be polite and completely in sync with the local vibe. With these tips, it takes no effort.

1. Cappuccino only in the morning
If you order a cappuccino, then you're immediately out. Conversations around you fall silent, everyone in the local coffee shop looks at you angrily and you've immediately disqualified yourself as a tourist. Once and for all: you drink cappuccino at breakfast and not after the meal. Just order a caffe, which is actually an espresso, and everything is fine again.

2. Never put Parmesan cheese on fish
If you feel like grating a big pile of Parmesan over your tagliatelle al ragu or the trofie al pesto, go ahead. But if you've ordered a pasta vongole or something else with fish or seafood: no. You must never, ever add cheese to that. We don't know what happens if you do, no one can ever tell.

3. Eat spaghetti with a fork

We know: those long strands of pasta are super awkward, especially if you're wearing a nice white linen blouse, but it's not the intention that you cut those strands into small pieces or put them on your spoon. You eat spaghetti with a fork and if you don't know how to manage that without a remake of Jackson Pollock on the tablecloth, just order gnocchi.

4. Tip appropriately
Americans are used to leaving a big tip on the table, in the Netherlands we look stingy and round off to the nearest dime. The tip in Italy is sometimes already included in the bill, then it's called servizio incluso. Don't confuse it with coperto, because that's a standard amount for oil, salt, and bread on the table. Ten percent of your meal receipt or one euro per person is a decent tip. Also good to know: you don't have to tip the taxi driver, but you should tip the tour guide.

5. Hands at home
Shopping in Italy is done with your eyes, not with your hands. So when you're at a market or in the supermarket, keep your hands at home. As Dutch people, we're used to picking up vegetables, squeezing a tomato, smelling a melon, and gently poking an avocado – and that is not appreciated. Hands behind your back! If you're buying vegetables or fruit, you sometimes get a plastic glove at the market to choose which figs or peaches you want to pack. No glove, then put a plastic bag over your hand (and then turn it inside out to take the fruit with you).