This is how you become a real Italian in 6 steps
From Bologna via Verona through Venice around Rome, Naples and deep Puglia. Name it and I have been there. In love with the food, the fashion, the people. We even lived in Rome for half a year. Riding the Vespa along the Tiber (Tevere), to the local gym to move the pasta a bit from the hips, and eating at the brothers of Trattoria Monti. I have never been happier in life.
Because tourists often make a mistake and I have done quite a bit of field research, I share with you the how to’s to become an Italian.
Pronounce every letter
Of course, no one expects you to speak fluent Italian, but you can certainly learn a few sentences by heart. And remember that every letter gets attention. Grazie is therefore not ‘gra-tsie’ but gra-zi-jee.
Stand at the bar
The best coffee for a pittance. You order it at the bar and stay there. Maybe not cozy? Quite the opposite, because you chat with the barista and the locals. It is often customary to pay in advance at the cashier. For us, a strange idea because you have to know exactly what you are going to ‘use‘, but it is also quite clear. With your receipt, you go to the barista and they make it for you. Don’t forget to leave some coins on the bar. Not too much, that is insulting. A coffee usually costs 85 cents, so you give a euro.
Order correctly
Please don’t say ‘espresso’ but ‘caffè’. Espresso is the way the water is blown through the machine. Caffè = espresso, macchiato = espresso with a dollop of milk foam, latte macchiato = espresso with a lot of milk, americano or lungo = similar to our cup of coffee. Cappuccino is just like here. In some areas of Italy, cappuccino is served with a shot of cocoa. If you’re not really charmed by that, say; senza cacao (ca-ca-ow) per favore (per fa-vo-ré).
Ketchup ban
There are often tourists (especially Americans but some Dutch have a tendency for it too) who ask for ketchup with their dish. You cannot insult an Italian chef more. Oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, fine. But for ketchup, you need to be in another country.
Cutlery etiquette
Spaghetti (please don’t say spa-gggetti but spa-ketti with a hard ‘k’) is not cut. Officially, you twirl your fork on your plate and move it to your mouth. If that’s too difficult, you place your fork on a spoon and try the same. Still struggling? Then order penne, or orecchiette or macaroni.
Drink in moderation
An aperitif at lunch is very normal. Just like a prosecco before the meal. Once at the table, you drink at most a glass of white or red. And maybe a ‘push caffè’ after dessert. Limoncello is an option but real Italians drink ‘un amaro’; a bitter liqueur that, how do I put this nicely, gives your digestion a little nudge in the right direction.
