The Interesting and Satisfying Italian Meal Structure

101 55
Your trip to Italy would certainly be incomplete if you don't try your hands on the delicious cuisine of Italy. Every dish belonging to this wonderful country is sure to please your taste buds. The yummy food of Italy is world famous, but what makes it even special is its meal structure, the way they are cooked and the way they are served. Italian meal structure is renowned for its arrangement and perfect order of serving. In every authentic Italian restaurant, popular Italian foods are served based on the structure.

To begin with, the first thing that is served before the actual dinner is a small dose of liqueur or carbonated drinks. It is known as Aperitivo. It consists of wine, prosecco, champagne or sparkling drinks along with small side dishes such as nuts, olives, crisps, sauce dips or similar snacks. Aperitivo is basically a pre-meal drink to raise your appetite.

Next after Aperitivo comes Antipasto. Antipasto literally translates to "before the meal" and is slightly heavier that Aperitivo. Cured meats, marinated vegetables, olives and pepperoni along with cheese such as mozzarella, scamorza are usually served in the Antipasto.

After you have finished Antipasto you can start tasting Primo, which is the first course of the meal. The items served in Primo are hotter and lighter than Antipasto and are all non meat foods. It consists of dishes such as pasta, risotto, gnocchi, or soup.

If you think that the meal is over then let's remind you, you have still not tasted the main course. The main course is known as Secondo or piatto principale and it consists of meat and seafood. The main dishes served in Secondo are turkey, sausage, steak, pork, stew, zampone, beef, salmon, cod, lobster, lamb, chicken, or roast. It's the heartiest course of the meal.

Contorno is a side plate dish that is served alongside the secondo. Salad or cooked vegetables are the main foods served in Contorno. The items can be either hot or cold.

After secondo the Dolce is served next to you. It is basically a dessert and includes tiramisu, panettone, pandoro, zuppa inglese, panna cotta and ice-cream. Dolce can differ from region to region.

The fruits often combined with cheese are the next items in the list. This is commonly known as the Frutta. After fruits comes the Digestivo. It consists of beverages meant to ease the digestion of food. In the end you can take coffee or Caffé to finish off your meal as it is coffee that completes the Italian meal structure.

The tasty and yummy Italian cuisine is a true delight to taste while on a trip to Italy. To know more about Italian food culture and popular Italian foods you can visit Perillotours.com. This site also provides authentic Italy travel tips for a safe and comfortable trip.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.