Archive for the ‘Culinary Tours’ Category
Travelling to Italy contains the enormous pleasure of eating in Italy. A meal in this beautiful country is to be savoured. Furthermore, an exciting dining pleasure awaits you in trying unique dishes from different regions with the residents from each area being proud of their special recipes.
Ask your waiter about the specialties in your location and you’re sure to be brought a delectable meal. Classic Italian meals are lavish, and when you travel within the country, knowing how a traditional Italian meal is enjoyed will help you appreciate the food during your trip.
Italian menus generally offer patrons five sections with a full meal comprising of an appetizer, initial course followed by a second course that includes a side dish and dessert. You don’t have to order a selection from every course, but most diners will enjoy at least two.
Sundays are a popular day for Italian families to meet each other in a restaurant and spend hours enjoying good food along with one another’s company. You can expect to find plenty of noise and culture when you visit a restaurant in Italy over the weekend.
An Italian meal generally begins with antipasti, which is an order of cold cuts from local sources. You may even be offered a regional speciality. In some cities you may have a choice of antipasti options and your waiter will bring you several dishes. Also, you’ll generally receive a large amount of food, so sharing is mandatory.
If you are travelling in the south section of the country, then you may encounter dining establishments that provide an antipasto buffet allowing you to pick and choose your appetizers.
The next choice is the primo course and this includes pasta, rice dishes or soup. Keep in mind that Italian chefs generally use less sauce when creating their pasta dishes and focus on the type of pasta used in the recipe.
If you’re not too full after the appetizer and the second course, then you’ll be ready for the main event, which is called secondo. Italian menus will offer you options such as fish, meat and chicken. Vegetarians needn’t be concerned as most dining locations will have at least one or two meatless choices.
Contorni or side dishes are ordered separately and will be served alongside your main course. Your menu choices will generally be a vegetable, potato or a salad. You won’t want to miss an Italian dessert with delectable fruit combinations, or a cheese option followed with an Italian wine, mineral water or coffee.
When dining in Italy, you will need to ask for the bill, and always bring cash just in case the restaurant doesn’t accept other forms of payment. Service costs will be included, but you can include a small tip for the waiter.
Remember when you travel to eat, visit Italy. The food is often copied in other destinations, but never to the full extent that you’ll experience in the country first-hand, so lose a few pounds before your trip because you’re bound to find them in Italy.
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