Whenever Italy and food appear in the same conjugation, people tend to immediately associate with the predictable pizza and pasta and the traditional pastrami and parmigiano. However, there is so much more to it than just these simple omnipresent delicacies. Let’s explore the Italian cuisine and the way real Italians eat further, starting with the breakfast.

Starting the day somewhat modestly food-wise, the typical Italian doesn’t put too much emphasis on breakfast. A quick cup of coffee accompanied by something sweet, such as a sweet croissant or a cornetto with filling, is enough to rev up Romans in the morning.  Moreover, yogurt is a very common addition to the seemingly scarce Italian breakfast. In essence, this is a typical Italian breakfast, unless we’re talking about an Italian family. In this case, presupposing the kitchen is large enough, the family gathers for a common breakfast before heading off to respective work/school. Of course this description of an Italian breakfast is kind of a generalization. Some do eat meaty and grand breakfasts, but this generalisation will at least give you an idea of what a typical Italian breakfast consists of. But, it is not over yet. In Italy it is very common to after your hasty breakfast stop by an espresso bar and, standing up, drink your espresso or cappuccino while either socialising or watching the news on the television. Yes, most bars in Italy have TV-screens. I’ll pick up on this later in the text.

Moving on to lunchtime or “pranzo”, which is the largest and most time-consuming meal of the day. It is fairly common that people take excessively long lunch breaks to go home to and eat with the family. Others go out for lunch with friends or business partners. As can be inferred from the long breaks taken, a lot of food is served. In general there is antipasti for starters, which is basically little dishes ranging from grissini to carpaccio. After the antipasti, it is time for the “primo piatto” or the first dish. This is commonly made out of either, that’s right, pizza or pasta! Of course, depending on where in Italy you go, there are endless variations of ditto. If you go to Rome, please do try their local speciality by the name of Gnocchi alla Romana, made from semolina flour instead of potatoes, unlike northern Italian tradition. Also, you should definitely try the typical fresh pasta, preferably “casareccia” which basically means home-made. Getting hold of some proper casareccia is a privilege. Then there is the “secondo piatto”, or second dish. More often than not this consists of some kind of meat, fish or chicken dish, accompanied by a rich selection of vegetables. An example of a good second piatto could be the “Abbachio alla Romana”, a Roman-style lamb dish. Sometimes, side dishes with different vegetables and potatoes will also be served. Both the primo and the secondo piatti are accompanied by a glass of wine or two before moving on to the dessert. Although local desserts vary, typically Italians like to have some fruit, some gelato or a nice piece of tiramisu to finish their lunch. Furthermore, a real Italian always enjoys his/her espresso after a rich meal.

At dinner time, immediate family and some close relatives gather at a suitable host’s house to enjoy another lengthy meal together. Dinner is not too different from lunch actually. There are usually antipasti, primo and secondo piatti, side dishes and a dessert. People do not start eating until all the intended guests have arrived, but once they do, people start to feel comfortable and sit down for a long meal with lots of social interaction and conversation.Usually the elder family members sitting at one corner of the table discussing old times and how everything used to be different. The younger ones discuss current events and the world in general. All this goes on for hours.

Not being too different from lunch, the antipasti at dinner could be anything from cauliflower to a nice cheese platter. Primo piatto, not uncommonly pizza or pasta, secondo piatto consisting of meat, fish, chicken and sometimes lamb; all this accompanied by little side dishes of the host’s choice. Also worth mentioning, on more formal dinner gathering, guests usually bring some sort of food or wine for the host. This food more often than not needs preparation, thus dinner is delayed and people become more and more engaged in their conversations and socialising. Wine or beer accompanies all the food, washed down with a little digestive afterwards. As with lunch, after the main courses it is time for dessert. Dolce, gelato, tiramisu or fruits; the variations are infinite.

In order to have the best experience and get maximum out of your stay in Rome, try to catch a spot at a traditional Roman dinner table with a native family. Be sure to arrive with an empty stomach, because dinner time in Italy, now that’s serious business!