THE MENU
There is something that Italians going abroad do not understand: the meal structure. On Saturday I went to an Afghan restaurant (very nice food by the way) and my father in law asked what kind of “primi piatti” they served! In Italy there is a very clear structure for a meal, that is generally different from abroad. I remember during my business trips to Asia that all the food was served at once. And in Europe and North America you usually have a starter and a main course. In Italy you usually have the following structure:
- Starter or appetizer: a small portion of food. In Tuscany the most frequent starter is Crostini or a “Salumi platter or both
- Primo piatto (or first course): A pasta dish or a soup.
- Secondo piatto (or second course): Usually a meat dish in Tuscany, but could also be a fish dish or a vegetable preparation. Meat and fish are usually served with a side dish, a salad or some vegetables.
- Dessert
- Coffee and “Killthecoffee”(literally translated from the Italian ammazzacaffe’) , i.e. after the coffee a grappa or limoncello are offered to the guests.
On a daily base, no dessert is usually prepared, and the meal finishes with some fresh fruits. I remember travelling in the US with my colleague Gordon and how disappointed he was when I asked for some fresh fruits at the end of the meal in a restaurant. I think that the waitress was shocked as well, but I did not want to do anything wrong, just increase my vitamin intake. In restaurants or at an official meal you can offer as dessert some fresh strawberries, watermelon or ananas. These fruits are considered “special” treats and are considered equal to a dessert.
