Every time somebody talks with you about Italy, you can rest assured that sooner or later you?ll end up chatting about food. Italian food is known to be one of the nicest in the world, and who doesn?t know about staples like Alfredo Sauce, Pepperoni Pizza or Chicken Parmesan?
Everybody seems to believe that such plates are the quintessence of Italian cuisine? But are they Italian for real??To tell the truth, an Italian would just blink in surprise, and tell you that he never heard about such things!
Pepperoni Pizza
When ordering a pepperoni pizza, you know you will get a pizza topped with hot salami. But what do Italians actually mean with the word ?peperoni?? This word indicates a vegetable, not a hot sausage! So if you order a ?pizza ai peperoni?, what you?ll get is pizza with red or green peppers. But you probably want to look out for something like ?pizza con salame piccante?. And you thought pizza was a safe thing.
Spaghetti with Meatballs
The most classic Italian style pasta?or not? Of course, you can find some similar dishes in Italy ? more commonly, meat sauces like Rag? go with egg pasta like tagliatelle or fettuccine! Pasta with big meatballs is actually much rarer than you?d think, as pasta is usually served as a first course and meat as a second course.
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Carbonara with Cream
Now, things gets serious with Pasta alla Carbonara. While it?s absolutely normal that everyone has their own preferences and even that every family may have its own recipe, no Italian in their wits would add cream or white sauce to Carbonara. And that?s it. No discussions allowed. The real Italian Carbonara has no cream in it whatsoever.
Italian Salad Dressing
Ah, the salad dressing galore. How could you skip Italian dressing, that delicious mixture of vinegar, lemon juice, oil, herbs and peppers? Interestingly enough, if you ask an Italian about it, he?ll be totally clueless. Enough said! In Italy, no dressings on your salad ? oil, salt and vinegar is the way.
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Garlic Bread
Another faux-Italian recipe. Of course, Italian bread comes in hundreds of different types and shapes; it can be sprinkled with seeds, olive oil, salt, herbs; it can contain nuts and olives; and every region has its own typical bread. But garlic bread is not really a classic in Italy. Especially not with pasta and not as an appetizer. It?s just not Italian.
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Chicken Parmesan
Let?s set the record straight. A normal Italian, when hearing the word ?parmigiana?, will think about mouthwatering fried eggplants with tomato, parmesan, herbs and mozzarella, all layered like lasagna. No one would connect it with chicken breast slices! In fact, chicken parmesan was actually created outside Italy, and it?s virtually unknown in the peninsula. Try to talk about it to an Italian, and watch his or her slightly horrified reaction.
Alfredo Sauce
While it?s true that Mr. Alfredo invented a certain butter sauce in his restaurant in Rome in the early Nineties, no Italian would know what you?re talking about! No restaurant, except maybe for the very, very touristic ones, will have ?fettuccine Alfredo? on its menu ? that?s because it?s a dish so simple that no one would ever order it in a restaurant. In fact, it?s what Italians call ?pasta in bianco? (lit. white pasta), and it?s what they prepare when one feels under the weather.
Macaroni and Cheese
An Italian would be a bit perplexed about the good, old mac and cheese. In fact, even its name can sound a bit too vague to Italian ears (what kind of cheese, exactly? What kind of pasta?) And how about what this dish looks like? You will not find macaroni and cheese boxes in Italian supermarkets. It may actually have an Italian origin, but no mac and cheese in Italy.
Italian Wedding Soup
You had it at least once in your life, right? That light, clear vegetable soup with meat that is served in many Italian restaurants. As nice as it can be, you?ll never find it in a restaurant in Italy. Sorry!
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Stuffed Pizza Crust
You can travel Italy from North to South and vice versa, you will not be able to find a pizza place that sells pizza with a stuffed crust. You?ll simply not find it, that?s all? because you guessed it?It?s not an Italian thing.
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Spaghetti Bolognese
Sorry, but there?s nothing like Spaghetti Bolognese in Italy. What you know is a tomato sauce with meat that really is very far away from the real thing, which is simply known as Rag? and it?s used to dress egg tagliatelle, not spaghetti.
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Last but Not Least ? A Small List of Italian No-No?s!
Cappuccino during or after meals ? Cappuccino and similar milk/coffee concoctions tend to be consumed in the morning. No one would get a hot chocolate or a cappuccino as a drink for lunch, for example. An espresso coffee is a different story altogether ? any time is good for that little hot cup.
Pasta or rice as a side dish ? While traveling, it?s quite common to find that pasta is served as a side dish ?this happens in many European countries. When in Italy, you?ll never see anything like that, because pasta and rice are usually seen as first course material. Rice can also be used to prepare cakes and desserts, though.
Pesto in your sandwich ? Italians commonly use pesto as a sauce for their pasta, but they wouldn?t really use it instead of mayo or any other spread in a sandwich. Even if they may even admit it tastes good! The same goes for pesto on your pizza. It?s a no-no.
Chicken Pizza or Pineapple Pizza ? Italians simply do not get meat on their pizza. You may find prosciutto, but that?s it. No chicken, no veal, no beef. The same goes for fruit like pineapple ? is your favorite Italian restaurant offering you Hawaii Pizza? Well, just know that?s not Italian for sure.
Pasta swimming in the sauce ? While many Italians like their pasta well seasoned, this doesn?t mean it has to be a plate full of sauce with some pasta in it! It?s quite the contrary!
Now that you know what?s common in Italy and what?s not, you?re definitely ready to order!
(All images via Wikipedia.)
Source: http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/blog/italian/food-you-believed-to-be-italian-but-its-actually-not
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