Italian eating habits: how italians eatHow Italians eat and when they have breakfast, dinner and lunch. What is better to do when invited at home whether for lunch or dinner. The Italian eating habits change depending on regions, on geographic position. Italians in southern regions eat later. Here below you can find information about opening time of restaurants. In bars you can have a quick meal when you wish. An other important habit: Italians never drink capuccino after eating or, even worse, while eating! Capuccino is always for breakfast, combined with a sweet, or during the morning as drink instead of coffee. Drinking capuccino in the afternoon is quite rare. italian breakfast
Coffee (with mocha or espresso)or capuccino, milk and a baked product, or sweet: cookies, slices of bread and jam, cakes .... A rule for Italian breakfast is a fast meal. Traditionally it was different: in the countryside when a quick breakfast, made in this manner (4.30 / 5.00 am), was followed by a second at 9.00 with a dish of soup, a sandwich with salami, fruit or other. Italian Lunch Once the main meal of the day, now with the new rhythms of life forcing us to settle for a sandwich or a snack standing in the “bar”, in the great towns it is less important . But in the small towns and countryside lunch is always important and it is at 12,30 pm in northern regions, 1,30/2,00 in southern and central regions. You can find always spaghetti, pasta, or rice as first course, meat and fish as main course, followed by expresso cofffe. There is still a rite on holidays, "pranzo della domenica" Italian sunday lor holiday unch: a starter with salamis, the traditional italian starter, combined with traditional bread, focaccia or piadina, one or two first courses (pasta or rice) and a rich main course with meat or fish. It ends with fruit or a sweet and, of course, coffee espresso.
If invited to lunch the table equipment will be informal: Nothing table mats and maximum 2 forks and 2 glasses (water and wine). You can make exceptions for occasions of great party with an equipment more sumptuous Italian Dinner Now the most important meal by a social point of view, Italian dinner: meeting with family, or with friends. Made at 7,30/8 p.m in northern regions, 9/10 p.m in central and southern regions. In the south it is not a problem to go to restaurant at 10,30/11 p.m. Now in the greatest turist towns as Venice, Rome and Florence you can eat also before. Not in Milan, where before 7,30 p.m it is very difficult to find a restaurant serving food.
There are not fixed rules for the "dinners of Family," but on important occasions shall not be served pasta in the evening (first course on the spoon or rice), a starter is always welcome, the main courses will be one or even two (starting with fish, then meat) the cheese is always a pleasure and it ends with a light sweet . The equipment is more formal: ok the tablemats. plates and cutlery in sufficient number of the dishes. The wines are matching combinations of dishes... and so the glasses. If you are invited to lunch or dinner you can bring flowers to the lady (always in pots to avoid embarrassing logistical problems) or chocolates, sweets: or a bottle that you know appreciated by the owners of the House will be welcome. Never arrive in advance: better15 minutes later!
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