10 MISTAKES & MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ITALIAN FOOD
My favorite category while browsing Youtube, is videos of Italian Grandmothers reacting to other people making Italian food. While Italian dishes like pizza or pasta have become some of the most popular foods in the world, outside of Italy Italian cuisine in general is one of the most misrepresented cuisines in the world. In Italy, food and traditions related to it are taken very seriously and fiercely defended.
We have compiled a list of the 10 biggest sins against Italian cuisine, so you can spot faux Italian cooking when dining out, and avoid angering locals during your trips to the peninsula. While recipes and foods customs can vary widely from region to region and town to town, Italians would agree that these are 10 capital sins:
Using the name of a dish but ignoring the recipe - Obviously cooking is a creative art, nothing is written in stone, however when you use the name of a famous recipe, people will be expecting certain ingredients and techniques.
Over or undercooking pasta - People, really, it is not that hard, boil water, add salt, put the pasta in the water, the cooking time is on the box. DO NOT add pasta before the water boils, wash pasta, cook raw pasta with the sauce.
Adding cream - Obviously there are exceptions, but generally cream is considered too heavy and a flavor killer, here are some dishes that, perhaps to your surprise, DO NOT have cream, carbonara, cacio e pepe, risotto and tiramisu.
Overuse of garlic (and garlic bread) - Garlic is also considered a flavor killer, it is used in small amounts to give some aroma to certain recipes. The overuse of garlic is considered vulgar and people will assume that you are using its overpowering flavor to hide subpar or not fresh ingredients.
Putting cheese on seafood - There are very few exceptions to this rule, cheese and seafood should simply stay away from each other. Asking for parmigiano with your seafood pasta, or even worse second course fish dish will be met with confusion or even disgust by your waiter.
Cutting or breaking long pastas - Nothing sends chills down every Italian's spine, like watching you eat spaghetti or any long pasta with a knife and fork. No need to make a mess or any slurping noises, just separate a few strands of pasta with the inner teeth of your fork, pin them against your plate, spin your fork until the strands are wrapped around your fork, enjoy. This technique will also allow you to get the right sauce to spaghetti in every bite.
Chicken on pasta - Chicken is generally not a particularly popular meat option in Italy, while you may occasionally see grilled or baked chicken on a menu, I cannot recall a single pasta recipe that included chicken.
Drinking red wine with fish or white wine with meat - Food and wine pairings are fairly universal, not just an Italian thing. If you drink most red wines after seafood, you will likely end up with a strange metallic taste in your mouth, and red meat will usually overpower white wine.
Pineapple on pizza - Ask for a Hawaiian or Pineapple pizza in Naples, you are likely to be thrown out of the restaurant, maybe thrown out of the city. (PS. In Italy “pepperoni” are bell peppers, so if you ask for pepperoni pizza and you know what you'll get. You have been warned!)
Drinking cappuccinos after 11am or with your meal - The cappuccino is a morning coffee always consumed before 11am, perfect for dipping your favorite cookie or breakfast pastry, it is not an evening dessert or something to drink alongside your meal.
