Yes, you can eat pizza with your hands in Italy, especially street food ("pizza al taglio"), but for a sit-down meal with a traditional round pizza, many Italians use a knife and fork, or cut slices to fold and eat by hand, with the choice depending on the pizza's thickness and personal preference; it's not rude either way, but fork and knife are common for messy, cheesy pizzas.
It's not considered at all rude to leave your pizza crusts in Italy. Many Italians do so, especially in thicker crust pizzas such as Neapolitan style pizzas.
You're expected to cut your own slices with a knife and fork. This allows you to eat slowly and enjoy better digestion. Of course, if you prefer eating with your hands, that's okay too—just take it easy and enjoy every bite!
In Italy, cutting pizza with scissors is a common practice.
6. The unwritten rule is that wine and cappuccino aren't ordered with pizza. Beer or sparkling water are the preferred choices. In the area around Sorrento, you'll be served a small glass of Limoncello with your pizza—and anything else you order.
Well, most pizzas are designed to be eaten with the hands. Indeed, in Naples in Italy, they do something called the Libreto which is where you pick the pizza up, fold it, and eat it. However, they also use a knife and fork. So, it's really personal preference.
Is Pineapple on Pizza Illegal in Italy? Contrary to some rumors, pineapple is not illegal on pizza in Italy. While some Italian establishments do not offer pineapple on their pizzas, others willingly do so despite the debates.
Eating habits are also a factor. Italians who regularly consume fruits and vegetables, for example, have a significantly lower rate of overweight than those who regularly drink alcohol and consume junk food. Obese people seem to get more pleasure from shopping and are more interested in cooking.
Italians tend to dress up, and rarely leave the house in flip-flops or gym clothes. To avoid looking like a total tourist, leave the flip-flops behind and dress up a bit. Just be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes, as old cobblestone streets can make walking a bit challenging!”
So, if you're not asked to, don't ever take your shoes off. Don't wander around alone: Moving freely around someone else's home is considered rude and inappropriate. Accept something they offer: Leaving a house without having a coffee, a piece of cake, or even just a glass of water might disappoint your host.
The Do's and Don'ts of Italian Food Etiquette
12 things you never knew were illegal in Italy
Italian pizzas typically have a fairly thin base, which doesn't help with all that liquid. Pizza tastes so good in Italy and it's usually meant to be eaten fresh from the oven — slicing it exposes more surface area to the air, potentially cooling it down faster, putting a dent in that freshness.
In Italy, pizza is something you sit down to savor, not something you eat walking down the street. When Italians go out for pizza (often with family or friends), they go to a pizzeria, sit at a table, and order their own whole pizza — yes, a full, personal-sized pizza.
For everyone saying that potato on pizza isn't "traditional": potatoes arrived in Italy about the same time as tomatoes. Pizza con patate is found all over Italy, but is especially delicious in Rome. (Pictured: Rome-style pizza in a shop window)
In Italy, traditional pasta makers use ancient grains or high-quality durum wheat (zero glyphosate), slow-dry the pasta for up to 72 hours, and bronze-cut the dough to keep its natural structure intact. The result? Pasta that's easier to digest, higher quality, and actually tastes like wheat.
Circulatory diseases remain the leading cause of death in Italy, followed by cancer. In 2022, Italy's adult smoking rate was slightly higher than the EU average at 19.6 %, marking a resurgence of smoking during the pandemic following a decade of gradual declines.
❌Putting ketchup on pizza in Italy is considered a culinary crime by many Italians. ‼️Italian cuisine is deeply rooted in tradition, and pizza is regarded as a cultural treasure. ✨What surprised you the most about Italy when you visited?
But in Italy, the birthplace of pizza, the idea of putting fruit on pizza is often met with dramatic eye-rolls and emphatic "𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘪 𝘧𝘢!" ("you just don't do that"). Traditional Italian pizza celebrates local, seasonal ingredients: San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and basil.
He says it best, “pineapple on pizza isn't a debate. It's a matter of choice.” To make it work, he is on the same page as Mangieri, “there's got to be a balance of sweet, salty, and fat, and when you hit that right, it makes a great and satisfying bite.”
Italians generally have a strong aversion to food waste. Leaving food on your plate is seen as wasteful, especially when so much care has gone into its preparation. In Italy, it is customary to order only what you can eat and to savor each bite, appreciating the flavors and textures of the dishes.
Italian Culture
The common greeting is a handshake with direct eye contact and a smile.
If you are in Italy and ask for pizza pepperoni, you're going to be getting sweet peppers on top of your pizza because this is what we call pepperoni in Italian. Instead, you need to ask for the diabola, the devil pizza because of spicy salami.