An Italian snack is known as spuntino, a term which can include anything from olives and crisps to small plates shared between friends. Bars and cafés might serve spuntino in a similar way to tapas, and while they wouldn't be eaten as the opener to a larger meal elements of antipasto are commonly consumed as snacks.
1. Bruschetta. Bruschetta is a savory Italian snack food that originated in central Italy. It is made with toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with diced tomatoes, olive oil, and fresh basil leaves.
Aperitivo is an Italian tradition of gathering over drinks and small bites. It is a boozy affair fueled by snacks that should lead to dinner, and it is perhaps best described as a classier version of a happy hour but should never be advertised as such.
Perhaps the most popular Italian appetizer, antipasto is a dish made up of a variety of different Italian favorites. Even throughout different regions of Italy, an antipasto appetizer contains different kinds of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
The Appetizer Course
They are called antipasti in Italian, where they can be served hot or cold, cooked or raw.
A late night snack in Italy might be plate of spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with oil and garlic) made with ingredient variations from the midnight kitchen. It's basic, it's quick and it's loaded with somulating carbohydrates. Aglio e olio is a traditional Italian casalinga (home style) pasta dish.
Between 6:00 and 8:00pm, just before dinner, it is the Italian aperitivo time. Aperitivo is a drink and a snack or small bite before dinner.
La merenda is the typical mid-afternoon snack that most Italians tend to associate with coming home from school as a child—that moment of the day, somewhere around 4 or 5 o'clock, when little tummies are groaning and need a small something to help make it to dinnertime, still a few hours away.
A typical Italian lunch consists of a primo (pasta, soup or risotto dish), a secondo (meat or fish-based dish) and a contorno (side dish). Italians love their carbs and enjoy adding freshly grated Parmesan cheese to their dishes. Italians also exhibit a truly incredible talent for reinventing leftovers.
The antipasto: A traditional Italian meal starts with something to nibble on, called an antipasto, which translates into English as “before the meal.” Can include hot and cold appetizers like cheese, sopprasatta, bread, and dressed vegetables.
Think: a panino, a pair of small pizzas, or pizza bianca (salted but otherwise naked pizza crust); that said, packaged foods are huge for snacks, so it will just as likely be a store-bought piece of cake or crostata (jam pie).
SAN CARLO Classic Potato Chips - 50g (1.76oz)
These Classic Potato Chips are a staple in Italy!
The most common foods in the Italian diet include pasta, cheese, vegetables, olive oil, meats, and wine. Italians give a lot of importance to fresh ingredients.
In Italy, Shrove Tuesday, or Martedì Grasso (Fat Tuesday), is just one day in a marathon of festivities that can last for weeks. These revelries are known as Carnevale, a culmination of authentic Italian food, parades and parties.
Why do Italians eat so late? The simple answer is that it is consistent with the traditional culture of avoiding the heat of the day. Also, since the workday is divided in half by a long pausa, people don't finish work until around 7:30 or 8:00.
Parmigiano and Grana
Parmigiano is undoubtedly the most famous and beloved cheese in Italy. It's grated, eaten as a snack, and even the rind is tossed into soups to add flavor.
Biscotti (/bɪˈskɒti/; Italian pronunciation: [biˈskɔtti]; English: biscuits), known also as cantucci ([kanˈtuttʃi]), are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the Tuscan city of Prato. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo.
Cicchetti are small snacks, similar in concept to Spanish tapas, which are typically eaten accompanied by a small glass of wine, called an ombra.
Antipasto. This traditional Italian meal starts with something to nibble on before the main courses commence. These appetizers can include cold and hot dishes like cheese, soppressata, and bread.
Venetians call these small plates cicchetti (pronounced “chi-KET-tee”) — said to derive from the Latin “ciccus,” meaning “little” or “nothing.” The term embraces a broad range of dishes: polpette (fried meatballs), crostini (small open-faced sandwiches), panini (small sandwiches on crusty rolls), tramezzini (triangular ...