The Italian culture, well, European culture for that matter, is much different than the American culture in many ways. First and foremost, meals are a bonding, savored, relaxing occasion. Families and friends are united over food. Meals take hours, and it’s ok!
Now, onto the food. Oh my gosh. The flavors, the aromas, textures…everything comes together to make a meal full of fabulousness. Every ingredient that is in a particular dish is fresh, possibly even from the owners garden. You can taste every ingredient with each bite. After you are finished with your meal, you are full, but it’s not that uncomfortable feeling where you just want to put your pajamas on and fall asleep. After a meal out there, you feel refreshed, full, and, at least in my eyes, are pondering where and when the next meal is going to take place!
When you’re from America, the mentality is the bigger the better. The more food you have on the plate, the better the meal. Ingredients are loaded with preservatives. When you have a meal, most of the time it’s you eat and run. Foods and flavors aren’t savored. In America, we eat with family and friends, but when the meal is over, you get up and go. It’s not a relaxing event, but it still brings people together.
I did my deed on enlightening you on some of the differences in Italian/American foods; however, I am very hungry and craving a good old dish of Italian pasta. I might be making my flight back to Italia sooner than I had planned!
-Written by Lauren Greco
