Italian food culture
Italian food culture: the most curious things about Italian food and culture. How to avoid being impolite while socializing with Italians understanding the Italian culture and traditions.
Italian food and culture does not regard only recipes. It goes much deeper.
Italians have a lot of "do's" and "don'ts". They come from ancient uses and most of the times the only reason for a behaviour comes from an Italian culture tradition, in the meaning that "it has always been like this".
Italy is a big country comprising many small cities (where tradition is stronger), so while in Italy, especially if accompanied by an Italian, you should not:
- Cross hands while greeting. If you are with 3 or more people and you greet by shaking hands, do it one at a time. NEVER shake one's hand while another one is doing the same "across" your hands.
- Pour water into someone else's glass using the "opposite" way. Let me explain: if you take the jug with your left hand, the glass MUST be in your right; so if you have the jug in your right hand, the glass has to be in your left. Got it?
- Be invited for an aperitif and begin to drink as soon as your drink arrives, without waiting for the others. Usually everybody has to have a glass and after a "cin cin" (=Cheers) with the others, you may drink.
There's something regarding wine that I believe do not pertain only to Italian culture customs: When pouring wine into a wine glass, NEVER fill it more than half! Wine should remain below the half way mark and not more than that which you see in this photo.
Of course you will be free to add more as you drink the first glass, but adding ALWAYS only small quantities to the glass.
