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FLORENCE CULTURAL GUIDE: EVERY DAY LIFE...
This Every Day Life Guide will help you understand terms, traditions, proverbs
and curiosities while in Florence:
»
Popular Traditions
»
Useful Italian Words and Phrases
»
Regional Food and Traditional Dishes
»
Florentine "Proverbi", Expressions and Behaviour
»
Florentine Secrets and Curiosities
Useful Italian Words and Phrases
Italian Word: Pasta
Meaning:literally means paste or dough. The word is used to say "pastasciutta" (dry "pasta"),
such as spaghetti, penne, maccheroni, and other multiple varieties, which are
found in restaurants as "primi" or "primi piatti" (first dishes) in numerous varieties
of sauces; it is not used in the plural
- the "pasta" can be "corta" (short), such as
- maccheroni, maccheroncini
- penne, pennette
- rigatoni
- fusilli
- farfalle
- etc.
- or "lunga" (long), such as:
- spaghetti, spaghettini
- bucatini
- fettuccine
- tagliatelle
- taglierini
- the "lasagne" are not "pastasciutta", they are called directly their name, as
well as the "cannelloni", the "pappardelle", made of the lasagne pasta irregularly
cut, and the "tortellini", "tortelloni" and "ravioli", among others
Pasta is also used to say "pasta dolce" (sweet "pasta"), also "pastina", such
as "ciambelle" or "bomboloni" (lit. lifesavers), brioches, "sfoglie" (a way of
preparing the dough) and other multiple varieties found principally in "pasticcerie"
and "bars"; it is also used in the plural "paste".
Italian Word: Bar
Meaning: A bar is similar to a café; it is not a pub. In an Italian bar you can ask for:
coffee in all its (Italian) varieties, "paste", "salati" (quick salted snacks)
such as sandwiches, "tramezzini" (lit. small "in the middles" a word that refers
to sanwiches of soft white bread, cut in triangles) or "schiacciate", "schiacciatine"
(lit. "crushed, squashed", they are flat salted crunchy dough-cakes with olive
oil); sweets, liquors, and common alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages...
It is a place where you usually have a coffee, a snack or a "pasta", read the
newspaper or watch the news on the tv, exchange a few words and leave.
"Bar Tabacchi" – here, they also sell cigarettes and common cigars such as "toscani", their
complements, bus tickets, cellular cards and international phone call cards, among
others...
These bars have a T outside over the entrance.
Snack Bar – refers principally to the selling of snacks, such as pre-packed fried chips
of different flavours, sweets, etc.
Wine Bar – specifies that they serve a good variety of wines and complementary
food and apéritifs. It has a quieter ambiance than a cocktail bar.
Cocktail Bar – they serve all alcoholic beverages, including good varieties of cocktails;
these places are usually complemented by good lounge music..
The specification american bar of some cocktail bars may refer to the fact that they also work during the day,
serving light lunches and good lounge ambiance...
Pub and "Birreria" – pub and beer pub.
Italian Word: Aperitivo
Meaning: Aperitivo has three meanings:
- aperitif – in a menu is the food before the first main course
- aperitif – the drink, before dinner time
- aperitif time – after work or, anyway, before dinner: the occasion to meet with
friends and other people, have a drink and pick some tasty fingerfood and other
Italian Word: Caffè
Meaning: meaning coffee and it can also mean cafè (and it is usually specified in the
name of the place), even though bars are more common than Caffè’s in Italy.
Varieties of coffee:
- "caffè": espresso with no milk
- "caffè macchiato" (lit. "spotted milk"): espresso with a few drops of milk
- "cappuccino": coffee with more milk and milk foam on top (no cream), served in
a medium-size cup
- "caffellatte": coffee with milk, served in a medium-size cup or in a glass
- "caffè corretto" (lit. "corrected coffee"): espresso with a few drops of liquor
(the liquor either has to be specified or the barman offers the possibilities)
- "caffè americano": coffee prepared the american way, lighter, served in a medium-size
cup
- "affogato" (lit. "drowned" coffee): coffee with a ball of cream ice-cream, served
in a medium-size cup
- "caffè corto" and "lungo": respectively short and long coffee; if you don’t specify,
the espresso will be served "corto", if you want a double portion, you ask for
a "caffè lungo".
The time to drink a coffee is usually: in the morning before starting to work;
at mid-morning during the break; after lunch; at mid-afternoon during another
break. After dinner people drink coffee if, for any reason, they need to keep
going.
Coffee in Italy is commonly accompanied by a cigarette.
Italian Word: Menù
Meaning: A menu in Italy is usually divided as follows:
- aperitivi: apéritifs
- primi piatti (first courses): pasta, lasagne, etc.
- (minestre): soups
- (insalate): salads
- secondi piatti (second courses): meats and sometimes fish; if a restaurant has
a wider variety of meat and / or fish it divides the "secondi piatti" into meat
and fish; as well as, if a restaurant is specialized in either one or the other
or in some way to cook them, it may divide the menu according to the specialties
- contorni: side dishes (usually vegetables cooked in different ways)
- dolci: desserts, fruit and ice-cream usually included here
- bevande, vini (drinks, from water to common alcoholic beverages such as wine
and beer; hard liquors and alcoholic drinks, if there is a good variety, may be
in a list apart, with the after-dinners or liquors).
- Each menu varies, according to the specialties and the interpretations of the
restaurant.
Italian Word: Ristorante
Meaning: Italian word for restaurant. In Florence however many different names define
places to eat, some of the most common are:
- "trattoria" – in ancient times this was a place where the guest was given food, beverage,
transportation, if necessary, and a bed to stay warm and be well treated; today,
it has perhaps a better structured and maybe more varied menu than an osteria
- "osteria" – the "oste" (host) received foreigners and gave them some food, beverage and a space to
spend the night; perhaps less complete and attentive a service than that of the
ancient trattoria...; very simple menu, few things, sometimes what is for the
day, and that’s it...
- "tavola calda" – lit. "warm table"; it refers to a place where one can eat what is offered,
commonly in front of his eyes, that particular day; it is a sort of tastier, more
varied, genuine and fresher fast food...
- "zupperia" – simple restaurant where they offer some soups and related dishes and beverage,
like water and wine; let’s remember that soups in ancient times were with bread
and other ingredients like oil, garlic, etc.; today, their consistency is usually
similar but recipees vary a lot
- "cantina" – cellar. Among different sources of this word, there is the one that defines
the "cantina" an underground place where wine was kept; it is so now, and several
"cantine" are also transformed into places where to eat dishes which complement
the good variety of wines offered. "Cantinetta" and "cantinone" are respectively a small and a big cellar.
Italian Word: Fiaschetteria and vinaino
Meaning: both are similar small places where wine is served to the guests, commonly with
sandwiches, some cheeses and charcuterie, but less pretentious than a wine bar
and busier during the day.
Italian Word: Banco or Bancone
Meaning:
- counter where one eats, either seated on simple stools or standing
- counter of a shop
Italian Word: Crostino and Crostone
Meaning:The difference between
"crostino" (plur. "crostini") and
"crostone" is that the first is small, with simple toppings and eaten as an apéritif, and
the second is a bigger slice of bread more elaborately topped with a larger variety
of ingredients and eaten as a main dish.
Italian Word: Rustica
Meaning: means rural, from the country.
Italian Word: Pasticceria
Meaning: pastry shop. In these shops all kinds of pastries, or at least the most common,
are served; they serve cakes, "
pasticcini" (lit. "small ...muddles", referring to the mixes of the dough, but it means
small cakes, cookies, biscuits), etc...
Italian Word: Pasticcio
Meaning: "Pasticcio" on the other hand is a pie.
Italian Word: Gelateria
Meaning: A "Gelateria" is an ice-cream shop. They serve all kinds of ice-creams, and
according to the main characteristics of each "gelateria", ice-creams can vary
from the most traditional to the most extravagant ones. There also are
"gelateria / pasticceria" shops.
Italian Word: Pizzicheria and Salumeria (or Salumificio)
Meaning: Respectively delicatessen and charcuterie shop. Pizzicheria comes from an ancient
word which meant "corner of the table"; the second comes from "salumi" (charcuterie;
the term "
salume" perhaps comes from "sale", salt, which is quite abundantly used either in their
mixture or on their surface); here they sell fresh: charcuterie, cold cuts, cheeses
and related foods.
Italian Word: Alimentari
Meaning: store where retail items to eat are sold.
Italian Word: Salume
Meaning: is also called "insaccato" (lit. "inside a sack", the skin which contains the
mixture) and "affettato" (lit. "cut in slices", cold cut).
Italian Word: Rosticceria
Meaning: means rotisserie, delicatessen. In a "rosticceria" roasted food is prepared
and sold to be taken away: meats, vegetables, together with some complements,
which vary from main dishes such as "lasagne" and other pastas to salads; all
is presented in displays for the customer to see.
Italian Word: Ortolano
Meaning: greengrocer, selling fresh vegetables and fruits.
Italian Word: Pescheria
Meaning:A "Pescheria" is a fishmonger
Italian Word: Macelleria
Meaning: a Macelleria is a butcher’s shop.
Italian Word: Drogheria
Meaning: grocery store.
Italian Word: Mesticheria
Meaning: A "Mesticheria" is a store where they sell colours, mixes of different substances
to paint or brush the house; but today they sell almost everything small related
to the house (not decorative) and its construction or maintenance.
Italian Word: Merceria
Meaning: store where all elements and instruments to sew are sold; today they also sell
related items such as stockings, pantyhoses, bodysuits, etc.
Italian Word: Ferramenta
Meaning: an ironmonger’s shop, iron goods. Some of these items can also be found in a
"mesticheria" more and more frequently, even though the "ferramenta" is still
more specialized.
Italian Word: Pane
Meaning: Italian word for bread. There are various types and shapes of bread in Florence,
and if not specified, it is assumed that it’s Tuscan bread, it has white flour
and is "sciocco" (without salt).
The most common shapes are:
- "filone" (lit. "long thread"): it is elongated, and is usually of ½ ("da mezzo
chilo") or 1 kilo ("da un chilo")
- "ruota" (round)
- "schiacciata" - (flat with olive oil and a bit of salt, from the oven)
- "focaccia" - like a "schiacciata" but a little less flat, its consistency is
between that of a schiacciata and that of a pizza, it’s topped with herbs and / or spices and olive oil, and sometimes it folds the ingredients
inside; the place which sells more varieties of "focaccie", which sort of "specializes"
in preparing varieties of them (as sandwiches), is called "focacceria"
- "ciabatta" (lit. "slipper"): it is a bit elongated and broad loaf of bread, commonly
made of wheat; it is commonly used to make a sandwich ("panino")
- "carré" (lit. "square" bread): usually of white flour, it is smooth, made from
wet dough; it is usually pre-made and pre-packed and sold in its entire block
or previously cut (very thin)
Bread can be made of different types of flour, and it is also called accordingly;
hare are some simple examples:
- "integrale" – of wheat and / or other flours and / or seeds
- "mais" – maize
- "granturco" – corn
- « bianco » (lit. "white") – with white flour; this is the common bread
Bread can be from other regions of Tuscany and Italy, and it may be specified
in its name or definition, but it depends on the individual "forno" (lit. "oven") that prepares and sells them.
Finally, each "forno" can produce their particular types and forms of bread.
Italian Word: Panino
Meaning: A Panino is a sandwich. When the sandwich is made of "pan carré", it is usually
cut in two triangles and is called "tramezzino". Sometimes more varieties of "
panini" are especially sold at a
"panineria".
Italian Word: Forno
Meaning: is a bakery. "Forni" shops commonly prepare, (serve and) sell from breads to
"schiacciate", "focacce", fresh pizzas, "
pizzette" (small pizzas), "schiacciatine", a few fresh pastries...
Italian Word: Merenda
Meaning: A "Merenda" is a snack. The phrase "fare merenda" (to have a snack) is more
associated to children and young people and refers to pastries, "schiacciate"
or "schiacciatine", "panini", etc. at mid-morning or mid-afternoon. For adults
it means a light meal to eat during a break or as lunch.
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