Now that we know what types of eating establishments exist In Italia, we should now learn the names of mealtimes and what kinds of food you can expect to find during those meals.
La Colazione (lah koh-lah-tsee-on-neh) — The Breakfast
Breakfast is pretty standard in Italia. You can expect to drink Caffe (espresso), Caffellatte (coffee with milk), or Cappuccino (coffee with frothed milk). For eating you can expect to find panino (roll) or cornetto (croissant) with marmellatta (jam).
Il Pranzo (eel prahn-tsoh) — The Lunch
Lunch in Italia is usually the biggest meal of the day. Many people actually go home for lunch with their family, especially if you live in a small village. If you work in a city many will opt for eating Pranzo at il bar. Sometimes depending on whether you are in a small village or a city, this may mean some of the stores and businesses are closed during this time. Pranzo is usually served between 12:00 and 2:00 (or 14:00 – Italian Time)
La Cena (lah cheh-nah) — The Dinner
Dinner in Italia is a lighter meal than what we are used to in America. It is usually served between 7:30-10 PM (19:30- 22:00 – Italian Time).
Buon Appetito!
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Can I also add that there are verbs for eating lunch and dinner? This confused me to no end the first time P said to me “Ceniamo insieme?” (”We’re having dinner together?”) Huh? If he would have said “mangiamo” I would’ve been so there…so, yes, you can also “cenare” and “pranzare” but not “colazionare” apparently–which is just as well, b/c that last one sounds kinda like a medical procedure
Ah, also, if you want to order a copy of that Calabrian cookbook, send me an email, and I’ll pass along the contact info of the author. She actually lives in Florida now that I think of it.
Buona giornata
Hey Sognatrice!
Great additions! Plus you taught me something as well. Man, I would be lost too..now I can store it away in my memory box for later!
Yes, I am very interested in the cookbook. I actually did email you back when you first announced it…I will try again!
so it is true? euopeans take a break in the middle of the day? closing down businesses? what is this called? that is really cool
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
Yes, some Europeans do take a break mid-day, and in Italy, but only in some parts. It really depends on a lot of factors. In Spain they call it a Seista - but I guess they have different names for it in different countries, depending on the language.
Hi Jenn! Nice to find out about this blog too! Wow, how about coming down to Brazil to review our local restaurants? I could not locate the Coffee queen post you were talking about, help! Have a great weekend!
Hi Cris!
I would love to come down to Brazil to do restaurant reviews or anything else for that matter!—oh sorry, The Coffee Queen is my friend Lisabeeen, you can find her in my links section, but I also wrote several posts about her too - most recently this week when we went to Ft. Lauderdale. She is soon to be a member on The Foodie Blogroll as well!