Working with Italian restaurants over the past 20 years, I have found one of the major problems was educating people in the way Italians prepare their meals. Initially, the contorni (side dishes) that were served separately, were considered by the dining public as a way for the restaurant to make more money. “They served the potatoes on the side and they charged us extra, what a rip-off.”
The history
Slowly over the years, as more and more restaurants joined the ‘fancy places to eat’ in serving their meals this way, the public has learnt that choosing vegetables is part of the meal. Now all these eateries have to do is teach people the way an Italian meal is put together, course by course.
During the 1950s many Italian migrants arrived in Australia, the USA and other parts of the world. Practically penniless and normally of southern extraction, they had just come through hell. WW11 decimated Southern Italy and it sometimes it was easier to leave the uncertain future and terrible living conditions for a new country, where a new start could be made, and where hard work would be appreciated.
Pasta was precious
When they arrived, the cheapest food available was pasta and home grown vegetables so big plates of pasta became everyday meals. If you have a large family proteins are an expensive option. That’s one of the reasons salami has always been popular with the working classes in Italy. It was grown at home with the family pig and it could be stored for when food wasn’t as plentiful.
People going to Italian restaurant got used to big plates of pasta as a meal. Italians got used to changing recipes to suit the palate and so the real pasta dish was changed to suit modern diners. However, pasta is normally served in portions 100gms to 75gms.
The order of an Italian meal
An Italian meal would normally consist of: an entree(starter), primo – which could be pasta, rice or soup, a secondo or piatto principali – the main course and of course, dolce – the dessert. Alongside the main meal were the contorni (the side dishes). Pasta and rice were never served as an accompaniment or on the same plate as the main meal, that is something that has developed by other nationalities.
Today Italians don’t stick to this menu for everyday, they eat as most people do, they have one plate of pasta or protein, and maybe a light salad. However, if you’re taken to a good Italian restaurant you will be presented with a menu that lists all the foods in these categories. All I can say is, enjoy!
Glynis Macri - Glynis Macri has been visiting Italy for the past 20 years absorbing all that the country has to offer in the way of food and wine ...
