Know Where You're Going for Dinner: Italian Vs. Italian-American

Posted on: 28 March 2019

In the United States, international cuisines tend to morph over time into hyphenated versions that differ from what you find in the parent country. American-Chinese food is different from what you'd find in China, for example, and Italian-American food is quite different from European-Italian. Many people know about the differences already, especially for Italian food. Yet others were never exposed to any Italian food other than what they could find at the local Italian-American place. If you've never learned the differences, here are three things you need to know about if you're visiting a restaurant that claims to serve actual Italian food.

Spaghetti with a Spoon

You know the technique in which you gather spaghetti on your fork by placing the tines in a well of a spoon and using the spoon to corral the spaghetti as you wind it around the fork? You shouldn't do that if you want to have a true Italian experience, because it's not an Italian habit. Granted, if the Italian restaurant is in the U.S., the waitstaff will likely understand why people are doing it—they know it's a habit here—but if you really want to make your Italian meal authentic, don't use the spoon. Gather smaller piles of spaghetti that won't try to escape your fork.

That Huge Pile of Pasta

Actual Italian food tends to come in smaller portions. The large mounds of pasta you're used to seeing in Italian-American food are really a poverty habit; when immigrants were trying to survive long ago, pasta was a cheap source of calories and thus of energy. A huge pile of pasta was sustenance when other foods were too expensive. A restaurant serving authentic Italian food instead of authentic Italian-American food may offer you smaller portions with more vegetables and lighter fare.

Pretty Much Every Dish on the Menu

Speaking of those offerings, be prepared to not see your Italian-American favorites. A few dishes like Neapolitan-style pizza may be familiar, but a lot of what people call Italian food in the U.S. is not really part of European-Italian cuisine. Again, many dishes were invented here based on the ingredients that were available and affordable. But here's your chance to be adventurous. Try a dish you've never heard of instead of defaulting to something that looks like it could be a relative of your favorite ziti dish.

If you've never tried actual Italian food before, you're going to love it. Italian-American food is still a legitimate cuisine that is tasty and filling, but adding European-Italian dishes to your collection of favorite foods is something you'll be glad you did. For more information, check out an Italian restaurant near you.

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