The Real Italy

I apologise for the delay in writing this post but as I have just regained my internet connection and am missing Italy so I thought I would share some fondness.


Living in host families I learnt about the culture, the food that they really eat and some of the language that you might not pick up in the classroom.

The Italians are very family orientated, my first family were a young couple and I saw both sets of grandparents at least twice in 7 days. The mum in my second host family was one of 5 sisters who collectively took ownership of their parents house when they died. It was a farmhouse with chickens and lots of fruit and veg growing, the sisters met there 3 or 4 times a week and cooked and ate together with children, grandchildren, family and friends.


so, onto the food. Italians eat a lot!


Breakfast: Usually cake, toast and nutella and more cake. And no milk to drink to my disappointment. The italians obviously found it very strange that I didn't drink coffee and tea was not an option :(


Lunch: They usually eat a big lunch, my first camp was packed lunches but a lot of the children had leftover dinner and veg from the night before. I normally had sandwiches (panino) and lots of snacky things- crackers, biscotti .etc. In my second camp it was canteen food which was two courses, pasta or rice to start and meat or cheese and veg for seconds.


Dinner: They eat pasta every day, sometimes twice a day. They eat it as a starter but offer you loads so don't fill up on it because there is always more! seconds is normally cooked veg (cold!) and protein like mozzerella, prosciutto, aubergine parmigiana  and frittata. Occasionally the mum would cook pizza, authentic homemade delicious pizza.


After visiting many restaurants I actually found the nicest food was in host families, the pizza and pasta were not as good, even in less touristy areas. 


Dessert: fruit generally, crostini (pastry with jam, basically) or GELATO! 


Gelato= AMAZING! I ate so much and do not regret it all, the host families even buy home tubs from the gelateria's not the supermarket.


Favourite flavours:
Nocciola- Hazelnut praliney
Amarena- Sweet vanilla with cherries
Pistacchio
Stracciatella- vanilla and chocolate pieces
Zuppa Inglese 'English Soup'- what the italians think of trifle, custardy flavour, cherries, chocolate, biscuit, cake!
And this amazing nameless chocolate and black cherry ice cream in Venice.

Delicious Pistacchio and chocolate bun :)