We've all heard the (horror) stories: ketchup on pasta instead of a carefully crafted sauce, cream in carbonara, broken spaghetti, pineapple as a pizza topping, cappuccino sipped after noon... Are these just Italian stereotypes? Not quite. In a recent survey, Italians revealed the top three "crimes against Italian food" that annoy them the most:
• #1: Ketchup on spaghetti — the "ultimate culinary crime"
• #2: Pineapple on pizza — considered "shocking" by most respondents
• #3: Throwing pasta into cold water instead of boiling it first
Check out our video on the top "Italian food horrors" (if you're Italian and watching this, take a deep breath!) Let's play a game: see how many of the "crimes" you can identify in the video... (hints below).
Italians take their food and drink seriously: the art of boiling pasta, the perfectly al dente spaghetti, the ideal sauces (and the ones you should avoid), and when to use Parmesan cheese.
Here's our full list of crimes against Italian food* that will certainly get a reaction from your Italian friends:
1) Breaking spaghetti
Enjoy spaghetti to the full. If you like shorter pasta, there are plenty of other options.
2) Cooking pasta in cold water
Bring water to the boil (and salt it!) before throwing in pasta.
3) Carbonara with cream
Eggs, Pecorino Romano, black pepper...nothing else!
4) Not knowing how to boil pasta properly
Make sure to use a tall pot (a stock pot, ideally).
5) Overcook (or undercook) pasta
This will take some practice. The Italian preference is always "al dente".
6) Ketchup on pasta
Remember...the worst insult to Italians. Make a nice tomato sauce instead. Here's a simple video recipe for you.
7) Eating spaghetti with a spoon
Italians find it offensive, but rather than making a mess...ask for a spoon anyway!
8) Parmesan cheese on fish pasta
Italians don't add cheese to any fish courses.
9) Pineapple on pizza
Italians love eating pineapple. But for some mysterious reason, pineapple on pizza becomes kryptonite.
10) Chicken on pizza
Again, Italians eat lots of chicken, but never mix it with pasta, pizza or risotto.
11) BBQ sauce on pizza
The only sauce allowed is tomato sauce!
12) Eating pizza with a knife and fork
This is a funny one. Unlike in the US, pizza in Italy is served whole, rather than pre-sliced. It's OK to cut out slices with a knife and fork, but then it is preferable to eat them with your hands.
13) Fake espresso
Espresso is like religion to Italians. If you want to know why, we wrote about it here.
14) Drinking cappuccino after noon
Italians drink cappuccino only at breakfast. It has something to do with milk being hard to digest after...noon?
15) People saying French cuisine is better than Italian
This one is just for fun. The "rivalry" between Italians and French goes back a long way. Who has the best food / wine / fashion / art? Well, we are pretty sure we know the answer to that ;) Désolé, mes amis!
Quite a nightmare for any Italian, right? 😂
And what about you? Are you guilty of any of these "crimes"? Let us know in the comments. And if you know someone who needs to watch this video, be sure to share it with them. As the saying goes in Italy, "uomo avvisato mezzo salvato" ("forewarned is forearmed" — literally: "a warned man is halfway saved").
*As always, please take these guidelines with a pinch of salt and a smile. While Italians are passionate about their culinary traditions, we at Inevitaly believe that everyone should feel free to order what they like and be treated with kindness and respect. While you may not find pineapple on pizza or creamy carbonara in Italy, you're welcome to ask for a spoon, Parmesan cheese, or even a cappuccino at any time of the day.
However, if you receive disapproving glances, don't say we didn't warn you! 😆🤌
