WHEN IN ROME...

or 10 ways to pass for an Italian

(when eating or drinking)

              Never drink cappuccino after 11am; from then on its a tiny hit of espresso, which you must call simply caffè˝

  Never eat  or order  pizza for lunch; the pizza ovens arent fired up until the evening

  If youve had good service leave a little change over and above the service charge

 If youre hungry but cant afford a meal settle for an aperitivo; it usually comes with plentiful nuts and olives. At Happy Hour

 in the posher caffès you will often get a selection of snacks with your drink for no extra charge

  Off alcohol? Order a crodino,  a herbal drink which makes a refreshing, non-alcoholic aperitivo

  Dont expect English soup if you ask for zuppa inglese. It is dessert  and a rich trifle

  Breakfast inside, standing at the bar, on caffè and cornetto (croissant and sweet pastry with different fillings). In the morning pavement seats and

 tables are for tourists

  Learn a few of the names of the lesser known pasta shapes. There are about 656 of them. Most non-Italians know spaghetti, tagliatelle,

 fettuccin linguine or fusilli. But what about orecchiette, which means little ears, vermicelli (little worms) or strozzapreti  (literally: priest stranglers)

  Never ask for a sprinkling of parmigiano on a seafood pasta dish

  Celebrate spring with a traditional plate of fave con pecorino with raw fresh broad beans eaten with hard cheese made from ewe mil.

 (Julia Davidson)