Skip to Content
Features

Your Italian Language Pantry

assorted vegetables and spices on wood surface

Photo by Angele J on Pexels.com

While our regular language lessons, Food Talk With Luna: A Taste of La Lingua Italiana, will lead you to food fluency, we thought to provide a glossary of key Italian food terms (and drinks too) to help in the process. Think of these (nearly 150 words!) as your Italian language pantry to build your knowledge and break out in Italian restaurants and specialty stores at home and during your next trip to Italy!

Food (cibo)

Meal Basics:

Breakfast (colazione)

Lunch (pranzo)

Dinner (cena)

Snack (spuntino)

Drinks (bibite)

Soup (zuppa)

Sandwich (panino)

Salad (insalata)

Appetizer (antipasto)

1st course (primo piatto) - Primo

2nd course (secondo)

Side dish (contorno)

Dessert (dolce)

Kitchen Basics:

Salt (sale)

Pepper (pepe)

Red Pepper (peperoncino)

Olive oil (olio)

Bread (pane)

Butter (burro)

Nuts (noccioline)

Walnuts (noci)

Almonds (mandorle)

Chestnuts (castagne)

Flour (farina)

Rice (riso)

Vinegar (aceto)

Balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico)

Pasta (pasta)

Polenta (Polenta)

Sauce (Sugo)

Eggs (uovo) plurale uova

Cereals (cereali) 

Meat (carne):

Ground Beef (carne di manzo macinata)

Steak (bistecca)

Chicken (pollo)

Pork (maiale)

Sausage (salsiccia)

Rabbit (coniglio)

Duck (anatra)

Pigeon (piccione)

Lamb (agnello)

Turkey (tacchino)

Salumi (cured meats)

Prosciutto (prosciutto) - prosciutto crudo

Ham (prosciutto cotto)

Salami (salame)

Coppa (coppa)

Hog Jowl (guanciale)

Bacon (pancetta)

Boloney (mortadella)

Fish (pesce)

Shrimp (gamberi)

Crab (granchi)

Salmon (salmone)

Clams (vongole)

Mussels (cozze)

Oysters (ostriche)

Squid (calamari)

Octopus (polpo)

Lobster (aragosta)

Branzino (branzino)

Vegetables (verdure)

Onion (cipolla)

Carrot (carota)

Asparagus (asparagi)

Eggplant (melanzane)

Artichoke (carciofi)

Peppers (peperoni)

Garlic (aglio)

Celery (sedano)

Kale (cavolo)

Broccoli (broccoli)

Broccoli Rabe (cime di broccoli)

Cabbage (cavolo)

Cauliflower (cavolfiore)

Beets (bietole)

Spinach (spinaci)

Brussels Sprout (cavolini di Bruxelles)

Corn (mais)

Zucchini (zucchine)

Potatoes (patate)

Pumpkin (zucca)

Peas (piselli)

Lettuce (lattuga)

Green Beans (fagiolini)

Salad (insalata)

Fennel (finocchio)

Mushrooms (funghi)

Truffles (tartufi)

Fruit (frutta):

Apple (mela)

Banana (banana)

Pear (pera)

Strawberry (fragole)

Blueberry (mirtillo)

Blackberry (mora)

Mixed Berries (frutti di bosco)

Tomato (pomodoro)

Watermelon (cocomero / anguria)

Cantelope (melone)

Legumes (legumi):

White beans (fagioli bianchi)

Chickpeas (ceci)

Lentils (lenticchie)

Peas (piselli)

Herbs (erbe):

Basil (basilico)

Rosemary (rosmarino)

Thyme (time)

Sage (salvia)

Oregano (origano)

Saffron (zafferano)

Dairy (latticini):

Mike (latte)

Cheese (formaggio)

Cream (crema)

Whipped cream (panna)

Butter (burro)

Ice cream (gelato)

Drinks (Bevande):

Wine (vino)

Red Wine (vino rosso)

White Wine (vino bianco)

Sparkling Wine (Prosecco or Spumante)

Beer (birra)

Coffee (caffè)

Water (acqua)

Still water (acqua naturale/liscia)

Sparkling Water (frizzante/gassata)

Milk (latte)

Juice (succo)

Fresh-squeezed juice (spremuta)

Orange juice (spremuta d’arancia)

Tea (tè)

Soda (bibite gassate)

Utensils:

Fork (forchetta)

Knife (coltello)

Spoon (cucchiaio)

Teaspoon (cucchiaino)

Napkin (tovagliolo)

Glass (bicchiere)

Table (tavolo)

Plate (piatto)

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

How Italian Dancer Federica Rizzo Eats in America

Venetian-born dancer/choreographer/instructor, Federica Rizzo, shares her experiences with food as an Italian in America.

August 25, 2025

Historic Angelo Brocato of New Orleans Sparks Childhood Memories

In New Orleans, Angelo Brocato has been an icon for more than 120 years serving Sicilian pastries and gelato.

August 25, 2025

CasaSalvo Opens in SoHo

CasaSalvo, the first New York restaurant from chef Salvo Lo Castro, brings Italian and Mediterranean flavors to SoHo with handmade pastas, seafood, and a terrace for aperitivo.

August 22, 2025

Carbone Fine Food & MALIN+GOETZ Cook up a ‘Tomato Supercandle’

The Tomato Supercandle from Carbone Fine Food and MALIN+GOETZ provides a scent of classic Italian cooking at the flick of a flame.

August 22, 2025

How To Make illy’s Cold Brew Negroni

Italian coffee brand illy shared its Cold Brew Negroni recipe which makes for a light and refreshing aperitivo.

August 21, 2025
See all posts