Food & drink
Buon appetito! Here’s what not to do at an Italian eatery in Malta
According to Italians, the cappuccino is for morning consumption only

Francesca Vella

The popular Italian chef Fausto Soldini is known among locals for his lovable personality and his eateries Zero Sei and Sotto Pinsa Romana in Valletta. Yesterday, he took to social media to put his foot down via an amusing (yet evidently serious) list of rules for anyone dining at an Italian restaurant.

Want to dine like an Italian? Here are the rules to follow:

In typical Italian fashion, the chef insists there’s no messing about when it comes to food. When it comes to eating the Roman ‘pinsa’, which is a style of hand-pressed pizza popular in Rome, both ketchup and pineapple are banned.

Fausto Soldini has more to say about condiments – parmesan cheese should under no circumstances be used on seafood plates. Also, when snacking on a piece of bread before a meal, he claims ‘butter out, olive oil in’.

The chef also calls out on the tendency of customers to order a cappuccino with their lunch or dinner, a hot drink that the Italians reserve strictly for breakfast. He insists that everyone should ‘just say no’ to the combination of cappuccino and carbonara.

Finally, if you plan on eating spaghetti, forget the knife! The typical Italian way to eat this type of pasta is by using just a fork, despite the popular misconception that a spoon should be used.

The passionate chef ends with an adamant claim: "While globalisation and cultural diversity are cool, we’re not about to let anyone mess with the authentic flavours of our cuisine."

Do you agree with these rules?

10th July 2024


Francesca Vella
Written by
Francesca Vella
Francesca has always felt most at home in a cinema or theatre, particularly if musicals are involved. She loves to read, write, and share about her experiences of both the fictional and the real world.

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