The kitchen in Italy is, without any doubts, the most favorite room in an Italian household. Having a big, bright and fully-equipped kitchen is the dream of every one of us! Why so? The kitchen for Italians is not just a place where you get some food ready and run off. Nope! It is a place devoted to the creation of something. Thus, a practical and welcoming atmosphere is a must-have.
Italians, unlikely other cultures, tend to consume their meals in the kitchen, where you can often find also a couch and a TV. Hence, it comes as no surprise the kitchen is probably the room where the Italian spend most of their time when at home.
Knowing the Italian names of the objects and the everyday actions carried out when cooking a meal will surely come you into handy when visiting your friends in Italy or taking your Italian cookery course in Tuscany.
This is why I have put together this list of sentences related to the kitchen and cooking, which you would hardly find in any textbooks.
Have fun!
Objects to be found in almost every kitchen
| La pentola | The pot |
| La padella | The frying pan |
| Il lavandino | The kitchen sink |
| Lo straccio | The mop |
| Le posate | The cutlery |
| La lavastoviglie | The dishwasher |
| I fornelli | The stove |
| Il rubinetto | The tap |
| Lo scaffale | The shelf |
| L’armadietto | The cabinet |
| Il bollitore | The kettle |
| Il tagliere | The cutting board |
| La scodella | The bowl |
| Il frigorifero | The fridge |
| Il freezer | The fridge-freezer |
| Il piatto | The dish |
| Il coltello | The knife |
| Lo scolapasta | The colander |
Actions to prepare a lovely meal
| Tagliare a pezzi | To chop |
| Tagliare a fette | To slice |
| Cucinare a fuoco lento | To braise |
| Cucinare a puntino | To cook to a turn |
| Cuocere la pasta | To cook the pasta |
| Buttare la pasta | To put the pasta into the boiling water |
| Scolare la pasta | To drain the pasta |
| Lessare le verdure | To boil the vegetables |
| Mettere in forno | To put in the oven |
| Cucinare al forno | To cook in the oven |
| Saltare in padella | To stir-fry |
| L’acqua bolle | The water boils |
| Friggere le uova | To fry the eggs |
| Impanare | To roll in breadcrumbs |
| Rosolare | To brown |
| Mettere l’olio | To put the oil |
| Aggiungere il sale | To add the salt |
| Pelare le patate | To peel the potatoes |
| Condire | To season |
| Scaldare | To heat |
| Un pizzico di sale | A pinch of salt |
| Grattugiare il formaggio | To grate the cheese |
| Mescolare | To stir |
What about cooking a good dessert?
| Amalgamare gli ingredienti | To combine the ingredients |
| Sbattere le uova | To beat the eggs |
| Infornare la torta | To bake the cake |
| Sfornare la torta | To take out of the oven |
| Versare la farina | To pour the flour |
| Inzuppare | To soak |
| Spolverare il cacao | To dust the cocoa powder |
| Montare a neve | To whip up |
4 FOOD-BASED IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
And to end with the bang, if your Italian is already fabulous, but you want to speak like a pro, try to use these four food-related expressions:
Fare una spaghettata – to make and eat spaghetti
- Stasera facciamo una spaghettata tra amici
Essere pieno come un uovo – to be full as an agg
- Ho mangiato troppo, mi sento pieno come un uovo
Essere un pezzo di pane – to be good and generous
- mio nonno era un pezzo di pane
Avere l’acquolina in bocca – to crave for a delicious food that you have seen or smelled
- Quella pubblicità mi ha fatto venire l’acquolina in bocca!
