Simple question: What are some typical breakfast foods in Northern and coastal Italy?
Drink- milky coffee; either a latte or a capuccino (these should not be drunk later than 11am !!!). Kids could have chocolate.
Food - outside the home a pastry of some sort; plain croissant, jam or ‘pastry chef’s cream’ filled ones. At home, Italians of all ages can tuck into Nutella (chocolate/hazelnut spread), yoghurt is also a possibility.
In my experience (I lived in the Veneto region and then Milan, holidayed in Scicily) the liquid component doesn’t vary but you may find different pastry types.
One of things I like to see in Italy was the speed with which people can eat breakfast. Of course you can sit down and enjoy your food but on the way to work people stop into a café, order a coffee, help themselves to a pastry from the display on the counter - consume standing at the bar letting the crumbs litter the floor and then off to go about 5 minutes later.
Why not?
When I lived in Trento I never saw Italians eating breakfast at home, but at around 10:30 everyone went to the coffee bar, for aforesaid coffee drinks and pastries. I don’t know if this was just a coffee break, or if it was breakfast.
For the same reason you wouldn’t order a salad at breakfast time in the US, or you typically wouldn’t order pancakes or cereal for dinner. You can do it, but you would look kind of silly.
Becasue for them it s a breakfast drink (and by 11 its safe to start moving onto the aperitivi ! 
).
And I said, what about
Breakfast in Italy
She said I, think I, remember the food
I guess I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it
and I said, well that’s one thing we got!
Although I’ve never been to Italy proper, I think it is safe to assume that you might find cured pork products (Speck, Procschiutto, Salami) and fresh bread or rolls comprisising some Northern Italian breakfasts.
Not that I’ve seen except in posh hotels catering for an international clientele.
Thanks. My issue here is borderline diabetes. I can’t eat pastries or bread, so I’m trying to figure out whether I’ll be able to get some protein or low-glycemic fruit at a hotel or restaurant, or whether I should bring a few cans of tuna with me and suffer though a nasty but not impairing morning meal.
Thanks. My issue here is borderline diabetes. I can’t eat pastries or bread, so I’m trying to figure out whether I’ll be able to get some protein or low-glycemic fruit at a hotel or restaurant, or whether I should bring a few cans of tuna with me and suffer though a nasty but not impairing morning meal.
Having been to Italy I would say bring your tuna. You should be able to get something at a restaurant that would be ok - but definately not at a hotel. Most of the hotels I stayed at essentially had bread and nutella for breakfast. With coffee.
Also - if you’re taking tuna - get the bags versus the cans - lighter and easier to carry (backpacking tip).
- Peter Wiggen
I stayed in quite a few non-posh hotels in the north…I found plenty of sliced ham and cheese along with the rolls at breakfast-time.
If protein in the a.m. is your priority, you should try hotels as sometimes (depending on quality of hotel or b&b), their breakfast may include fruit and cold cuts… in the larger touristy areas you can receive delicious breakfasts (eggs cooked to your choice, cereals, plenty of fruit, juices, etc.).
Don’t bother bringing your own tuna (Italians would be incredibly insulted if they learned you brought your own food, especially into an eating place! heck, you might get thrown out!) :eek: Besides you can get great tuna at any Italian grocer, and at fraction of cost.
Bon viaggio! 