And why do Italians eat and drink so much before lunch and dinner?
If you prefer, you can listen to our podcast episode on this very topic here!
Simply put, an aperitivo whets your appetite before the main show (lunch or dinner) begins.
Typically, you would have something that's lightly alcoholic and often it's derived from some kind of bitter (like the Campari pictured on the right). This low-level alcohol and bitter-infusion is designed to jumpstart the digestive process.
Of course, you can't jumpstart digestion with alcohol alone, so you'll often see an aperitivo served alongside chips, alives, peanuts, crackers, and if it's a pre-dinner aperitivo, small sandwiches or tiny bite-sized pieces of pizza.
If you don't drink, don't worry! While most bitters are alcoholic, not all are. You can order a Crodino (an orange-colored bitter soda), or simply a regular ol' Coke, if that's what you prefer.
Typical Aperitvo Drinks:
Campari and soda (club soda or sparkling water)
Aperol and soda
Aperol Spritz (anything with "spritz" in the name usually means "splash of Prosecco")
Prosecco
Soda (Crodino, Coke, Cedrata, Chinotto, etc.)
Light Beer
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