FOOD NEWS
Why You Should Probably Skip On The Extra Parmesan When Dining In Italy
BY RYAN CASHMAN
When dining in Italy, there are some unspoken food rules you should follow. It may be normal to shower Italian-American food with extra parmesan cheese, but not so in Italy.
When your food is served, it is presented exactly as the chefs believe it should be eaten, so dousing your meal in extra cheese would be considered rude to the chef.
Moreover, true Italian parmesan is far stronger and sharper than most versions sold in the U.S., so extra cheese could negatively affect the dish and overpower its flavors.
If you’re eating dishes that can handle the extra flavor, such as a heavy ragu meat sauce or tomato sauce, you can politely ask the waiter or cook for some extra Parm.
If you're eating pasta in Rome, keep in mind that the city's four staple pasta dishes (such as cacio e pepe) use a lot of cheese, so there’s really no wiggle room to add extra.