If you are planning to visit your local Italian pizza restaurant, you will want to ensure that you do not make a faux-pas. Italy has a very strong culture based around food and its consumption. This article will give you some pointers which will make your next trip to an Italian restaurant lots of fun as you won't need to worry about making a silly mistake. Read on to discover everything you need to know.

Don't Ask for Pineapple on Your Pizza

The Hawaiian pizza normally contains ham, cheese and pineapple. While you may enjoy this combo when it is ordered from your local fast-food takeaway, you should be aware that, for most Italians, the idea of putting pineapple on a pizza is insane. The Hawaiian has gained popularity around the world, largely thanks to large American food companies and restaurant chains. However, you will not find this type of pizza on the menu at an authentic Italian pizza restaurant.

Don't Ask for Additional Sauces and Dips

Many fast-food pizza places offer a range of dips and sauces to go with the pizzas they sell. However, these will not be offered in a traditional Italian restaurant. Italian's take a great deal of pride in their cooking and believe that when food is served, it should not require anything more than what is on the plate. At most, your waiter or waitress may offer to grind some black pepper over your pizza.

Don't Pick Your Pizza up With Your Hands

When you are served a pizza in a traditional Italian restaurant, it will be uncut. You will be given a knife and fork, and this is because you are expected to cut the pizza yourself and to use the cutlery to eat it. While Italian's use their hands to eat individual slices of pizza which are bought from street vendors, when eating in a restaurant, it is polite to use your knife and fork to eat the pizza rather than your hands.

Don't Be Surprised About the Thickness of the Bread Base

The thickness of the bread base will vary depending on which area of Italy the pizza recipe is from. Pizzas which are made in southern Italy are typically very thin while in the north, the base is a little thicker. You should ask the waiter before you order to understand which type of crust you will be getting on your order.

Now that you have learnt these useful tips, you can put them into practice at your local Italian pizza restaurant.