1. Gelato
   Sherbet
2. Popsicle
   Sorbet

Contrary to popular belief, gelato is not synonymous with the concept of ice cream as we know it. Since it doesn't involve egg yolks and contains more milk than regular ice cream mixes, it appears denser and more compact to the taste.

1. Matcha
   Cappuccino
2. Kahlua
   Boba

Sure, Starbucks founders got inspired to build the chain from Italian coffeehouse culture, but java has a different vibe out there. While cappuccino lovers can thank the global chain for letting us drink that foamy fave anytime, it's just not done in Italy. It's only ordered during breakfast time.

1. Campanelle
   Farfalle
2. Macaroni
   Lasagna

There are various types of pasta out there, but you can't really categorize lasagna as its own kind. While its layered pasta sheets look like its own category, it still belongs to the ribbon pasta category. The people of Naples thought this one up during the Middle Ages.

1. Lengua di gato
   Osso buco
2. Ceviche
   Cacciatore

If you're wondering about how bone marrow tastes like, order the dish called osso buco. They'll serve this huge shank of bone with the meat-and-sauce dish, and it's the centerpiece of the presentation. The jiggly soft substance inside the bone is the marrow; it's high in cholesterol so careful!

1. Stracciata
   Gorgonzola
2. Mascarpone
   Vezzena

There are Italian cheeses and there are Italian cheeses. But mascarpone is in a different category on its own since it's more like cream cheese than regular cheese. Since it's soft and easy to spread, it's a popular ingredient mixed in with many dishes and desserts, in particular cheesecakes.

1. Tiramisu
   Panforte
2. Torrone
   Amaretti

Newbie foodies might mistake this one for Japanese food because of how the name sounds like, but tiramisu is 100% Italian cuisine. That mascarpone cream cheese thing gets mixed into this popular cake. If you're a fan of coffee-flavored desserts and cakes, this one's for you.

1. Cardinale
   Aperol Spritz
2. Limoncello
   Martini

Europeans distinctly mark when to take their alcoholic drinks for a good reason; either the alcohol mix enhances food before eating or it helps your stomach cope with what you ate after. Italians call their after-dinner drinks as "digestivo" or digestif in English and limoncello fits in that shelf.

1. Pane Casareccio
   Filone
2. Rosette
   Pizza

While some places in the world already encircled their territorial claim over specific types of pizza (hello New York pizza, we're looking at you), it's still an undeniable fact that this worldwide fave is Italian by nature. To really taste it the Italian way, order the Pizza Margherita type.

1. Focaccia
   Cornetto
2. Taralli
   Friselle

So you're a fan of authentic Italian pizza and can't get enough of its dough? Then buy a basket of focaccia bread since its consistency is similar to what they use for pizza. Buy the one mixed with rosemary for a truly authentic Italian feel to the bite.

1. Sfogliatella
   Formaggio
2. Biscotti
   Frittelle

People with sensitive teeth need to get some warning before they bite a biscotti. While this biscuit is enjoyable to eat, remember it's twice baked so it will last for a long, long time. They needed to make it that way because this originated during medieval times when people went on long journeys.

1. Sherry
   Apple cider
2. Champagne
   Balsamic

They call this essential liquid "aceto balsamico" but we folks know it as balsamic vinegar. Unlike many vinegars we're more familiar with, Italians make this one out of grapes. It's best mixed with olive oil for salad dressings and bread dips.

1. Scialatelli
   Ziti
2. Penne
   Ravioli

If you think the Italians don't have their own version of the dumpling, think again! Theirs is what they termed ravioli but surprise surprise, it's encased in pasta dough. It also comes in canned varieties and that one was useful during World War I.

1. Ortolana
   Carbonara
2. Arrabbiata
   Amatriciana

If you see a pasta dish that's white and creamy, especially the ones that use the spaghetti type of pasta, then that might be of the carbonara type. This dish originated in Rome sometime during the 20th century and uses the hard kind of cheeses in the mix.

1. Gnocchi
   Tortellini
2. Salsiccia
   Calamari

Fans of cookie dough toppings in ice cream or frozen yogurt desserts will get a kick out of tasting gnocchi, too. They're basically made of small dough bits similar to what they use in cookie dough desserts. Various Italian regions have their own versions of this dish.

1. Pomodoro
   Acini di Pepe
2. Cavatelli
   Spatzle

Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato so any dish with this word means it has tomatoes mixed in there. People might know that the most commonly ordered one is the "pasta al pomodoro." This dish uses fresh slices of tomatoes instead of tomato sauce — the reason you'll know it's authentic Italian.

1. Radicchio
   Frico
2. Antipasto
   Crostoli

If the French have their hors d'oeuvres, the Italians have their antipasto which serves the same purpose: appetizers. "Antipasto" though is the singular word in Italian and the plural form is "antipasti." It's a mixture of different small stuff like cheeses, mushrooms, and various meats.

1. Cannoli
   Baba
2. Pandoro
   Crostatine

Be careful in ordering this dessert pastry because cannoli also sounds like the name of a main dish. You'll know you ordered the right thing if they serve you this thin, crispy, deep-fried rolled dough filled with creamy stuff. It's also the size of fingers.

1. Fontina
   Pesto bianco
2. Risotto
   Zucca tortelli

If you hear the root word "riso" included in an Italian dish, then get ready to eat rice; that's what this word means. But as a dish unto itself, risotto comes from Northern Italy where they cook it creamy and mixed with cheese, butter and spices. It can come mixed with other stuff, too.

1. Ribollita
   Calzone
2. Arancini
   Saltimbocca

Naples played a huge part in concocting many Italian cuisine favorites that withstood the test of time. One of these is the folded pizza dish they call calzone. Authentic Italian preparations use ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses inside.

1. Torrone
   Panna cotta
2. Mimosa
   Ciambella romagnola

People from other regions familiar with eating caramel flans, custard or crème brûlée will also enjoy sampling panna cotta. These dessert items somehow share a similar consistency in their gelatinous make.

1. Minestrone
   Agliata
2. Garmugia
   Zanzarelli

If you're looking for vegetarian-friendly Italian food fare, then minestrone is a safe choice. This thick soup uses many veggies like carrots, celery, beans and of course tomatoes. For the carbs, some prepare it with small pasta shells or even rice.

1. Pane laterza
   Ciambella
2. Bruschetta
   Bossola

To start off a meal, the simplest bread type they can serve you in an Italian restaurant is the bruschetta. You can order the simplest one that's flavored with butter and garlic with some salt and olive oil. More complicated versions incude savory toppings featuring cheeses or veggies.

1. Bellini
   Americano
2. Cardinale
   Grappa

It's interesting to note how various regions don't waste items to produce specific food and drinks. When it comes to producing the drink called grappa, one requirement is to mix in the skin, seed and even stems of the grape in the distilling process. That's how you'll know it's authentic grappa.

1. Orecchiette
   Bucatini
2. Orzo
   Linguine

There are various long and flat pastas in Italian cuisine so it's best to familiarize yourself with their differences to order the right one. When you order the fettuccine, that's the widest flat one. A little narrower is linguine while the tagliatelle is even narrower than that.

1. Caponata
   Panzanella
2. Parmigiana
   Salame

Outside of Italy, you can encounter the chicken parmigiana kind with slices of that fowl baked in with cheese layers and tomato sauces. But the authentic Italian version of parmigiana consists of sliced eggplant that's deep-friend first before layering in for baking.

1. Crudo
   Carpaccio
2. Bresaola
   Bottarga

So it's not only the Japanese who enjoy eating raw slices of food like salmon or tuna. The Italians also eat raw stuff but their carpaccio contains slices of raw meat in there. Some variations include beef, venison or veal while others can also have horse meat in there, too.

1. Agrodolce
   Fonduta
2. Capra e fagioli
   Bolognese

When you see a dish with the term "Bolognese" in it, that means they use meat-based sauce as a mix. The meat in question here is a minced or ground version of beef or pork often cooked with tomatoes plus herbs and spices, simmered together until it becomes saucy.

1. Polenta
   Penne
2. Tiella di riso
   Cappon magro

Fans of hummus might find the polenta familiar because they have similar consistency. But while hummus consists of ground chickpeas and spices, polenta is from ground corn we call cornmeal. In other parts of the U.S., cornmeal can also become bread; the same is true for the polenta.

1. Prosciutto
   Pancetta
2. Guanciale
   Rosticciana

If you're new to the dry-cured uncooked ham taste of Italy, the best recommendation is to try prosciutto di Parma. Italian restaurants often serve this on an appetizer platter combined with blue cheese slices and black olives. This goes well with soft bread dipped in a balsamic-olive oil mix.

1. Cannelloni
   Burrito
2. Arrosticini
   Roulade

Make sure you're ordering the cannelloni if you want the rolled pasta dish because if you say cannoli, that's the rolled dough dessert! Since the paste they use here is the rolled-up version of what they use for lasagna, their preparations are somewhat similar.

1. Farinata
   Fragunno
2. Ciabatta
   Pandoro

Unlike other breads in Italian cuisine, ciabatta is relatively newer in existence. It got invented only in the 1980s within the Veneto region of Italy. But it soon got picked up by other regions, too, which added in their own unique variations to differentiate their region's product from the others.

1. Frittata
   Huevos rancheros
2. Shakshouka
   Strata

Different parts of the world invented their own versions of the omelet, and the frittata is Italy's contribution to this menu. Theirs somewhat look like quiche since it's pie-like in appearance and thicker than how the Spanish or Americans would make an omelet.

1. Fonduta
   Pesto
2. Ragu
   Maccu

The pesto's origins goes back to the city of Genoa in the Liguria region where they mixed basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt to produce the green pesto sauce. Its flexibility is evident in various pasta dishes and meat-based dishes as well.

1. Negroni
   Rossini
2. Azzurro
   Galliano

Cocktail lovers might like the taste of the gin-vermouth-Campari aperitif called the Negroni, but did you know that it's originally Italian in invention? Records show that a man named Negroni requested a bartender to jazz up the Americano drink he was having to make it stronger; this was the result.

1. Ciceri e Tria
   Alfredo
2. Puttanesca
   Aglio e olio

Now you have to be really careful when ordering the pasta dish with the term "puttanesca" because it might appear rude if you don't mention the whole word, because a shortened version is a slur in Italian, just like it is in Spanish.

1. Pinzimonio
   Caponata
2. Insalate
   Panzanella

When you see the term "insalate" on the menu, that means it's the section for salads. The singular term is "insalata" so that's what you also read accompanying specific salad names such as the popular insalata caprese or the tomato-based salad mixed with mozzarella chunks and basil leaves.

1. Bombolone
   Panettone
2. Zeppola
   Pizzelle

Different countries have their own contribution of Christmas-specific food items like bread or pastries. Italian's contribution to this seasonal menu is the panettone, that sweet bread pastry which originated in Milan.

1. Arancini
   Polpette
2. Sfogliatella
   Zeppole

Italy also jazzes up rice in different ways; one of those ways is evident in arancini. They're deep-fried rice balls that's also mixed with other yummy stuff for more flavor. Thank Sicily for inventing this one and making it a popular street food fare all over the country.

1. Pane di Segale
   Quiche
2. Piadina
   Panelle

People familiar with the pockets type of food item will enjoy tasting the piadina. The Italians use round flatbread for this one and fold it up with fillings inside. These fillings can be meal-like such as meats or veggies or dessert-like such as sweet spreads or jams.

1. Scaloppine
   Mortadella
2. Bistecca alla Fiorentina
   Cotechino Modena

If bistecca sounds like beefsteak to you, then you've hit the carnivore jackpot! Thank Tuscany for preparing meat this way we all get to enjoy. The term "Fiorentina" means Florence, the city capital of the Tuscany region.