The Italian Snack Tradition That Makes Dinner Time More Exciting (And Tasty)

Picture late afternoon or early evening in Italy. The sun is soft, the streets are busy again, the smell of Italian garlic bread fills the air, and bars are putting out bowls of olives and chips. That hour has a name: aperitivo. It is a pre-dinner ritual built around light drinks and salty bites that open your appetite and ease you into the night. You order something simple, such as a spritz, a glass of vermouth with soda, a light beer, or a non-alcoholic bitter soda. The drink arrives with snacks, sometimes just a small plate, or perhaps a whole spread on the counter. Either way, the food is there to wake up your palate, not fill you up.

The snacks are classic for a reason. Salted potato chips that stay crunchy, briny olives, almonds, little sandwiches ... maybe a square of focaccia or a crostino with something creamy on top. The point is contrast – you sip something crisp and slightly bitter while you nibble something salty and satisfying, and suddenly, dinner feels more exciting because you are already in food mode. Aperitivo sets a mood without asking much of you. No big plans, no big price, just a smooth first chapter to the evening. Think of it as the friendly doorway between work and dinner. Now that you have the idea, let's look at where it comes from, how it works in different cities, and how to try it wherever you are.

Northern Italian cities, particularly Turin, kicked off the modern version of aperitivo in 1786. Milan and Venice also helped popularize the concept, especially as vermouth and bitters grew in popularity by the 20th century. Over time, it grew from a few snacks with your drink to full counters of nibbles in some spots. You may also come across "apericena," which is a heavier buffet that can pass for dinner, but the original spirit is lighter — a small drink and a small bite.

When visiting Italy, walk around outside from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Order a delicious Italian cocktail, and let the snacks follow. If the spread is generous, it is polite to order a second round if you plan to linger for a while. If you're not drinking alcohol, try a bitter orange soda or a zero-proof spritz, and you will still get the flavor balance that makes aperitivo work.

You can also bring the ritual home. Keep a bag of good potato chips, a jar of olives, and a tin of almonds on hand. Make an Aperol spritz the right way, and add orange slices if you want a bit of ceremony. Sit for 20 minutes, put your phone away, and talk to whoever is around you. Communion is the real trick after all. Aperitivo is not about the complexity of the snacks. It is about giving the evening a soft launch so dinner lands a bit calmer and a touch more special.