During the Renaissance, Italy was famous for its great artists and thinkers. These days, one of the peninsula’s biggest global cultural exports is its incredible cuisine. Everyone loves Italian dishes, which means that Italian language translation and good food go together like pasta and a zesty ragù Bolognese.

If you’re not from an Italian-speaking family, and if you haven’t studied the language, you probably still know quite a few Italian words. A lot of your “basic” Italian more than likely comes from the culinary arts and Italian language translation. Here are some of the basic Italian words English speakers use all of the time:

Balsamico – a tasty Italian vinegar

Broccoli – that vegetable that looks like a small tree

Caffè – an espresso coffee

Cappuccino – a coffee drink with frothy steamed-milk foam

Lasagna – a lovely, layered, baked pasta dish

Linguini – skinny noodles

Pizza – bread, tomato sauce (or not), and toppings

Mozzarella – great cheese

Ravioli – filled pasta “dumplings”

Prosciutto di Parma – wonderful salted and cured ham

Well, you get the idea. The list can go on and on. Italian food traditions, as well as some of the Italians words that go along with food, have spread all over the world.

For people who love Italian cuisine, language, and everything to do with Italy, cooking classesare available. We’re not just talking about classes at your local community center. Various agencies offer immersion-cooking classes in Italy, based out of different regions.

Fond of Naples and the food from that region? No problem. There’s a class for you. If you caught the flick Under the Tuscan Sun or read the book, you might have fallen in love withTuscany and the wonder dishes there. Of course, there are guided eating tours and cooking classes in this part of Italy as well. Italians really know how to eat, no matter what part of Italy they live in.

The point is that you should eat, travel, dive into some Italian language translation, and then eat and cook up a whole lot more. Buon appetito!