Italy Dietary Concerns

With all of Italy’s delicious carnivorous offerings, vegetarians may feel left out. While there are not many strictly vegetarian restaurants in Italy, it is not difficult to find vegetarian meals. To avoid confusion in restaurants, make sure you tell your waiter “Non mangio carne” (I don’t eat meat) or say that you would like your pizza or pasta sauce “senza carne, per favore” (without meat, please). Before you head to Italy, check out the Italian Vegetarian Association (AVI), V. XXV Aprile 41, 20026 Novate Milanese, Milano (www.vegetariani.it), which also offers Good Vegetarian Food (Italian Vegetarian Association, 2004; €12), a guide to vegetarian tourism up and down the peninsula.

The travel section of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s website, at www.vrg.org/travel, has a comprehensive list of organizations and websites that are geared toward helping vegetarians and vegans traveling abroad. For more info, visit your local bookstore or health food store and consult The Vegetarian Traveler: Where to Stay if You’re Vegetarian, Vegan, Environmentally Sensitive, by Jed and Susan Civic (Larson Publications; US$16). Vegetarians will also find numerous resources on the web; try www.vegdining.com, www.happycow.net, and www.vegetariansabroad.com.

Lactose intolerance also does not have to be an obstacle to eating well in Italy. Though it may seem like everybody but you is devouring pizza and gelato, there are ways for even the lactose intolerant to indulge in local cuisine. In restaurants ask for items without latte (milk), formaggio (cheese), burro (butter), or crema (cream); or order the cheeseless delicacy, pizza marinara .

Travelers who keep kosher should contact synagogues in larger cities for info on kosher restaurants. Your own synagogue or college Hillel should have access to lists of Jewish institutions across the nation. Check out www.shamash.org/kosher/ for an extensive database of kosher establishments in Italy. If you are strict in your observance, you may have to prepare your own food on the road. A good resource is the Jewish Travel Guide, edited by Michael Zaidner (Vallentine Mitchell; US$18). Travelers looking for halal restaurants may find www.zabihah.com a useful resource.