The moment you sit down at an Italian dinner table, your journey begins with a mosaic of antipasto: olives, artisanal cheeses, cured meats, salted fish, sun-ripened vegetables, bruschetta, and crostini. This vibrant assortment of appetizers, full of color and flavor, awakens your senses and primes you for the meal to come. The Italian word antipasto (plural form is antipasti) translates to "before the meal" and remains an essential part of Italian culinary tradition and hospitality.
Traditionally presented family-style on a big, shared platter, antipasti are a carefully curated spread that unfolds a wide range of well-balanced but contrasting colors, flavors, and textures; often featuring a symphony of regional specialties and seasonal ingredients both cold and warm. The word 'antipasti' appears on the menu at almost every Italian restaurant and has deeply influenced Western dining, becoming nearly synonymous with appetizers despite the fact that the term itself wasn't widely adopted until the late 1800s. However, the tradition of sparking the appetite with shared small dishes has been rooted in Italian food culture since ancient times.
In her book "Antipasti," Mediterranean cooking expert and chef Joyce Goldstein traces its origins back to ancient Rome, when people enjoyed antecoena — dishes served before the main course. Today, antipasti is the most recognized term for this prelude to a meal (though Italians may also call it stuzzichini, meaning "to pick," or assaggi, mea.