From the Sea
Italy's proximity to the sea makes it a natural home for fish and shellfish dishes. In the Puglia region, for instance, you are bound to see fresh-caught oysters and mussels on virtually every menu. The Calabria region is typically a gastronomic haven for lobster, shrimp, squid, and sea urchin. Islands such as Sardinia and Sicily, known for many types of cuisine, are also obvious locations to indulge in fresh fish (written as pesce on your menu) such as tuna, sea bass, and swordfish.
You can get fish everywhere in Italy, of course, but just as in any other country, the freshest ingredients are those available nearby. Stick to the coastal areas and islands when sampling fresh fish and seafood, and you will not be disappointed.
Alert
If you order fish as the main part of your meal, don't be startled to have it arrive at the table with its eyeballs looking up at you. The tradition in Italy is to serve fish whole, though you can usually request that the kitchen decapitate and debone it before you dine. With shellfish, you'll often have to remove shells and heads yourself.
Shellfish lovers will be interested to know that Italian ristorantes tend to offer more types of shrimp and prawns than you'll typically find at the seafood market in St. Louis or New Orleans. Each offers the taste of shrimp, of course, but with subtle variations. Some versions of shrimp and prawns that you might see on a menu in Italy include canocchie (mantis shrimp), gamberoni (jumbo prawns), mazzancolle (triple-grooved shrimp), and scampi (large prawns with claws).
That last type, scampi, is almost a cross between a shrimp and a lobster. The name confuses some Italian chefs who aren't used to the American tradition of ordering “shrimp scampi,” meaning shrimp in a white butter sauce. In Italy, you have to order just that — shrimp with white butter sauce — because the phrase “shrimp scampi” is redundant to an Italian-speaker, meaning “shrimp with shrimp.”
