the.com/antipasti

Italy's way of saying the meal already started before you noticed.

means The assorted platter of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and marinated vegetables served as an Italian meal's opening course.

from From Italian 'antipasto' (plural 'antipasti'), built from 'anti-' meaning 'before' and 'pasto' meaning 'meal' — the 'anti' here is not the familiar 'against' prefix but a Latin-rooted 'before,' making the word literally 'before the meal.'

literal meaning
before the pasta, not before everything
plural trap
antipasto is one dish, antipasti is several
regional rule
no two regions agree what belongs on it
function
exists mainly to delay dinner and justify wine
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