{"id":1084,"date":"2026-02-07T17:49:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T15:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/?p=1084"},"modified":"2026-02-07T17:49:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T15:49:49","slug":"olimpiadi-milano-cortina-2026-when-foreign-athletes-really-discover-italian-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/olimpiadi-milano-cortina-2026-when-foreign-athletes-really-discover-italian-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics: when foreign athletes really discover Italian food"},"content":{"rendered":"<script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1033\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"1034\">PGRpdiBpZD0iYW1jLTI2NDI4MTE3MTQiIGNsYXNzPSJhbWMtcHJpbWEtZGVsLWNvbnRlbnV0byI+PHNjcmlwdCBhc3luYyBzcmM9Ii8vcGFnZWFkMi5nb29nbGVzeW5kaWNhdGlvbi5jb20vcGFnZWFkL2pzL2Fkc2J5Z29vZ2xlLmpzP2NsaWVudD1jYS1wdWItNDQwMTE0NTAyNzUzOTExNSIgY3Jvc3NvcmlnaW49ImFub255bW91cyI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+PGlucyBjbGFzcz0iYWRzYnlnb29nbGUiIHN0eWxlPSJkaXNwbGF5OmJsb2NrOyIgZGF0YS1hZC1jbGllbnQ9ImNhLXB1Yi00NDAxMTQ1MDI3NTM5MTE1IiAKZGF0YS1hZC1zbG90PSIiIApkYXRhLWFkLWZvcm1hdD0iYXV0byIgZGF0YS1mdWxsLXdpZHRoLXJlc3BvbnNpdmU9InRydWUiPjwvaW5zPgo8c2NyaXB0PiAKKGFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlID0gd2luZG93LmFkc2J5Z29vZ2xlIHx8IFtdKS5wdXNoKHt9KTsgCjwvc2NyaXB0Pgo8L2Rpdj4=<\/script>\n<p>They arrive at the <strong>Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Village<\/strong> concentrated, disciplined, gram-calibrated diets.<br>Then they enter the cafeteria.<br>And there, for many foreign athletes, <strong>the real Olympics begin<\/strong>.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1037\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"726\">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<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Not those of the medals, but those of the most feared confrontation: <strong>italian food<\/strong>.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1033\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"985\">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<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;\u201cWait-this is just the pasta?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first reaction is almost always the same.<br>Over a plate of <strong>simple pasta<\/strong>, perhaps with tomato or oil and parmesan cheese, many athletes look around puzzled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs that all?\u201d<br>\u201cNo weird sauce?\u201d<br>\u201cBut isn't something missing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then they taste.<br>And the conversation changes tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people find that <strong>the pasta should not swim in the sauce<\/strong>, those who realize that \u201cal dente\u201d is not a cooking mistake, and those-especially among North American athletes-who are genuinely impressed by how seemingly simple a dish can be so ... good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"596\" src=\"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-1024x596.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1085\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-1024x596.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-768x447.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-1536x894.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-1200x699.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920-600x349.jpg 600w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ritae-spaghetti-1987454_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pizza: high expectations, harsh judgment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On <strong>pizza<\/strong> foreign athletes arrive prepared.<br>Everyone thinks they know what a pizza is. Everyone already has an opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then comes the real thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>subtle<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>slight<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>with recognizable ingredients<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Reactions range from respectful silence to a sudden smile.<br>Someone asks if it is really permissible to eat it before a competition.<br>The answer from Italian nutrition staffs is clear: <strong>depends on how much you eat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spoiler: almost no one stops at the first slice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1086\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/igorovsyannykov-pizza-3007395_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;\u201cBut is this cheese ... everywhere?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Other major theme: <strong>the parmesan<\/strong>.<br>On pasta, on vegetables, even required \u201con the side.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asian athletes watch it with curiosity, Nordic athletes with suspicion, and South American athletes with enthusiasm.<br>After a few days, however, a strange thing happens:<br>they start asking for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At some tables in the Village, the eternal debate has already opened:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBetter on rice or not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italy watches in silence. And judges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sweet shock: when tiramisu arrives.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the salty divides, <strong>the sweet unites<\/strong>.<br>Tiramisu got everyone to agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes who claim not to have eaten sugar for months indulge in \u201cjust a spoonful.\u201d.<br>Which then becomes two.<br>And then \u201cwhatever, I have practice tomorrow.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the time when many people realize that Italian food is not only nourishment, but <strong>emotional experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1087\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280-10x12.jpg 10w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/tastylens-cake-8342822_1280.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Strict diets, but with a smile<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the Olympic Village offers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>personalized menus<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>dishes designed for each discipline<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But Italian food still manages to slip into the evening stories, the chats between athletes, the witty comments between races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some it will only be a parenthesis.<br>For others, a lasting memory to take home along with the Olympic uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Olympics also come through the table<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Milan Cortina 2026 is not just making its mark in terms of races and medals.<br>He is also doing it through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the pasta eaten with distrust and finished with enthusiasm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pizza compared to \u201chome\u201d pizza (and often losing)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>desserts tasted \u201cjust out of curiosity\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the Olympics is also this: <strong>meeting of cultures<\/strong>.<br>And sometimes, the most memorable encounter happens in front of a plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Milan-Cortina, athletes judge Italian food on social media\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f1aSQ1PHttE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<div class=\"amc-dopo-il-contenuto\" id=\"amc-296030390\"><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"1033\" data-bid=\"1\">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<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arrivano al Villaggio Olimpico di Milano Cortina 2026 concentrati, disciplinati, con diete calibrate al grammo.Poi entrano nella mensa.E l\u00ec, per molti atleti stranieri, iniziano le vere Olimpiadi. Non quelle delle medaglie, ma quelle del confronto pi\u00f9 temuto: il cibo italiano. &nbsp;\u201cAspetta\u2026 questa \u00e8 solo la pasta?\u201d La prima reazione \u00e8 quasi sempre la stessa.Davanti a [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-notizie-e-approfondimenti","category-notizie-e-aggiornamenti","category-sport-e-atleti"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1084"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1090,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084\/revisions\/1090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aspettandomilanocortina2026.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}