A kilo of bread, please.
CHI-lo — two syllables, 'ch' before 'i' is like 'k'. Stress on first syllable.
At an Italian bakery ('panificio' or 'forno') when buying bread by weight — the standard way bread is sold in Italy.
Italian bread is often sold by weight — 'un chilo' (1 kg), 'mezzo chilo' (500g), or 'un etto' (100g). Loaves can be cut to size. The price varies significantly by region and bread type.
Mezzo chilo di pane integrale.
Half a kilo of wholemeal bread.
'Integrale' = wholemeal — a common choice for health-conscious shoppers
Una pagnotta, per favore.
A round loaf, please.
'Pagnotta' = round loaf — the classic Italian bread shape
Un filone, per favore.
A long loaf, please.
'Filone' = elongated loaf — similar to a baguette but with Italian character
Italian bread varies dramatically by region. Tuscan bread ('pane toscano') is made without salt — 'sciocco' (insipid) — a tradition dating to a medieval salt tax. Sicilian bread is golden with sesame seeds. Apulian bread ('pane di Altamura' DOP) is made from semolina and is particularly dense and fragrant.