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PhrasesAt the PizzeriaAvete l'olio piccante?
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Avete l'olio piccante?

Do you have chilli oil?

Pronunciation

pic-CAN-te — three syllables, double 'c', stress on second syllable.

When to use it

When your pizza arrives and you want chilli oil to drizzle over it — a very common accompaniment in southern Italian pizzerias.

What it means

'Olio piccante' = chilli-infused olive oil. Many Italian pizzerias keep a bottle on the table or will bring one on request. Drizzling it over a margherita or quattro stagioni adds heat and depth.

Variations

Avete il peperoncino a parte?

Do you have chilli on the side?

Dried chilli flakes rather than oil — some prefer to add dried rather than oil

Mi porta l'origano?

Can you bring me some oregano?

Dried oregano is the other classic pizza condiment — particularly good on marinara

Un giro d'olio EVO, grazie.

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, please.

Finishing a pizza with good EVO (extra virgin olive oil) is the Neapolitan way

Mini Dialogue

— Avete l'olio piccante? — Eccolo! Attenzione che il nostro è abbastanza forte. — Meglio! La pizza ci vuole piccante. — Anch'io la penso così.

— Do you have chilli oil? — Here it is! Careful, ours is quite strong. — Even better! Pizza needs to be spicy. — I think the same.

Cultural Note

Chilli oil on pizza is most popular in southern Italy, where Calabrian chilli culture meets Neapolitan pizza. Northern Italians tend to be less enthusiastic about chilli on pizza. The blend of olive oil infused with Calabrian peperoncino is one of the great condiments of southern Italian cuisine.