Phrases › At the Supermarket › Dove trovo le erbe aromatiche?

Dove trovo le erbe aromatiche?

Where do I find the herbs?

Pronunciation

'Aromatiche' — 'a-ro-MA-ti-ke'. Six syllables. Hard 'ch' before 'e'. Stress on fourth syllable.

When to use it

Finding fresh or dried herbs — essential for Italian cooking. Fresh herbs are usually near the fruit and veg section; dried herbs are in the condiments aisle.

What it means

'Erbe aromatiche' = aromatic herbs. 'Erba' = herb/grass (also cannabis colloquially — but context makes it clear). Fresh herbs: 'basilico' (basil), 'prezzemolo' (parsley), 'rosmarino' (rosemary).

Variations

Avete basilico fresco?

Do you have fresh basil?

Fresh basil is the king of Italian herbs — used constantly in Italian cooking

Dove sono le spezie?

Where are the spices?

'Spezie' = spices — in the dried condiments aisle

Avete erbe secche?

Do you have dried herbs?

'Secche' = dried — the shelf-stable version

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Dove trovo le erbe aromatiche fresche? Commessa: Accanto alla frutta e verdura — c'è il banco delle erbe in vasi e quelle tagliate in busta. Cliente: Avete il basilico genovese? Commessa: Sì — in vaso e in busta. Quello in vaso dura di più se lo innaffia.

Customer: Where do I find the fresh herbs? Assistant: Next to the fruit and vegetables — there's the herbs counter in pots and the cut ones in bags. Customer: Do you have Genoese basil? Assistant: Yes — in pots and in bags. The pot one lasts longer if you water it.

Cultural Note

Genoese basil ('basilico genovese DOP') is the only variety used in authentic pesto. It has smaller, more fragrant leaves than other basil varieties. Italian supermarkets near Liguria stock it routinely; elsewhere it may be harder to find.

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