"Buon appetito" is an italian phrase said before and during a meal, thus, it is certainly categorized as an eating phrase.
When I was working as an au pair for an Italian family in Turin, the three children I looked after would begin every meal with a cheerful chorus of Buon appetito! (Bon appetit! / Enjoy your meal!), an expression many Italians say before eating.
Although not mandatory, Italians will wish each other 'good eating' or buon appetito before they begin a lunch or dinner. Italians do not put different foods together on one plate, instead they eat in courses.
Some Italians may pray and say 'grace' before eating a meal. Guests are invited to start eating when the host or head of the table says “Buon appetito” (Enjoy your meal).
Here are some famous Italian sayings: a caval donato non si guarda in bocca (don't look a gift horse in the mouth), chi dorme non piglia pesci (you snooze, you lose), parla bene, ma parla poco (speak well, but speak little), tutto è bene ciò che finisce bene (all is well that ends well).
"Enjoy your meal" in Italian
Buon appetito!
The most standard way to reply to buon appetito in Italian is to say thank you with a simple grazie. Alternatively, you can also say altrettanto, which means: “you too”. And if you're feeling particularly chatty, you can use both. Buon appetito!
The word prego actually comes from the first-person singular of the Italian verb pregare, which means to pray. Nowadays, of course, it acquired its own meaning, and it is used both in formal and informal situations to say “you're welcome” in Italian.
The term antipasto means "before the meal." In Italy, this starter can be as simple as a bowl of olives, or it can take shape as a platter of assorted cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables served family-style.
It roughly translates to, “Eating awakens the appetite.” We could not agree more, which is why we love aperitivo. An aperitivo is a pre-meal drink; the experience of aperitivo is a cultural ritual. Derived from the Latin aperire, the tradition is meant “to open” the stomach before dining.
Ammazza! – This word means 'wow', 'oh my goodness' or 'I can't believe it'.
Defining the most popular words in Italian is a bit tricky, but some of the most commonly used words include "grazie" (thanks), "prego" (you're welcome), "scusa" (sorry, informal), "scusi" (sorry, formal), "cosa" (thing), and "giorno" (day).
Mamma mia, which means “my mother,” is kind of like “Oh my God” in English. While Americans often think mamma mia is only an expression of surprise, Italians might say it when they're angry, upset, surprised or sometimes even amused.
The common verbal greeting is “Ciao” (Hello). This is quite casual. People may also say “Buongiorno” (Good day) or “Buonasera” (Good evening) to be more formal.
In France, Italy and sometimes Britain, the word for “cheers” has Chinese origins. “Cin-cin!” (pronounced chin-chin) is uttered by Italians when they raise and clink their glasses together in a toast before sipping from a flute of spumante sparkling wine as they look each other directly in the eye.
The Italian word for cheers is either “Salute” or “Cin Cin”. This is usually followed by “alla nostra salute”, which means “to your health”. If you would like to make a toast, you would say “fare un brindisi”. Italians love to say “cin cin” because it recalls the sound of glass touching when making the toast.
The Italian verb piacere literally means “to be pleasing.” Italians use this verb when they want to express the idea that they like something. It is how Italians say, “I like it!”