The starter before the starter
An antipasto platter is Italy on a piece of ceramic: Parma ham, melon, marinated aubergines, a few olives, perhaps a piece of Pecorino. Anyone who orders this course tastes with their eyes first.
Originally, “before the meal” was a friendly offer to the guest to bridge the waiting time. Today the antipasto is a course in its own right, especially beloved in the four-course menus of the south, where it is shared family-style, laughed over and lingered over.