I was born and raised in Italy. Here are 7 Italian-American foods you won't find there.

Many Italian-American favorites don't exist in Italy. HandmadePictures/Shutterstock

• I was born in Italy and lived there until my mid-20s, but now live in the United States.
• Many classic Italian-American dishes, like chicken Parmesan, don't exist as-is in Italy.

In the summer of 2020, my friend Niko asked if I'd like to prepare gravy together.

At first, I didn't understand why my expertise was required since I've never been good at cooking meat-based dishes. Turns out he was using a popular Italian-American slang term for tomato sauce.

This interaction reminded me that, as an Italian from Italy, where I lived from birth till my mid-20s, I never stop learning about the great variety of Italian-American cuisine.

Many dishes now bear little resemblance to what we eat in the motherland. Still, they're a testament to how cultures change and adapt depending on their circumstances. In fact, I love Italian-American cuisine as its own tradition.

To prepare for your next trip to Italy, here are six dishes you shouldn't ask for if you want to blend in with the locals.