Dialogo al bar: ordinare cappuccino e brioche

What does “brioche” mean in Italian?

“Brioche” is the word many Italians use for the sweet, crescent-shaped pastry you eat with morning coffee. But it depends on where you are. In much of the north — around Milan, Turin and the Veneto — you’ll often hear brioche. In Rome and much of the south, the same kind of pastry is usually a cornetto. So the breakfast you point to is much the same; mostly the name changes as you travel. Both pair naturally with a cappuccino.

A simple café order shows it: “Buongiorno, vorrei un cappuccino e una brioche, per favore” — “Good morning, I’d like a cappuccino and a pastry, please.” Note “una brioche”: the word is feminine, and it stays the same in the plural (due brioche). Italian took it from French brioche; in France that means a rich, buttery bread, while in Italy the breakfast brioche is usually the croissant-like one. Order a brioche in Turin and a cornetto in Rome and you’ll get much the same thing. In some places a plain round bun is also called a brioche, so a quick look at the counter helps.