In Italian, etto is short for ettogrammo, which refers to a unit of measurement equal to 100 grams. It is commonly used in everyday life, especially in markets, delis, or grocery stores, when buying food items like cheese, meat, or vegetables. The plural form is etti, and it’s typically used to express small quantities when you don’t need to buy a full kilogram (1000 grams).
For example, if you’re at a deli and want 200 grams of cheese, you might say:
Vorrei due etti di formaggio, per favore – I would like 200 grams of cheese, please.
Mi dia un etto di prosciutto – Give me 100 grams of ham.
Etto is particularly useful for portion sizes in the Italian food culture, where people often purchase fresh ingredients in specific amounts.
In summary, etto is a shorthand for 100 grams in Italian and is used to measure small quantities of food, especially in markets and grocery stores.