Etymology Map
Back to all words

Al dente

2 stages from Italian to English.

Today it means cooked so as to be still firm when bitten

Where does the word "al dente" come from? It comes from Italian al dente, adopted directly into English (1930s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
al dente
Italian · 1900s
"to the tooth"
'to the tooth', the Italian test for perfectly cooked pasta
2
Stage 2 of 2
al dente
English · 1930s
"firm to the bite"
spread with Italian cooking in Britain and America
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Al dente’s story begins in Italian: al dente meant “to the tooth.” 'to the tooth', the Italian test for perfectly cooked pasta. It reached English by 1930s as al dente. Spread with Italian cooking in Britain and America. Today, al dente means cooked so as to be still firm when bitten.