Over the years, Giada De Laurentiis has made a name for herself as an expert in Italian cooking. She has been a staple on Food TV since the early 2000s and, unsurprisingly, fans have asked her a lot of questions about her shows since then. In a new Instagram post from August 26, 2025, De Laurentiis cleared up a popular mystery by sharing the story behind her pronunciation of Italian words.
“Everything was about Italian food and culture in my house,” she said. “So when I started out at Food Network, it didn’t occur to me not to pronounce those words correctly.” Instead, De Laurentiis chooses to pronounce the names for Italian dishes in the genuine Italian way. “My family probably would have killed me if I hadn’t pronounced them the right way,” she laughed.
De Laurentiis was Born in Rome and Initially Struggled to Learn English
GettyItalian food isn’t a fad for De Laurentiis; it’s a huge part of her upbringing. The Food Network star was originally born in Italian and moved to the U.S. as a child. “I moved here in elementary school from Rome,” the host shared in her Instagram post. “And I really didn’t speak any English, and I flunked the first grade.”
She also revealed that practicing her English at home was difficult, since her parents prioritized continuing to speak Italian. Nevertheless, she clearly perceived and learned the language of her family’s new nation. Today, she is even able to find it amusing when fans question her native language pronunciation. “I get asked all the time to pronounce words and dishes,” the chef said lightheartedly. “It’s hilarious to me.”
The Food Network Star Keeps Her Culture Alive for Her Daughter
GettyDe Laurentiis may not speak Italian as strictly as her parents, but she is still very proud of her heritage. She has also shared it with her daughter, Jade. In 2017, the chef took to Facebook with a sweet post featuring young Jade learning to sing a song in Italian. “Proud mom…. learning Italian!” De Laurentiis captioned the post.
Of course, the pair have also bonded over cooking. In a TikTok video, De Laurentiis treated fans to one of many examples of Jade and her joining forces in the kitchen. The pair made pastina together in this particular video, a comforting dish perfect for a mother and daughter meal.
Related
