I can't find the polenta — is it sold out?
non TRO-vo la po-LEN-ta è fi-NI-ta
Asking a shop assistant whether a product is out of stock.
When a product is not visible on the shelf, it may be sold out (esaurito) or temporarily out of stock (in attesa di rifornimento). Shop assistants can check stock in the back room (magazzino) or tell you when the next delivery is expected.
Avete la polenta integrale?
Do you have wholegrain polenta?
Asking about a specific variety
Quando la rifornite?
When do you restock it?
Asking about the next delivery
Può controllare nel magazzino?
Can you check in the stockroom?
Asking the assistant to check backstage
Polenta is a staple of northern Italian cuisine, particularly in Veneto, Lombardy, Trentino, and Friuli. There are dozens of varieties — polenta gialla (yellow maize), bianca (white maize), taragna (with buckwheat), and bramata (coarse). Demand spikes in winter.