The verb 'to eat' in Italian is Mangiare in the infinitive form. This is pronounced [man-ja-rey] or transcribed as [man.ˈdʒa.re] phonetically. A great website if you're looking for further conjugations of this verb is http://www.italian-verbs.com/
To ask someone to eat, you would use the imperfect 'mangia!' pronounced [man-ja].
Italians love their food, and it is also enjoyed all around the world. So much so that the staple of Italian cuisine, pasta, was voted the world's favorite dish in an Oxfam poll. Its popularity is reflected in the fact that the global pasta market was worth a staggering US$16bn (£10bn) as of 2010.
