Prosciutto, both crudo (raw) and cotto (cooked), is sold by the fetta (slice). Una fetta sottile usually refers to a small slice of meat; a fetta grossa, a large slice or hunk. You buy milk in bottiglia (a bottle); jam in barattolo (a jar), sugar, pasta or rice in scatola (a box); beer or coca cola, in lattina (a can). Butter is usually sold in panetto; parsley, basil, mint, and other fresh spices, in mazzo (a bunch). You can ask for un filone di pane (a loaf of bread) but remember that Italian bread is never sold sliced (a fette or affettato). When in doubt, I use an all-purpose term an Italian friend taught me: confezione, which literally means packaging or wrapping, but also refers to almost anything packaged. So whether you're buying cookies, coffee, sugar, or tuna, you can confidently ask for "una confezione...di biscotti, di caffè, di zucchero, or di tonno." For foods sold in certain numbers, such as eggs (uova), you request "una confezione da 6 (or da 12) di uova."