L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano T h e f i r s t t i m e I w a l k e d i n t o Castroni, I felt l i k e C h a r l i e B u c k e t t h e d a y h e s t e p p e d i n s i d e W i l l y Wonka's Chocolate Factory a f t e r w i n n i n g h i s g o l d e n ticket. I was overwhelmed with joy as I took in the sight b e f o r e m e . I w a s i n s i d e their flagship store in the P r a t i n e i g h b o r h o o d o f Rome, which is located close to the Vatican. At the time I didn't know that Castroni would, one day, become my daily stop for morning cap- puccino or afternoon mac- chiato! Walking into Castro- ni is like taking a walking speed food tour around the world, and all expats who live in Rome know the s h e e r h e a r t - w a r m i n g j o y that occurs when you find food — or an ingredient — f r o m y o u r h o m e c o u n t r y impossible to get anywhere else. Most foreigners who live in Italy, if they have to v i s i t R o m e , w i l l a l m o s t always find space for a visit to Castroni, in spite of their busy itinerary. A true foodie will find visiting Castroni just as important a priority as visiting the Colosseum. When you walk into the store, it's the aroma of coffee that first welcomes you, it embraces you and invites y o u t o i n v e s t i g a t e further. Sweets and choco- l a t e s s h a r e t h e l i m e l i g h t with the coffee, but I really can't begin to summarize the more than 5000 food prod- u c t s t h a t a r e s o l d i n t h e s t o r e . T h i n k t e a , j a m s , honey, and cookies from all o v e r t h e w o r l d . H e r b s , spices, wine, (some presti- gious bottles costing €220 — 260 USD — and another €650 — 770 USD) olive oil, balsamic vinegar (the most expensive is a small bottle of aged balsamico that costs €250 — 295 USD), boutique p a s t a b r a n d s , A m e r i c a n breakfast cereal and a selec- tion of Coca Cola flavors that I didn't even know existed. There is one section dedicat- ed to varieties of salt, (who knew there were so many types of salt!) and another d e d i c a t e d t o g l u t e n f r e e products. The Asian section i s v a s t a n d o n e o f m y favorite places to visit. I put that down to the fact that m o s t o f t h e i n g r e d i e n t s t h e r e w e r e i m p o s s i b l e t o find when I lived in Tuscany, but also to the fact so many are still such a mystery to me: a reminder there is still so much to learn! S p e c i a l h o l i d a y s s e e whole walls of tea and jams disappear to make room for a s t u n n i n g s e l e c t i o n o f easter eggs or panettone and p a n d o r o f o r C h r i s t m a s . Christmas also brings the arrival of English Christmas puddings, brandy butter and f r u i t m i n c e pies. Thanksgiving means c r a n b e r r y s a u c e , c a n n e d s w e e t p o t a t o a n d c r e a m y Libby's pumpkin — and dare I mention the refrigerated products that include spe- c i a l t y f o i e g r a s , s m o k e d s a l m o n a n d e v e n j a r s o f goose fat! (Think perfectly roast potatoes). Castroni on Via Cola di Rienzo, opened its doors in 1 9 3 2 w h e n U m b e r t o Castroni bought the 970 square feet store space after selling his "kiosk" that was located lungotevere – along the Tiber River. He contin- ued to sell drinks and fruit juices, and during the war he listened and responded to people's needs and caffè di cicoria became a best sell- er. Cicoria caffè was a coffee surrogate during the TONI BRANCATISANO war years when coffee was either impossible to find or too expensive for most to afford. It is a healthy, bitter beverage that doesn't con- tain caffeine, and is known to have digestive and detox properties. U m b e r t o ' s s i b l i n g s entered into the business, they were four women and two men. The youngest was Marcello, he had a keen eye for business and, in 1955, opened the second store vir- tually around the corner in Via Ottaviano, closer to the Vatican City. It was after the opening of the second store that the family began to divide — in a business sense, and Castroni at this p o i n t b o a s t e d s i x s t o r e s around Rome. The strong and close family bond is the m a i n r e a s o n f o r Castroni's past and present p r o s p e r i t y a n d i t ' s t h i s " s e c r e t " t h a t g u a r a n t e e s their success for future gen- erations. Marcello remained at the flagship store and his clever intuition lead him to begin selling international prod- ucts following requests from t h e m a n y E m b a s s i e s a n d Castroni is a culinary institution in Rome: here, you can find food from every corner of the world (Photo: Toni Brancatisano) Castroni: a gourmet International food institution since 1932 Continued to page 22 LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

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