L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano W e I t a - l i a n s love our b e a u t i - ful ma- rkets, how characteristic and traditional they are and we still consider them cen- tral part of our weekly rou- tine. Truth is, markets are c o m m o n a c r o s s E u r o p e , from north to south, and we a r e n ' t t h e o n l y n a t i o n t o h a v e a s p e c i a l b o n d w i t h them. In medieval times, towns developed around the market square and market day is synonym with vita- lity, movement and crow- d e d s t r e e t s , e s p e c i a l l y i n those small, usually sleepy, bucolic villages many of us love. M a r k e t s a r e f a r f r o m being an Italian invention, so. Nor are they an Italian prerogative. But —yes, we have a but — Italy can boast the largest market in the whole continent. Funnily enough, I doubt most of us Italians actually know about it. "Where is this market?" I hear you ask. Well, it isn't in Rome, as some of you may have thought, and it isn't in Milan, a city that knows a thing or two about commer- c e , b u s i n e s s a n d g o o d s exchange. N o , E u r o p e ' s l a r g e s t market is in Turin, Italy's f i r s t c a p i t a l a n d e l e g a n t queen of the Alps. O f c o u r s e , e v e r y Piemontese knows it, it's the Porta Palazzo market. It develops around Piazza della Repubblica, the largest square in the city, measu- ring a hefty 51,300 square m e t e r s . I t s n a m e d e r i v e s from the ancient Palatine G a t e , or Porta Palatina, important archeological evi- dence of Roman life in the area. It is, in fact, one of the best preserved examples of Roman gates still standing. Part of the Porta Palazzo m a r k e t i s d e d i c a t e d , o f course, to local produce: it's y o u r t y p i c a l f a r m e r s ' market, where you can find the best, freshest, seasonal ingredients. The rest of the s q u a r e i s d i v i d e d i n s e c - tions: from fishmongers to h o m e w a r e , f r o m f o o d t o c l o t h e s , y o u ' l l f i n d everything at Porta Palazzo. Within the Porta Palazzo market, you'll find also the M e r c a t o C e n t r a l e , w h i c h occupies a bit less than a quarter of the square: here, you'll usually get food and clothing, but it's also known f o r h o s t i n g t h e w o r k s o f artists and craftsmen from e v e r y w h e r e i n t h e w o r l d . Sometimes, the area beco- mes an open-air stage for theatre performances and s h o w s , t o o : a c o n t i n u o u s discovery and a new surpri- se everyday. N o t f a r f r o m P o r t a Palazzo — so close, in fact, that many just believe they a r e t h e s a m e t h i n g — i s T u r i n ' s o w n P o r t o b e l l o , Piemonte's personal puces: il Balon. Rigorously pro- nounced with a "U" ("ba- l o o n " ) , a s y o u d o i n P i e d m o n t e s e d i a l e c t , t h e Balon market develops in and around Piazza Borgo Dora, a melting pot of peo- p l e , s t y l e s , o b j e c t s a n d trends. It's the city's own v i n t a g e a n d b r i c - a - b r a c daily appointment, but if you want to get the best out of it, you should definitely visit on a Saturday. Sources tell us that the a r e a w h e r e t h e B a l o n market is today was used f o r c o m m e r c e a l r e a d y i n 1698, when it was home to the local farmers' market. "Balon" means "ball" in dia- lect, but it's also the name of a famous local sport, pal- lapugno or pallone elastico, w h i c h i s v e r y p o p u l a r i n Piemonte and some parts of Liguria. That's why some believe the area was, perha- ps sometimes in the 18th century, used to play palla- pugno, and that the name s t u c k . O t h e r s t h i n k t h a t Piazza Borgo Dora used to s l o p e g e n t l y t o w a r d s t h e river, creating what was cal- led a valon (a ditch). From "v" to "b" the step is short, as linguists can testify. Regardless to the origin of their names, the Porta Palazzo market and its cou- sin, the Balon, are quintes- sentially Turinese and filled with curious anecdotes for those who have the time to listen. Pity not many know a lot about the latter's history and the former's claim to fame as largest market in Europe. Whenever we'll be able to travel again, if you happen to fly to Piemonte, dedicate a Saturday mor- ning to the exploration of this colorful corner of local history and tradition. M oka (moh -kah) is an easy Italian w o r d t o pronounce, perhaps because it isn't Ita- l i a n a t a l l ! " M o k a " i s t h e term inhabitants of the Bel- p a e s e u s e f o r t h e m o s t important kitchen appliance t h e y o w n : t h e i r b e l o v e d , stove-top coffee maker. If you are Italian or have an Italian friend, then you're l i k e l y t o b e v e r y f a m i l i a r with mokas, because having one comes with nationality: n e v e r m i n d y o u o w n a s n a z z y c o f f e e m a k e r t h a t works with gourmet pods, never mind cold brews and F r e n c h p r e s s e s , i f y o u ' r e Italian you must have a caf- fettiera. This is the generic name we give to our mokas, and perhaps you know this one even better. The word itself, we were saying, isn't Italian: it comes f r o m t h e Y e m e n t o w n o f Mokkā, known for being the heart of coffee commerce for two hundred years, between the 15th and 17th century. Yemen, and the area around Mokkā in particular, were — and still are — known for the quality of their beans, so much so there is a variety of coffee called moka. Sometimes in the 1920s, P i e m o n t e s e A l f o n s o Bialetti had an epiphany while watching some women d o i n g t h e i r l a u n d r y i n a large vat with a central pipe, from where hot water and soap came out: "what if we make coffee the same way," h e t h o u g h t . I n 1 9 3 3 , h i s company put his invention on the market and it was an immediate hit. In almost 90 years, neither the concept n o r t h e d e s i g n o f m o k a s h a v e c h a n g e d : t h e y s t i l l work the same and they still l o o k t h e s a m e . I n f a c t , Bialetti's design was so inno- v a t i v e a n d p l e a s a n t , h i s moka is part of the MoMA collection. — Se fai il caffé, usa la moka per favore! — If you make coffee, use the moka, please! — Il caffé del bar è buono, ma a casa, bisogna farlo con la moka! — Espresso is good, but at home, you must make coffee with moka! — L a q u a l i t à d i c a f f é moka è tra le più pregiate —The moka variety of cof- fee is among the best LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Word of the day — Moka: Italy's favorite way to make coffee I t a l i a n C u r i o s i t i e s : d i d y o u k n o w t h a t Europe's largest market is in Italy The Porta Palazzo market, in Turin (Robert309/Dreamstime) © Niccolo Pontigia | Dreamstime.com

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