L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE I f y o u l o v e I t a l i a n sagre and fairs, then you must have tried p a n i n o c o n l a porchetta at least once. Indeed, the slowly- roasted, then-sliced delicacy is a staple of Italy's most tra- ditional street gatherings, so m u c h s o i t h a s b e c o m e a l m o s t s y n o n y m o u s w i t h t h e m . A n d i f i t ' s t r u e that porchetta found its con- temporary fame thanks to its connections with popular feasts, we shouldn't forget its history, or better, the his- tory of roasted piglet, is as long as that of life around the Mediterranean. In the Odyssey, Homer w r i t e s a b o u t E u m a e u s , a swineherd whose pigs were farmed exclusively for the table of Penelope's suitors, t h e P r o c i . O u r a n c e s t o r s the Etruscans loved pork and cooked it in a variety of ways, including roasted, just like porchetta. The Romans used roast piglet as the culinary start- ing point for many of their m o s t c r e a t i v e r e c i p e s ; famous, for instance, is Api- c i u s ' p o r c e l l u m f a r c i l e m (stuffed piglet), which could b e m a d e i n t w o d i f f e r e n t ways, depending on the type of stuffing chosen. Fast forward to the 17th c e n t u r y a n d t o a l i t t l e - known agronomy treatise by Vincenzo Tanara, L'e- conomia del Cittadino in Villa ("the economy of a city dweller") and we find the f i r s t r e f e r e n c e t o a m o r e m o d e r n d e c l e n s i o n o f porchetta, much closer to h o w w e k n o w i t t o d a y . Tanara explains how, back in his times, the regions of Umbria and Marche were known for traditional fairs w h e r e r o a s t e d p i g l e t w a s made and sold to all. In par- ticular, he mentioned how people of all social extrac- tions would buy porchetta a n d e a t i t w i t h t h e i r families. T a n a r a ' s w o r d s a r e i m p o r t a n t b e c a u s e t h e y d e f i n e t h e m o m e n t w h e n porchetta became a food for a l l , t o b e e n j o y e d i n t h e street, much like it is today. A n d c u l i n a r y h i s t o r i a n s agree that becoming a popu- lar food, accessible to every- o n e , m a d e p o r c h e t t a t h e icon it is today. Porchetta- makers, known in Italian as porchettari, filled local squares on Sunday morn- ings and during special local events, serving their product to locals. They were particu- larly active in central Italy, a l o n g w i t h s a l s i c c i a r i , sausage makers. And while w e c a n s t a t e w i t h a g o o d l e v e l o f c e r t a i n t y t h a t porchetta is a thing of our central regions, pinpointing exactly where it was born is more difficult. The people of Ariccia, a known village i n t h e b e a u t i f u l C a s t e l l i R o m a n i a r e a , L a z i o , a r e a d a m a n t t h e o r i g i n a l porchetta recipe was created t h e r e . T o b e f a i r , t h e y w o r k e d p r e t t y h a r d t o ensure their delicacy is rec- o g n i z e d a l s o o f f i c i a l l y : i n d e e d , t h e p o r c h e t t a d i Ariccia is the only variety to hold an IGP (PGI, protected g e o g r a p h i c a l i n d i c a t i o n ) d e n o m i n a t i o n . I n 1 9 5 0 , Ariccia's own porchettari created the first edition of the Sagra della Porchetta di Ariccia, a fair dedicated to their product, which is still alive and kicking today and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Not everyone agrees on p o r c h e t t a ' s b i r t h p l a c e , though. Umbrians believe porchetta was born in their region, more precisely in Norcia, a town known since R o m a n t i m e s f o r i t s p i g - g e r i e s . A n d w e s h o u l d n ' t c e r t a i n l y f o r g e t t h a t t h e p o r c h e t t a m a d e in Costano, a small hamlet near Bastia Umbra (Peru- gia), is a known delicacy, made the same way for more than 500 years. Porchetta in general is, in fact, one of Umbria's most traditional products. The tradition of porchet- ta is strong also in Abruz- z o , e s p e c i a l l y i n C a m p l i (Teramo), where porchetta- making seems to go back to the times of Ancient Rome when there were even spe- cial regulations on how it should be made and eaten. In the Teramo province, in fact, porchetta has a special ingredient, which you won't find in any other variety: a l m o n d s . T h e i r a d d i t i o n lends to the dish a mellow sweetness which is enjoyed b y m a n y . T h i s t y p e o f p o r c h e t t a i s c o m m o n l y known as Teramana. W e c a n r e c o g n i z e t w o specific varieties of porchet- ta, based on what is used to aromatize it. One, produced in southern Tuscany, Abruz- zo, and the Castelli Romani area of Lazio, is made with rosemary; the other, more typically made in Umbria, Marche, Romagna, and in some areas of Lazio, is fla- v o r e d w i t h f i n o c c h i e t t o . Regardless of the extra fla- vors, preparing porchetta isn't an easy task: first of all, p o r c h e t t a r i c l e a n a n d debone the meat, then they add coarse salt, garlic, pep- per, some chopped quinto quarto (pig innards), rose- m a r y a n d , i n c e r t a i n areas, finocchietto and nut- m e g . T h e p o r c h e t t a m u s t then cook slowly, for three to six hours, depending on its size. Y o u m a y b e c u r i o u s t o know what's the best way to e n j o y p o r c h e t t a … W e l l , warm, thickly sliced, served on rustic bread is probably the best, but there are many other options. You can have it as an aperitivo, cut into small chunks, served with some bread, or you can slice i t a n d a c c o m p a n y i t w i t h roast vegetables and pota- toes. Add a glass of good red and you have a meal fit for a king. It's important, howev- er, to serve it warm, so that it retains all its juiciness. Is porchetta Italy's first "street food"? CHIARA D'ALESSIO Slicing fresh porchetta. The Romans were already fond of the dish (Photo: Yulia Grygorieva/Dreamstime)

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