L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano S itting just 13 miles outside of Rome is Frascati, one of the small towns k n o w n i n t h e r e g i o n o f t h e C a s t e l l i Romani for its villas built by noble families in the 16th century. But one of the best reasons to stop here might just be for its enogastronom- ic heritage, all tied to the grape harvest season. This v i l l a g e i s k n o w n f o r i t s pupazza, a honey cookie shaped like a woman with three breasts, its signature fall delight, the ciambella al mosto, and the chance to stop into le fraschette, the old-style taverns that sell local wine. The vendemmia, or fall g r a p e h a r v e s t , u s h e r s i n p r o d u c t s t h a t c a n ' t b e missed in the local Frascati bakeries. The small but ani- mated town centers around a small square, with several panifici, or bakeries, offering local wares. Most proudly t o u t e d i n e a c h o n e i s l a pupazza, an oversized honey and flour cookie shaped into a w o m a n , o r b a m b o l a — babe—who is known for her unique anatomy. While each bakery uses its own cookie c u t t e r — s o m e l o o k m o r e sophisticated than others— the unique characteristic of this Frascati woman-shaped biscuit is her three breasts: t w o f o r m i l k a n d o n e f o r w i n e . L e g e n d h a s i t t h a t when women used to go out in the fields to harvest the grapes with their young chil- d r e n i n t o w , t h e y w o u l d appease the crying babies with some wine. Hence the u n u s u a l a n a t o m y o n t h e cookie. Today, nearly every b a k e r y i n t o w n c l a i m s t o have someone in the family who "invented" the cookie. L a p u p a z z a h a s a l s o attained recognition from Italy's Slow Food Move- m e n t . W h i l e m o s t d o c u - m e n t a t i o n i n s i s t s t h a t l a p u p a z z a c a n b e f l a v o r e d with spices, the local bakers assure us that the ingredi- ents are simply flour, honey, a n d t h e c o f f e e b e a n s a n d candied fruit pieces that are used for the eyes and mouth. P e r h a p s m o r e i n t r i g u i n g than the design itself is how to eat the cookie. I took one home with me only to dis- cover that it was as hard as a rock and was likely to break a t o o t h , i f n o t c a r e f u l . A smart (and Italian) friend advised that to soften the cookie, let it sit in a warm environment—in a hand, a warm kitchen, or perhaps dunked in a warm beverage. Since there is a large con- centration of honey in the cookie, how soft (or not) it is will determine how chew- able it is. Today's vendemmia has given rise to another popular fall classic, the ciambella al mosto, a large, circular b r i o c h e l o a f m a d e w i t h grape must reduction and dusted or glazed with sugar. During the fall, the signs outside Antico Forno Moli- n a r i b e c k o n w i t h p h o t o s indicating the round, donut- shaped loaves are available for purchase within. Like a larger, bread version of the ciambelline al vino (the lit- tle, round wine and olive oil cookies that the Lazio region is known for), the ciambella al mosto is available only in S e p t e m b e r , O c t o b e r , a n d November while the grape harvest takes place and the mosto, or grape must reduc- tion, is made. The loaf is made with flour, egg, sugar, yeast, grape must, and extra- virgin olive oil. The ciambel- la supposedly originates in Marino, one of the neighbor- ing Castelli Romani cities, dating back most notably to the 17th century as a way to make use of everything gath- ered during the grape har- vest—including the must. The recipe itself traces back to San Francesco, or Saint Francis, who, upon visiting Jacopa dé Settesoli of Mari- no, brought her the recipe for this treat as a gift. Frascati's grape-growing region also gave rise to le fraschette, the local wine taverns that offered visitors a chance to sample small f a r m - h a r v e s t e d a n d p r o - duced wines. This tradition d a t e s b a c k t o M e d i e v a l times, and possibly even to Roman times, when small wine producers set up shop to showcase and sell their wares. Eventually, the con- c e p t d e v e l o p e d i n t o t h e fraschetta, a small tavern- like dining room lined with b e n c h e s a n d l o n g t a b l e s , where those interested in sitting down together and drinking wine could gather; only the local wine could be purchased—travelers had to b r i n g t h e i r o w n f o o d , i f desired. The reason? There were often no kitchens avail- a b l e i n t h e s e r o o m s . T h e owners would hang above their taverns a frasca, or oak tree branch, to announce that wine season had begun and the beverage was ready for sampling. Over time, the concept of t h e f r a s c h e t t a b e g a n t o change. In Frascati and in the Castelli Romani one will f i n d t h a t t h e m a j o r i t y o f today's fraschette are like osterie, full-service dining establishments offering food in addition to locally made wine. These are also worth visiting, as one can sample l o c a l d e l i c a c i e s l i k e t h e porchetta di Ariccia, a local- ly raised pig that's tradition- ally prepared roasted with spices like rosemary, pepper and garlic, and noted for the crispiness of its crusty top layer. However, there is one fraschetta offering the tradi- tional experience today— Cantina da Santino—where t h e a p t l y n a m e d o w n e r , F e l i c e R a m a c c i a ( h e i s felice—happy—to share his w i n e w i t h v i s i t o r s ) , w e l - comes locals and travelers from afar who want to stop in and share a moment of conviviality while taking a sip of his brew. With its largely bucolic atmosphere and deceptively tiny town square, Frascati actually offers rich enogas- tronomic traditions for those who scratch beneath the sur- face of the region's grape- growing history. This part of the Roman countryside is made for those who want to escape city life and enjoy a s l o w e r p a c e a n d t a s t e o f wine country. Frascati: savoring grape-growing traditions in Lazio's Castelli Romani region JESSICA S. LEVY Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati: the Theater of the Waters (Photo: Massimo Santi/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Food selection in a Frascati market (Photo: Marcolavagnini/Dreamstime) and, right, a local cellar: the town is well- known for its wine production (Photo: Beppe611/Dreamstime)

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