L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 8 FRANCESCA BEZZONE W e all love it and eat it, and we may even be somehow knowledge- able about how to prepare some of its most representative dishes, b u t w h a t d o w e r e a l l y k n o w a b o u t t h e h i s t o r y o f f o o d i n Italy? Why does the country have such a long and prestigious culinary tradition and how did the way Italians eat and cook evolve throughout the centuries? Let's face it, only a book could, and a long one at that, answer all these questions, but there' s nothing wrong with taking at least a first, curious look into the evolution of one of the world's most iconic cuisines. All roads lead to Rome Ancient Romans loved their food, of course. But not all of them ate the same things. If their diet was largely based on the Mediterranean triad - olive oil, grains and wine - common to all the people of the Mediterranean basin, there were evident differ- ences between your common Roman and the aristocrats: your n e x t d o o r R o m a n n e i g h b o r would have eaten large quanti- ties of pulses and vegetables, accompanied by cheeses and dressed in olive oil. Bread was made with spelt and oats, popu- lar also to make delicious soups. Honey was added to wine and breads and meat appeared on the table only once in a while. Move to the Bel Air of impe- rial Rome and things changed quite a bit: gone was the sim- plicity of fresh pulses and earthy soups and breads, replaced by a fusion of flavors and ingredi- ents. Wealthy Romans loved exotic meats like ostrich and game, served with rich sauces, baked fish, fresh fruits and, of course, loads of wine. Mind, though: they would mix it with water and honey, so they were not likely to get as tipsy as we do today, if we get one glass too many. When the rugged, bearded Barbarians of central Europe got to Rome, they introduced to the k i t c h e n s o f I t a l y t w o g r e a t things: butter and beer. If you think, however, that they did not appreciate the luscious flavors of Italy's cuisine, you would be mistaken: as it happened in other aspects of their lives, these peo- ple were profoundly influenced by Roman habits and culture and turned, in the end, a bit Roman themselves. The A Thousands and One Night flavors of Sicily and the influences of Christianity In the early Middle Ages, Italy was ready to open up even more to foreign cuisine: with the coming of the Moors to Sicily, ingredients like dried fruit and spices were introduced on the i s l a n d ' s t a b l e s . T h e i r m o s t famous inheritance? Pasta. From the ports of Sicily, this easily preserved food made it onto Naples and Genoa and, from there, to the rest of the country. Among the other quintessential- ly Italian foods graciously grant- ed to us by the Arabs are ice c r e a m , r i c o t t a a n d h o n e y desserts, like cannoli, cassata and marzipan. I n t h e s a m e p e r i o d , Christianity began influencing more and more people's every- day's habits, including the way they ate: it was a time of fasts and food restrictions, with limit- ed amounts of meats allowed, such a long cry from the excess- e s o f R o m a n b a n q u e t s . However, Charlemagne struck a balance when decreeing fasts were to be followed only in spe- cific days. Shortly after, somewhere in the gloriously rough, yet gentle t o t h e e y e l a n d s o f L i g u r i a , pesto was born. Here comes the Renaissance In the Renaissance, the peo- ple of Italy got again a pen- chant for the flamboyant, with its lords transforming their ban- quets into bona fide theatrical shows filled with roasted, feath- e r d e c o r a t e d b i r d s a n d f u l l piglets served on large silver platters. The Papal court was known as outrageously over the top w h e n i t c a m e t o f o o d , w i t h grandiose banquets organised for all the rich and powerful coming to honor the Pope in Rome, but the rest of the country did not sit in silence munching on brown bread: the lords of Venice, the Estes of Ferrara and the Sforzas of Milan all made of -metaphorically- pyrotechnic food displays a staple of their entertainment routine. A special m e n t i o n t o F l o r e n c e ' s m o s t famous family, the Medicis: in a time of excesses, simplicity was paramount on their table. For this reason, they are today seen as early precursors of that "cuci- na povera" revival we have been experiencing a bit everywhere in the country for the past 30 years. T h e R e n a i s s a n c e w a s a n essential moment for the devel- opment of Italy's wine making tradition, especially in Tuscany, w h e r e f a m o u s r e d s l i k e Montepulciano and Montalcino began being produced. These were also the years characterised by the introduction on our tables of a series of ingredients (pota- toes, sweetcorn, turkey) coming from the Americas. Above them all, of course, stands the beauti- ful tomato. T h e 1 7 t h , 1 8 t h a n d 1 9 t h centuries In the 17th century, the heav- enly marriage of tomato and pasta took place. Apparently it w a s t h e l o n g s h o r e m e n o f Trapani who came out with the idea of chopping tomatoes on top of noodles but, needless to s a y , N a p l e s r e m a i n s t h e beloved, beautiful mother of the most Italian of all Italian dishes. Even if culinary historians tend to say that the 17th and the 18th centuries were not as excit- ing as those that preceded them when it came to the kitchen- action, some incredible dishes originated then: once above all, tiramisù. And what a history it has, but that may be best left for another moment. T h e s e c e n t u r i e s a l s o w i t - nessed the birth of culinary liter- ature, with the first recipe book p u b l i s h e d i n I t a l y i n 1 6 3 4 : G i o v a n B a t t i s t a C r i s c i ' s L a Lucerna de' Corteggiani, a pub- l i c a t i o n m o s t l y f o c u s i n g o n Southern cuisine. Italy, though, will have to wait for its unifica- tion, in the second half of the 19th century, to see a book dedi- cated to Italian cuisine as whole. T h e M a n u a l e d e l l ' A r t u s i : l a Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene was published in 1891 and remains one of Italy most sold and known cooking b o o k s . T h e M a n u a l e d i d n o t simply help Italians understand h o w t o e a t h e a l t h i l y ( A r t u s i stressed the importance of ingre- dients and balance), but made them all aware of the immense culinary wealth of the country, making it a reason of pride for each and every Italy, from North to South. Italian food today After the two World Wars forced Italy to be frugal, and the economic boom of the 1970s and 1980s brought to its tables dishes drenched in cream, jelly and mayonnaise, Italy has final- ly rediscovered its roots. Today, the country happily embraces the most authentic spirit of its cuisine, made of simplicity, tra- dition and fresh ingredients. Even if certainly open to try and mingle with international culinary traditions, the most amazing conquest of modern Italian cuisine seems to be the a w a r e n e s s o f i t s o w n r o o t s ' magnificence: these are hard times for the country, but thank- fully, Italy will always have food to put a smile on her faces. The first recipe book published in Italy in 1634 was Giovan Battista Crisci's La Lucerna de' Corteggiani History of Italian Cuisine... in a nutshell LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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