Above,from
left:butcher
FrancoSandrone
withsalamidi
cavalloathis
workshopin
Barolo,Piedmont;
DomenicoScaglia
measures
salsicciadiBra
athisbutcher’s
shopinBra,
Piedmont;Bra;
violino di capra.B
arringtheinhabitantsofa fewcoastalstrips,
especiallyinthesouthandtheislands,it’sa
myththatItaliansadheretoa “Mediterranean
diet”.Theyliketothinktheydo,butthey
don’t.Mountainsaccountfor 40 percentofthe
nationalterritoryandintheicyAlpineandApennines
wintersyou’dbehardpushedtogetbyonfreshfish
andvegetablesandfruitalone.
Charcuterieandoffal– tobeconsumedonly
sparinglyaccordingtoAncelKeys,theAmerican
physicianwhoelaboratedtheMediterraneandietthesis
inthefirstplace– playa hugepartinthecuisinesof
mostItalianregions.Antipastieverywhereinvariably
featureboardsofaffettati,andevenseaportslike
NaplesorGenoapridethemselvesas muchontheir
tripperie,ortripeshops,as ontheirfishmongers.
OnesummerI stayedwitha familyinCrotone,
inCalabria.Theylivedneartheharbour,andonmy
firstdaytheyservedmestewedtripeandpotatoes
forlunch.Theseawasglisteninginthesunat
thebottomofthestreet,butthefoodonthetable
wasn’texactlywhatyouwouldcallMediterranean.
AsforItaliancharcuterie,it canberoughlydivided
intotwobranches:salumi,curedpiecesofmeat;and
insaccati,mincedmeatstuffedintoanintestineand
aged.It’sdominated,ofcourse,bypork– amemoryof
timeswhenmostpeasantfamilieskepta pigandwaste
wasn’tanoption.Cucinapovera– theartofekingout
a fewbasicingredientsand,inthecaseofcharcuterie,
preservingproteinforthewinter– probablycapturesthe
essenceofItalianfoodbetterthanthe“Mediterranean
diet”label.It’sexemplifiedbythesalamedipatateofthe
CanavesedistrictinPiedmont,a salamiofporkscraps,
mashedpotatoesandspices,casedina pig’sintestine
andeatenspreadonbreadorfriedwithonions.
There’sanoldsaying,“Delmaialenonsi butta
niente”(Nopartofthepigcangotowaste),theconcept
thatnowinformsnose-to-tailcooking.A traditional
winterritualonfarmsacrossthePoValleyis the
Maialata,a banquetinwhicheverycourseinvolves
oneporcinetitbitoranother.Includingtheblood.
Bloodsausagesorpuddingsformaninsaccati
sub-category.InPiedmont’sWaldensianValleys,
theyhavemustardela,similartotheBasquemorcilla
negra.Madewithbitsofpork,onions,leeksandblood,
it’seatenboiledwithmashedpotatoesorpolenta.In
Tuscanythesweet-and-sourmallegatois a concoctionof
freshblood,dicedlard,nutmeg,cinnamon,pinenuts
andsultanas,whichis friedandservedwithbeans.
Insouthernregions,pig’sbloodgoesnotinto
charcuterie,butintoconfectionery.NicolaLarizza,
mytobacconistinTurin,whereI usedtolive,came
fromBasilicata.Heandhisfamilywouldblendthe
bloodwithsugar,chocolate,driedfruitandspices,
andsprinkleit withhundreds and thousandsto
create a creamy dessert.SomeItaliancharcuterieincludesnopigat all.
Fora varietyofhistoricalandculturalreasons,notto
mentionreligiousdietaryregulations,themostwildand
wonderfuldelicacies– notallofthemrecommended
forthesqueamish– aremadewithothermeats.
InthepastoralregionofAbruzzo,theshepherds
drivingtheirflocksintothemountainsinspring
andbacktotheplainsinwinterneededsomething
substantialbutnon-perishabletoeatduringthelong
monthsawayfromtheirfarms.Whatbetterthan
insaccatimadefromthemeatmosteasilyavailable,
mutton.Hencesalamedipecora,pinkish,mottled
withfatandcasedina sheep’sintestine.
Furthersouth,Pugliais a regionofhorsemeat
lovers.Myfather-in-law,whocamefromtheprovince
ofTarantoontheheeloftheItalianboot,recalled
seeinghorsesroamingwildonthebeachwhenhewas
a childinthe1930s,andlargehorsefarmsarestillto
befoundintheValled’ItriaontheTaranto-Bariroad.
TheEnglish-speakingworldfindstheideaofeating
horserepugnant,butItaliansarelesssentimental,a
traitthey’veinheritedfromthedayswhenthecountry
waspredominantlyagriculturalandthehorsehad
a dualpurpose:asa draughtanimaland,at the
endofitsworkinglife,asa sourceofprotein.
InPuglia,theyeathorsefleshfresh,especiallyin
theformofbrasciole(roulades),cookedintomatoand
servedwithpasta.Elsewhere,it’spreserved.Atonetime,
Romantavernswouldserveyoua plateofcoppiette
ciociare– stripsofcuredhorsemeatlinkedinpairsand
flavouredwithchilliandotherspices– withyourflask
of wine. In Padua, in the Veneto region, sfilacci, scraps78 GOURMET TRAVELLER