Tuscan cuisine

Although many people would believe that Italian food is the same around every region, it is actually very different. One of the most delightful variations of Italian food I have found is in Siena, or the Tuscany region. I love Tuscan food! With rustic pasta dishes, grilled meats, and delightful wines, Tuscan cuisine is fulfilling in every way. In Siena, grilled meats can be found everywhere. From wild boar to pork, the grilled meats in Tuscany are some of the best in Italy. The pasta dishes consist of homemade thick noodles and heartier sauces. Sun dried tomatoes are also a specialty here. The wines come from the Chianti region which has the ideal climate for producing grapes. Ultimately whenever I visit Siena, I always set aside a few hours for a long scrumptious dinner.

Wine Labels

If there is one food item that I have found plenty in Italy, it is wine! Italy is one of the top producers for wine and certainly consumes the most of it. The ideal climate, rich soil, and plentiful hillsides are perfect for growing grapes. There is a large variety of grapes and Italians have found how to make a plethora of wine varieties. Although with so many different types of wines how does one choose the best one? Well thankfully, the Italian government divides the wines into four different labels to help distinguish the different types- DOC, DOCG, and IGT. DOC is the cheapest wine but can be surprisingly delicious. There are many different kinds around Italy and Tuscany provides some of the best from the Chianti region. DOCG is the highest grade of wine. They are the best quality but it is sometimes hard to determine certain aspects about the winemaker. IGT is a pretty broad range of wines that range from poor quality to very good quality. Over all, these labels provide a great range of wine that are sure to please even the pickiest wine critic.

Apertivo

Yesterday I got to experience my first apertivo! My friends and I went to a bar that overlooked the most ancient piazza known for its open produce markets: Campo Di Fiori. Apertivo is comparable to an American happy hour. You pay for a cocktail, beer, or wine and get access to an unlimited buffet of finger foods and appetizers. There are little slices of pizza, mini sandwiches, fried vegetables, and pasta salads. Appertive is a great way to have a light dinner overlooking the busy piazza. Local vendors and musicians line the streets as tourists casually gaze where one of the most ancient produce markets take place. It was a very relaxing experience.

Anchovies are animals too!

I have never been a fan of seafood. Ever since my horrifying previous encounters with fish sticks, I have never had a pleasant perspective on seafood. However, living in Rome has taught me that not all fish comes from a frozen package. I have even tried new types of fish that I would never experience at home including swordfish, lobster, fresh salmon, and anchovies. But as I sat in front of my cutting board with 5 whole anchovies staring back at me, my fear of fish quickly returned. My teacher Christina told us that we were first supposed to rip off the heads, carefully pull out the internal organs and remove the spine from the muscle. I was mortified but had no choice. Christina was not going to let us leave the room without fully dipping our hands in fresh anchovy blood. So I sucked up the courage, closed my eyes and began decapitating the heads of my anchovies. I felt like Sweeny Todd! After the first one, the others weren’t as bad. It was hard to get used to the feeling and I had to keep telling myself the anchovies were dead. As nauseating and painful experience as it was, it helped me realize that the meats and fish that we eat everyday come from living creatures. Many people often go to the grocery store and buy clean packages of meats and forget about where it comes from. Those spotless cutlets of chicken were once a part of a full animal that had internal organs and a head. If more people had to prepare their own meat, I’m sure they would have a different perspective of what they are ingesting. Our society is fortunate enough to have someone else do the dirty work for us. Now every time I buy clean cut meat at the grocery store, I always appreciate it.

The magic of gelato!

If you have never tasted Italian gelato, you are missing out on one of the most incredible treats in the world! There is something magical about fresh, creamy gelato on a warm afternoon in Rome. The intense flavor, creative ingredients, and velvety consistency is enough to make anyone feel like they are in heaven. But gelato is more than just a delicious enjoyment. It is a stress free moment of pure bliss. Gelato is enjoyed best while strolling down the street or casually sitting on the sidewalk. The creamy consistency is unlike anything I have ever tasted. It is thicker than regular ice cream but also contains fresh ingredients. If I could take one thing back with me from Rome, it would absolutely be gelato! But that would be a big mess, wouldn’t it?!

Something smells fishy in here!

Living in Italy has really taught me how to respect the aquatic ecosystem. When I visited San Lorenzo restaurant in Rome, I had the chance to understand how Italians handle their seafood in the restaurant industry. Coming from a family of fishermen, it was very interesting for me to see how other fisherman treat the aquatic environment. I learned that fishing is dependent upon the condition of the sea. The fishermen only catch the fish that are in the water that day. They aim to catch only large fish because catching smaller fish during their reproductive stages could harm the ecosystem. I also learned that charters that don’t respect the ecosystem will catch large amounts of the fish and preserve it for mass production and storage. After talking with the manager of San Lorenzo, I was able to tell if a fish is fresh. A fresh fish’s gills aren’t black and the under belly is still white and not yellow. The eye is elastic and not sunken in. The muscle on the back of the fish is firm and the fish smells fresh and like the sea. A fish can stay fresh up to 12 hours until it goes bad. At the restaurant, the fish comes into the harbor at 2:30 in the afternoon, arrives at the restaurant at 8 pm and are cooked for that night’s dinner. San Lorenzo is respected for its loyalty to the sea and the way they prepare the freshest seafood dishes.

Cheese please!

Our trip to Cilento was a satisfying way to get acquainted with the Mediterranean diet. It was not only cultural, but very fulfilling. One of the most common food items that I encountered was mozzarella de buffalo. We went to an organic farm that specialized in fresh, organic mozzarella. One of the key ingredients in mozzarella is the milk. The milk comes from the buffalo and the buffalo at the farm were treated very well. The stable was well kept and had a modern elegance that would make any buffalo very happy. The buffalo are milked 3 times a day and there are no preservatives added to the cheese. When the milk is made into cheese and solidifies, it is formed into balls and stored in a water sack in order to preserve freshness. I learned that a fresh piece of mozzarella should ooze out milk when cut into and the color should always be whiter than a bright white plate. The cheese at the farm was the freshest mozzarella I have ever tasted and I definitely enjoyed my time watching the production!