The Wonders of Italian Food; Addendum
Lifelong learning is a fundamental component of a joyful life. You should always be prepared to challenge your assumptions and adjust your opinions in the face of new and better evidence. Who knows- it can happen quickly! I recently posted my reflections on the glory of Italian cuisine. Almost immediately after completing that exercise, I listened to one of my favourite podcasts, “The Rest is History.” They frequently do multi-episode programs on major historical events eg; The French Revolution, The Titanic Sinking, the Causes of WWI, Irish-British Relations and the Easter Rising. Great stuff! Occasionally, they do “one off” treatments of offbeat historical or cultural phenomena. This week they featured John Dickie, a British historian who specialises in Italy. He has written a book on the relationship between Italian food and Italian history, He followed up with a 6 part television series. He is insightful and brings a very British sense of humour to his presentations. It was a teaching moment for me and I decided to supplement my prior comments while his observations were fresh in my mind. The book is “Delizia- The Epic History of Italians and their Food.”
The good news for me is that I do not need to retract my core conclusions. However, clarifications and refinements are appropriate. Regional diversity was one of my themes. Mr Dickie convinced me to drill down further. The genius of Italian food is that it is ultra urban in origin. The idea that the simple pleasures of Italian food are based on peasant or rural values is a myth. The great leaps forward in Italian cooking always occurred in cities- Palermo, Milan, Florence, Venice, Bologna, Naples and Rome. Elites were the main drivers of food revolutions in Italy. The nobles and aristocrats governing the city- states used cuisine as another way to highlight their special importance in the cultural universe. Recipes and new cooking techniques were closely identified with progress - part and parcel of similar advances in music, arts, literature and fashion. Many famous classic dishes carry the name of their city of origin. For example, Proscuitto di Parma, Bisteca di Fiorentina, Papardelle Bolognese, Zucca di Romana. A city’s food was associated with money, riches, success, power and progress. The flip side is that the rural tradition is weak. Peasants, farm labourers and their families ate poorly. This was the reality from the Middle Ages to the end of WWII. The diet was not balanced, was rather unhealthy and at the end of the 1950’s the average Italian man living in southern Italy was four inches shorter than he is today. Little fellows produced by a lousy diet. The economic miracle of the 60’s and 70’s changed this reality and cuisine in the countryside improved- mirroring what had already happened in the cities. Sadly, the picture of the Italian mama working away 24 hours a day to produce great food for her struggling family is not accurate. Until, the modern era, Neapolitan pizza was not very good and pastas mixed with cheap pork cuts was the height of imagination. Thankfully, things are better today. It also explains why real Italians ridiculed early Italian food in the United States. The immigrants were from the poor south and the sophisticated urban northern Italians did not respect that cuisine. It also explains why Americans traveling to Florence, Venice and Rome in the early travel boom were surprise by the restaurant menus- they had never seen these dishes on an Italian-American restaurant menu.
Dickie also confirmed that Italian chefs borrowed heavily from other food cultures and were enamoured by imported ingredients. Pasta originated in Palermo in 1154, but the original concept was developed in the Eastern Mediterranean (not China as frequently rumoured). The majority of the Duron wheat required for dry pasta came from Ukraine. Sicily was a melting pot and early recipes were influenced by Greeks, Jews, Arabs and Normans. Venice was Europe’s trading hub and Asian and eastern spices became the cornerstone their cuisine. Milan published the first European cookbook in the 1300’s and emphasised French vegetables and fruits. The Renaissance was a beacon of creativity and the range of available pasta shapes and sauces exploded. Florence was the centre of the universe and absorbed ideas from all corners of the civilised world. Italy became the “food capital” and has generally maintained the position ever since. The modern Mediterranean diet craze was actually an idea from a American scientist and nutritionist in the 1970’s. Tomatoes and chocolate were imported in to Italy from the United States- not the other way around. Fun fact for today- the range of Italian palates is quite broad- Italians now consume more sushi per capita than any western country. Who knew?
The Italians are brilliant at marketing and branding. They learn from other cultures, adopt best practices, create their own food persona and sell it with panache. Italian food is truly global. The current “slow food” movement is modern, but is simply an end product of Italian cuisine development over hundreds of years. The genius is in the title!
It works! Italian cuisine is excellent. It is special. It deserves its sterling reputation. The backstory is just a little more layered and complex than most food consumers are aware of!
