Pasta: Smooth or Ridged?

Posted on November 16, 2017 by babbityjean

Italy is the world leader in both production and consumption of pasta.  No surprise.  In the south, the birthplace of pasta, almost everyone (99%) eats it, on average 4 to 5 times a week.  About a third eat it every day.   Southerners tend to eat dried pasta, while people from the northwest prefer fresh pasta.

But the pasta landscape is changing.  Besides the growth of whole wheat pasta, the real fans of the national dish are moving the geographic center of gravity toward central Italy—where 45% eat pasta every day compared to 32% in the south.  And the average portion of a plate of pasta in the South is about 80 grams (.18 pounds) a person, the lowest percentage in the country.  (Americans take note:  80 grams per portion means that there are 5-6 servings in a pound of pasta, depending on the sauce.)

Questioned about the quality factors of pasta, Italians from southern regions like Campania, Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia, and Sicily—areas with the best knowledge and appreciation of this food—respond in line with the national opinion.  In first place among the indicators of quality is pasta that remains al dente in the cooking, then the quality of the grain, followed by pasta that is tied perfectly to the seasoning.

Every Italian has a preference among the more than 300 forms of pasta, but Italy is divided in two on one dimension.  Rome is the watershed between these two worlds and two philosophies, which were created by differences in climate and history.  South of Rome, Italians like smooth pasta; from Rome north, Italians prefer ridged (rigata) pasta.

Why?  In the north, rigata became popular in order to mask possible defects in production due to longer drying times.  Before the invention of artificial drying, the production of pasta in the north took longer and was more problematic due to the absence of predictable and stable microclimates.  Hence, the ridges, which masked defects, became popular in the north.  It also cooks differently. With its texture of “peaks” and “valleys,” ridged pasta exposes more surface to the water during cooking.  It remains more “al dente” in its thick parts and releases more starch from the thinner parts.  Hence, it gives the sensation of a firm pasta even when it’s a bit overcooked, that is, not quite al dente.

 

 

 

Posted in Cucina italiana, English, Foto, Italia, Roma, Storia | Leave a comment

Dove c’è Prosecco, c’è un sorriso

Posted on November 2, 2017 by babbityjean

Le notizie arrivano da Londra direttamente dal giornale, Il Guardian. Un articolo cita un dentista che dice che i denti di sempre più inglesi si stanno rovinando a causa del Prosecco…dall’acidità e dagli zuccheri del vino italiano.  Ritiene che il Prosecco provochi buchi nei denti, che laceri lo smalto, e li faccia uscire dalle gengive.

Il messaggio è chiarissimo: “Salvate i vostri denti, smettete di bere Prosecco!”.  Ma il giornale prestigioso non fornisce basi scientifiche solide per supportare questa affermazione.  Perché le bollicine del Veneto e Friuli Venezia Giulia sarebbero più dannose di quelle francesi dello Champagne o di quelle che la Gran Bretagna produce da qualche anno?  Non c’è nulla nell’articolo che faccia pensare che ci sia qualcosa di dannoso nel vitigno o nel processo di vinificazione del Prosecco.

C’è quindi dell’altro dietro al voler mettere nel mirino il vino italiano?  Vediamo una breve e recente storia del Prosecco e la sua crescita fenomenale.  Nel 2016, 90 milioni di bottiglie sono state vendute, un aumento dell’8 per cento rispetto il 2015.  E nel 2015 c’è stato un aumento del 15% rispetto all’anno precedente con solo un piccolo aumento del territorio coltivato…dalle colline robuste alle pianure dove si coltivano l’uva in queste due regioni italiane.  Infatti, il territorio è ora candidato a Patrimonio dell’Umanità per l’Unesco.

La Gran Bretagna è diventata il primo mercato mondiale per le bollicine italiane: 366 milioni di euro nel 2016 con un aumento del 33 per cento sull’anno precedente.  I britannici scolano 40 milioni di litri di Prosecco all’anno, grazie anche a prezzi meno costosi rispetto ad altri vini.  Ora il prezzo medio di un bottiglia è tra i 10 e i 16 euro a consumatore e il Prosecco è sempre più popolare.

Come si avvicina la Brexit, pensate che la Gran Bretagna potrebbe cercare di limitare l’import e aumentare i prodotti localmente prodotti (come le bollicine inglesi)?  Vediamo cosa dicono i politici.

Qualche mese fa, l’ex sindaco di Londra ha detto al ministro dello sviluppo economico italiano che se non gli concedeve la libera circolazione delle merci e delle persone dopo la Brexit, bloccheranno il Prosecco.  Il ministro ha risposto: E noi bloccheremo il fish and chips (non credo sia una grande perdita per gli italiani).  Poi i governatori delle due regioni italiane che producono questo vino–che di solito sono in poli opposti—hanno concordato su questo tema.  Uno ha chiamato l’articolo “fake news” e l’altro ha detto: “Spero che dopo la Brexit in Gran Bretagna, ci sia il bisogno di far tornare il sorriso ai cittadini: assunto a dosi moderate, il nostro Prosecco fa miracoli”.

Anche se gli inglesi sanno che dove c’è Prosecco, c’è un sorriso, i francesi non saranno felici quando sentiranno che gli italiani dicono: “da tempo guardiamo lo Champagne dallo specchietto retrovisore”.

Altri post su lotte con il cibo:  “Amatriciana-gate” (il 5 marzo 2015), “Fish and Chips” (il 9 aprile 2015), “Carbonara-gate” (il 13 maggio 2016), e “I Rigatoni ‘bianchi Bolognese'” (il 10 novembre 2016).

Posted in Abitudini, Cucina italiana, Foto, Italia, Italiano, Veneto | Leave a comment

Where there is Prosecco, there is a smile

Posted on November 2, 2017 by babbityjean

The news comes from London directly from the newspaper, The Guardian.  An article cites a dentist who says that the teeth of a growing number of Brits are being ruined by Prosecco…by the acidity and the sugars of the Italian wine.  It says that Prosecco causes holes in your teeth, lacerates the enamel, and wears away the gums.

The message is clear: “Brits, save your teeth and stop drinking Prosecco!”  But the prestigious newspaper does not cite any solid scientific basis for this claim.  Why would the bubbly from the Veneto and from Friuli Venezia Giulia be more damaging than that of French champagne or that which Great Britain began producing a few years ago?  There is nothing in the article to suggest that there is anything harmful in the Italian varietal or in the wine-making process of Prosecco.

Could there be something else behind the wish to put the Italian wine in the crosshairs?  Let’s look at a brief and recent history of Prosecco and its phenomenal growth.  In 2016, 90 million bottles were sold, a growth of 8% over 2015.  And in 2015 there was a 15% increase over the preceding year with only a small increase in the territory cultivated…from the rugged hills to the plains where the grapes are grown in these two Italian regions.  In fact, the cultural identity of the territory is now a candidate as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Great Britain became the first market for Prosecco outside of Italy earning 366 million euros in 2016, which was an increase of 33% over the preceding year.  The Brits drain 40 million liters a year, thanks also to less expensive price tag than other wines.  The average price of a bottle is between 10 and 16 euros for the consumer, and Prosecco has become ever more popular.

Do you think that as Brexit nears, Great Britain might be looking for ways to increase locally produced products (like the English bubbly) and to find ways to limit imports?  Let’s see what the politicians say.

A few months ago, the former mayor of London told the Italian economic development minister that if you don’t allow the free circulation of goods and people after Brexit, we will block Prosecco.  To which the economic minister replied:  and we will block fish and chips (which I can’t imagine would be a huge loss to the Italians).  Then the governors of the two Italian regions that produce this wine—who are usually on opposite political poles—agreed on this issue.  One called the British article fake news, the other said, “I hope that after Brexit in Great Britain, there is a need to help the citizens to smile again: taken in moderate doses, our Prosecco makes miracles.”

Even if the Brits know that where there is Prosecco, there is a smile, the French won’t be happy when they hear what the Italians say: “For some time now we have been watching champagne in the rearview mirror.”

For other “food fights,”  see “Amatriciana-gate” (March 5, 2015), “Fish and Chips” (April 9, 2015), “Carbonara-gate” (May 13, 2016), and “Rigatoni White Bolognese” (November 10, 2016).

 

Posted in Abitudini, Cucina italiana, Differenze culturali, English, Foto, Italia, Politica, Veneto | 1 Comment