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Blue Tomato’s Globetrotters

Italy...

n the same way that British people

don’t sit around sipping tea and

spreading jam on scones (well, not

always), Italians don’t spend their days

spinning pizza and twirling pasta around

tomato-soaked plates...

Of course, authentic Italian pasta is second

to none and delicious pizzas can be found in

almost all parts of the country. However, it’s

the regional specialities that really charac-

terise true Italian food, reflecting the pride

and history of a country jam-packed with

food lovers.

Take for example, Umbria, a beautiful and

mountainous region in the heart of Italy. It is

relatively untouched by tourism yet can

claim to have more truffles than anywhere

else in Italy – especially the black truffle,

which is a popular and traditional exponent

of the local cuisine.

Truffles are incredibly sought after – the

pinnacle of gourmet cooking, and often too

expensive for the average consumer. In Umbria

however, they’re in such abundance that

festivities are held each autumn to celebrate

the coming season. Truffles are sniffed out

with dogs and pigs, and heaved out of the

ground – an act which honours tradition and

seems a world away from the buzzing kitchens

of high-end restaurants.

Moving down to Italy’s boot we get to

Puglia, the region with the most land

dedicated to olive trees. Often more associated

with beautiful weather and delicious seafood

(and for good reason), Puglia actually produces

over 40% of Italy’s olive oil. This dates back

hundreds of years, to a time when landowners

were offered tax reductions if they dedicated

part of their land to olive tree production – in

hindsight, a great move. Puglia’s olive oil is

known for its high vitamin content, and is a

great choice for the health conscious.

Although Tuscany is up there in terms of

olive oil production, we shall award it as the

region which produces the finest of wines –

and let’s face it, you can’t think of Italy without

giving some thought to its range of beautiful

wines. The most famous from the Tuscan

region being Chianti and Brunello. Chianti

dates back as far as the 13th century, and is all

you could want from a fine Italian wine; it’s

deep, aromatic and encompasses varying

flavours of wild berries. It also represents

exactly why we love Italy – hundreds of years

of tradition, developing practices and culinary

perfectionism speak for themselves.

Bologna, which lies south of Parma, is

famous for its meats, and lends its name to

Bolognese sauce, or ragù alla Bolognese (‘ragù’

being the Italian word for ‘meat-based’).

Modena on the other hand, is where you

should head if you want the best balsamic

vinegar in Italy. In fact, the terms ‘aceto

balsamico tradizionale di Modena’ or ‘aceto

balsamico tradizionale di Reggio Emilia’, are

much like Parmesan, in the sense that they are

classified by the European Union as protected

designations of origin.

On the opposite end of the scale to Umbria’s

rolling hills, is Emilia-Romagna, one of the

richest regions in Italy, with Parma, Modena

and Bologna as just a few of its many prov-

inces – areas which make it easy to see why

it’s known as Italy’s ‘food valley’. Barilla, one

of the nations major food companies, was

founded way back in 1877 in Parma, which is

also home to Italy’s famous prosciutto di

Parma – or to us Brits, Parma ham. And let’s

not forget to mention the delicious crumbly

cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano (more widely

known as Parmesan).

TodiCastle Estate, UmbriaTruffle hunting at TodiCastle Estateis a perfect way to spend timegetting to know Umbrian traditions.An expert tartufaio (truffle hunter)and his dog will guide you to thediscovery of the truffle and revealthe secrets of its search. You will alsohave the chance to get involvedwith the fascinating battuta(combing of the area) in the searchof the precious truffles.www.todicastle.com

Reggio Emila (Aceto BalsamicoTradizionale di Reggio Emilia)illustrates the age of its vinegar bylabel colour. A red label means it hasbeen aged for at least 12 years;silver, at least 18 years, and goldindicates the vinegar has been agedfor 25 years or more.

Modena (Aceto BalsamicoTradizionale di Modena) illustratesthe same thing by cap colour. Acream cap indicates the vinegar hasbeen aged for at least 12 years,whereas a golden cap means you’llbe drizzling vinegar which is 25years or more.

Outside of Europe, the wordParmesan is sometimes used as aloose term to encompass all cheesesimitating the crumbly texture ofParmesan, whereas in Europe theParmesan name is classified as aprotected designation of origin.

If we were given a slice of Parma ham each time we heard ‘but I

don’t like pizza and pasta’ we’d be able to open our own Italian

deli and have done with these complaints. If you’ve ever

suggested going for an Italian and been greeted by the same

kind of unconvincing discontent, then you’re sure to understand

I

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Blue Tomato’s Globetrotters

....so much

more thanpizza & pasta