Does Parmigiano Reggiano become French? – Italian Cuisine

The giant Lactalis, which already controls some historic Italian brands, has acquired the entire capital of Nuova Castelli, leader in the distribution of Italian PDO cheeses

Parmesan cheese becomes French: the giant Lactalis, which already controls other historic Italian brands such as Galbani, Parmalat, Cademartori, Vallelata, Invernizzi and Locatelli, has put a new flag on the Italian food industry. He took over, for 270 million, the entire capital of Nuova Castelli (approximately 80% owned by the British investment fund Chartherhouse Capital Partner), a Reggio Emilia company leader in the distribution of Italian PDO cheeses and the main exporter of Parmesan in the world, of which it produces about 105 thousand forms per year.

Thus it incorporates a company with a thousand employees, with 13 production sites in Italy and 3 abroad, which in 2014 invoiced 460 million euros, of which 70% thanks to the export of PDO cheeses. Not only parmesan, but also gorgonzola and buffalo mozzarella: the most popular brands within the Nuova Castelli portfolio are Castelli, Mandara and Alival. The French multinational explains, with a note, that it has "strengthened its leadership in the distribution of Italian Dop cheeses on international markets, where it is already a protagonist with a commercial and distribution presence in over 140 countries .

The path of the sale of Nuova Castelli had begun at the beginning of the year. Even if the group never confirmed it, among the offers that had arrived there would have been also that of Granarolo and some foreign funds, but the proposal of Lactalis, which is said to ready to "support Italian PDO products in the world", it was preferred to all the others.

Coldiretti and Cia Agricoltori had announced that they would do "everything to protect the Italian food industry from the onslaught of foreign multinationals" (there was also talk of setting up an Italian consortium). And the Agriculture Minister, Gian Marco Centinaio he had promised to defend the Parmesan cheese "without ifs and buts". But their outcry did not help to prevent the sale.

The liquors of the Armed Forces of yesterday and today – Italian Cuisine

From trench distillates to modern camouflage bottles, passing through the inevitable Alpine grappa: what to choose for a toast by soldiers on the occasion of Republic Day

On Via dei Fori Imperiali the stands have already appeared, the Frecce Tricolori have started the tests: all the signs that June 2, the Italian Republic Day, is approaching. For Rome it is the day of the parade of the Armed Forces, which culminates precisely with the spectacular passage of the acrobratic patrol of the Frecce Tricolori on the Vittoriano. Together with the parade of the Alpine troops that recently flooded the streets of Milan, June 2 is the occasion to tickle a curiosity: do the liquors of the armed forces still exist? From the stainless grappa of the Alpine to the ever-present cordial, the answer is yes, but many things have evidently changed also in the tastes of the soldiers, with more petty and less trench proposals.

From Cordiale to Cordialcioc

The official reference of the Armed Forces is the Florence Military Pharmaceutical Chemical Establishment, born in 1832. If its main activity is in the production of drugs, however it has always been engaged in the distillation of soldiers' liquors, starting from the mythical cordial. The Enocordial is its flagship product, or a brandy aged at least three years in oak barrels. Then there are the grappa, the Amaro delle Alpi and the Aninolo, or an aniseed distillate. The Elixir of China is particularly interesting, obtained through the cold extraction of cinchona bark and bitter orange peel, then aged for at least one year in oak barrels according to the historical recipe found in the Military Pharmacopoeia of 1877. And, again, the more ruffian versions of the cordial wine mentioned, from Cordialcioc, with pure extra-dark chocolate, to Cherry Cordial, flavored with cherries.

The camouflage bottles

A cordial, or rather another brandy aged three years, softened with DOP buffalo milk, is instead the proposal of the ancient Petrone distillery, complete with a mimetic bottle and a name that cannot be more evocative: the name “Esercito” appears on the label 1659 ", where 1659 stands for the year in which the regiment" of the guards "was born, or the date of birth of the Army, which granted the mark to the bell distillery. In the presentation we read that the original distillate, Cordiale 15 18 (where obviously the numbers stand for the beginning and end of the Great War) was "a must in the history of the Armed Forces of Italy, was a loving companion of the soldiers in the long winter nights .

The Alpine grappa

That the Alpini are big drinkers and that their parties are very alcoholic is not a mystery, although still very civilized (see the images of the post-parade Milan, cleaner than before the event). That said, there are several distilleries that compete for the reference grappa palm, even though only one can boast the official brand: it is the South Tyrolean distillery Psenner which produces the Grappa of the Alpino, complete with a soldier on the label. It is a grappa barricaded at 40 °, obtained by distillation with continuous and discontinuous method in bain-marie stills using exclusively pomace from South Tyrol. For those who prefer white grappa, there is the Grappa Trentina of the Cappelletti Distillery, which also bears the characteristic hat with the pen on the label. On the Lombard side, instead, in Mapello, in the province of Bergamo, there is the Locatelli Distillery, with its "free-range distillate, strong, consumed for more than a hundred years in the whole of Bergamo".

Pumpkin flowers recipe with anchovy – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients for 4 people

How to prepare delicious pumpkin flowers with anchovies

1) For the batter to cook the yummy pumpkin flowers with anchovies mix the flour with the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and grated lemon rind. Let it rest covered for at least an hour.

2) Remove the pistils from the courgette flowers. Soften the bread in milk. Blend the capers with anchovies, tuna, egg yolks, squeezed breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Stuff the zucchini flowers with the mixture, dip them in the batter to which you have combined the baking soda and fry them in abundant oil.

Variations to the recipe for pumpkin flowers with anchovies

A variation in the preparation of pumpkin flowers with anchovies it also consists of inserting some mozzarella inside them, to have a more delicate taste.

For those who do not particularly like mozzarella, can always prepare these delicious courgette flowers combining the scamorza, which has a stronger taste, especially the smoked one. In this way we will also recall the particular taste of anchovies, to obtain a truly unique dish of its kind.