Tag: ancient

South Tyrolean breads: ancient recipes and flours for timeless flavors – Italian Cuisine

We went on a journey through the valleys of South Tyrol to discover traditional bakeries, their most typical products and the millenary history that intertwines agriculture and white art

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Enclosed by majestic mountains, theSouth Tyrol jealously guards gastronomic traditions whose origin is lost in the mists of time. One of the most fascinating is that of bread and of flours rustic with which, in the area of South Tyrol, has been kneaded for millennia.

Traces of Emmer were found among the mummified remains of Ötzi, the shepherd who lived in these areas more than five thousand years ago. While of the rye We have news since 800 BC, when it seems to have come from distant Asia Minor, only to find fertile ground in these areas and become one of the most used cereals for white art, as bread making is called.

Even today, rye is widely cultivated, often by the same bakers who collect and grind it in their mills. Some even use machinery dating back to the late nineteenth century, such as the svecciatoio in the photo, which is still in operation on the farm today Roatnocker from Georg Weiss, high Val di Non, which separates the beans according to shape and size.

Among the specialties baked daily in South Tyrolean bakeries are the Paarl, loaves kneaded with rye and spelled that change according to the mix of flours that compose them. So, for example, they are called Vollkotnpaarl those entirely of wholemeal rye.

They are called instead Urpaarl the breads of pure rye typical of Val Venosta, the "granary" of Tyrol. The prefix "Ur" recalls the ancient city of Mesopotamia, the cradle of cereal. There eight shape, obtained from the union of two rounded loaves, symbolizes the union of marriage (in the photo, the offer to the bakery of Peter Schuster in Laudes, in Val Monastero).

The technique with which the thin discs of the Schüttelbrot: the dough is placed on one circular shovel which is made to rotate, by the skilled hands of the baker, until it widens and thins at the right point.

The result is round, low, toasted and very crunchy bread, the emblem of South Tyrol and typical of every production.

The distinctive taste of Schüttelbrot, Paarl and other specialties is given by the trigonella, an aromatic herb that grows in the mountains and produces pale blue flowers.

After the harvest, the trigonella comes dried and ground. The scent is halfway between anise and cumin: the latter, moreover, is also part of the bouquet used in typical recipes.

Among the seeds that enrich the preparations, those of pumpkin and those of sunflower, used for large loaves, small rolls, crunchy cracker (in the photo, those of Furnaria Seppi, in Val Badia). The seeds of poppy.

There puccia is a characteristic specialty of Ladin community, settled in the valleys surrounding the Sella dolomitic group. The traditional loaf of these areas is mixed with 70 percent rye flour and 30 percent wheat and there is also a dry and flat version.

Not just rye: also the wheat flour finds greedy application. For example in the Laugenbrot which, like the classic German and Austrian pretzels, are immersed in a soda bath which makes the crust brown and shiny.

They are light in color and quite soft, again due to the presence of wheat flour, even i Puschtra Breatl, round and low loaves. In the photo, one of the loaves baked in the bakery laboratory Feichter to Dobbiaco, high Val Pusteria.

In short, the doughs and shapes of the loaves change from valley to valley and from village to village. And there is no shortage of contaminations such as the use of flours that come from afar (in the photo, a spelled bread and Sicilian Timilia flour from Merano Ivo de Pellegrin).

To enrich the proposal of South Tyrolean bakeries, even one pastry shop simple but delicious. How to resist the Biscuits double, stuffed with jam?

When it is season, here comes the raisin bread. Less sweet than you might think, it is suitable for breakfasts and snacks also, why not, in combination with salty ingredients.

Finally, it is inevitable apple strudel, symbolic delight of South Tyrol. According to the traditional recipe, the delicious filling is wrapped in a casket of shortcrust pastry crumbly. One bite is enough, and the oven is served.

The addresses
Roatnocker farm, Weiss family, Obere Innere 12, Senale San Felice (BZ), telephone 3487686627
Bäckerei Schuster, Laudes 139, Malles Venosta (BZ), phone 473831340
Furnaria Seppi, Strada Col Alt 34, Corvara in Badia (BZ), telephone 0471 836 863
Bauernhof Familie Feichter, Zipfanger 1, Dobbiaco (BZ), telephone 0474972324
Ivo De Pellegrin oven, Via delle Corse 141 °, Merano (BZ), telephone 3338593629

Photo by Felice Scoccimarro for the reportage made for Sale & Pepe by Riccardo Lagorio
September 2021

Posted on 09/28/2021

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The ancient Piedmontese apples: all the reasons to find them – Italian Cuisine

They are rich in vitamins and polyphenols three times more than the most famous varieties found in large retailers and have a wealth of aromas, aromas and taste that makes them unique

They have weird names, sometimes female, like Carla, or of colors, Grigia di Torriana, or, again, Gamba Fina, Buras, Runsé, Magnana, Dominici and Cavilla Bianca. They are all apples of native varieties, present in Piedmont since the end of the thirteenth century. Cultivated since the time of the Cistercian monks in abbeys, they have developed a particular resistance to diseases and are decidedly rustic varieties. Looking small, with a taste tending towards acid, in the 1950s and 1960s, when beautiful, red, huge varieties of apples, such as Fuji or Granny Smiths, appeared on the market, these tiny, imperfect specimens went out of fashion, effectively disappeared. "We have continued to cultivate them", says Federica Quattrocolo, contact person for the Slow Food Presidium products, "because they are on average three times richer in vitamins and polyphenols compared to more commercial varieties. But, above all, they have a completely different range of aromas, tastes and fragrances than those we are used to consuming from large distribution .

An inexhaustible wealth

There are about 700 varieties of apples registered in the territory that goes from Saluzzo to Turin, up to Pinerolo. There were more than a thousand when at the end of the eighteenth century the French nurserymen of Chambery brought them to sell to the botanical garden of Turin. In 2000, when the Slow Food project began together with the Malva Arnaldi School of Bibiana, a training institute for specific technical figures in the agricultural sector, eight qualities were chosen and with those the Presidium was established, which relates to realities or techniques that are considered to have historical value, which are linked in some way to products that define a territory, but which are considered at risk of extinction. Slow Food helps small producers to enter a communication network that gives visibility to the chosen product or reality. That of the ancient Piedmontese apples was one of the first Slow Food presidia in Italy.

A historical reality of the territory

The cultivation of apples for the Canavese area has always been very important. It is a foothill area, with great biodiversity, where there have always been many different varieties of fruit such as apple trees, kiwis, blueberries … In the town of Cavour for the garrison of apples a ten-day event has been held for many years, in mid-November All apples: here there is a fair part where fruit is sold, an educational part, with schools, and a gastronomic part, in which the chefs of the restaurants in the area offer menus based on apples, with the use of this fruit from dessert appetizer.

Ancient apples in the kitchen

All these ancient apples are perfect for raw consumption, with their crunchiness and their marked acidity. But they also lend themselves to cooking: the Gray, for example, is the most suitable to bake in the oven. Already at the time it was soaked in large jars filled with hot water and a syrup was made that could also be consumed in the following months. “In reality, all these apple varieties can be kept for many months. They are harvested in mid-October, apart from the Carla which is harvested at the beginning of September, and then they are left to mature in the lofts for months. In this time the taste softens, rounds, and buy all the nuances that make these apples an extraordinary product". In the kitchen they are extremely versatile, they are suitable both for making desserts and for savory dishes, such as roasts or risottos. They have a reddish, streaked or red-green hue, some are dotted, others are golden, such as Gray. They are apples that were once also used as a medicine in decoctions. Of all, the Carla variety is the one with the oldest taste, the one that refers to childhood memories.

Low yield, but great disease resistance

The ancient apples of Piedmont have been rediscovered thanks to events such as Salon of taste or the Basket of typical products of Turin. They are difficult varieties to grow mainly because the yield is not as abundant as that of the best known apples. They often have a tendency to alternate between: one year they are abundant, the next year the harvest is almost nil. This is the main reason why growers have decided to abandon them over the years, despite the fact that they are very resistant to pests and diseases. Fortunately the trend has changed, and now on the territory there are 25 farmers who have decided to replant these ancient fruits. The plants grow from 300 meters up to 600 meters above sea level and the higher they grow, the more good their fruits are. This depends on the type of soil, which drains and does not stagnate water and allows the plant to absorb all the nutrients present in the soil. Each plant grown in different valleys has its own particularity, and this means that biodiversity is, in these places, an unmissable resource.

Sipping 5 o'clock tea. The ancient British ritual from the 19th century to today. – Italian Cuisine

"I'll wait for you at home for a tea", a classic invitation to the afternoon which makes us think of a meeting between friends, a delightful meeting place in which to exchange a chat. But this custom that we have inherited over time and changed according to our beliefs, is born two centuries ago by the will of the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in England. The British in fact, at that time, used to consume only two meals a day, lunch and dinner. But the Duchess, impatient, due to the numerous attacks of hunger, asked a waiter to serve her you accompanied by sweets just before 17. This experience was so appreciated by the Duchess Anna, who decided to repeat it every day. So it was that she began, shortly thereafter, to invite friends and acquaintances to join her.

But unfounded those of you who have never identified with an elegant one lady of the nineteenth century, who wearing white satin gloves sips skillfully, with the little finger up, a cup of tea? Like the loyal English customers of Library Lounge of the Marriott County Hall of London overlooking Westminster Bridge. Where with its beige armchairs and the pretty round tables covered with pink placemats, it seems to travel a journey through time, when the tea rooms, in the early twentieth century, Were occupied by distinguished gentlemen and bourgeois women, used to exchange the latest gossip between a sip of hot and aromatic drink and a fragrant pastry.

THE RULES OF ATERNOON TEA
It is called the 5 o'clock tea but in reality in all the places, especially the English ones, it is served between 15.30 and 17.00, to always maintain a certain detachment from the two main meals. Black, more classic, green, preferred by health lovers, flavored, spicy or fruity, the range is very rich, but the classic ones, like Earl Gray or Darjeelings they never set. But never be seen with the one in the bag, it would be practically an offense … the classic tea, the original one, is that bulk. Also wanting to always respect the Anglo-Saxon tradition, you can taste it with the milk which must be poured strictly before tea. A little contrary to what happens with coffee. But do you know why? It is thought that the custom arose from the need not to stain and crack the porcelain, pouring the cold milk first.

Afternoon Tea, by now, from an informal meeting it has transformed into a social event that has been taken up a bit all over the world. But the focus remains a London where you can treat yourself to a nice gift taking tea in the most elegant and exclusive places of the English capital. And it is precisely upon entering that you should pay attention to kit. Very important element that enriches the magical atmosphere. Cups, saucers, teaspoons, strainers and above all the pot-bellied teapots under the lid, with the spout ready to let down its amber or jade liquid … A sciccheria! This refined service comes to light and is admired by all diners. But let's not forget that in this tradition there are two types of Afternoon Tea: the "Low Tea ", which is accompanied by typical sweets and canapés and "Hight Tea", which is instead consumed alongside a real meal, which the British replace dinner.

We went on a journey through the valleys of South Tyrol to discover traditional bakeries, their most typical products and the millenary history that intertwines agriculture and white art <! – send by email ->

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