The Cabinet of Curiosities | Issue 07
Of tasty street food at the tip of Puglia; ancient festivals dedicated to special tortellini & special Alpine cheeses that taste like violets
Welcome back to The Cabinet of Curiosities my fellow food lovers! To refresh your memory, cabinets of curiosities, or wunderkammers, were small collections of extraordinary objects created during the Renaissance. This is our very own Cabinet of Curiosities, dedicated to all the wonders and peculiarities of Italian food culture.
In this monthly newsletter, you can expect to find 3 pieces by alternating La Panza Piena contributors. Voices and people that you’ll meet gradually, through their narrations, stories on forgotten recipes, hidden gems, deep-dives into unique products and distinctive global perspectives on Italian food culture.
I’m always so thrilled when a new issue of The Cabinet of Curiosities comes out as the stories which I’ve had the privilege of reading become available to the world. I never imagined I would learn so much from each and every person that has kindly decided to gift their time and stories to La Panza Piena! Each piece submitted is a journey of discovery and deepens my passion into the world of food culture. This month’s issue features three returning contributors, from our in-house cheese expert Laís who shares the story of a special Alpine cheese that tastes like violets to Benedetta with another feature on her beloved home, Puglia, and its incredible paninari. Lastly, Ilaria continues last month’s Tortellini di Valeggio narrative with a deep dive in the pasta’s dedicated festival.
PS. The Cabinet of Curiosities will now officially become a bi-monthly publication! Watch this space as we have a lot of stories to share.
- Carlotta Panza, founder of La Panza Piena
Ode my favourite paninaro
by Benedetta Mangini: twenty-something, lover of all cuisines - yet Italian foodie at heart
Last night I dreamt of Salento, and woke up in the boiling heat of my room in London, with the insatiable desire for paninaro food eaten in front of the iridescent waters of Santa Maria di Leuca.
Also referred to as panemmerda (literally “bread and shit”), paninari are food trucks which serve a huge array of popular “peasant” foods ranging from stuffed panini to soups, porchetta and grilled meats with french fries. These delicacies are traditionally consumed on the plastic tables and chairs placed next to the truck without permission. Parked at conveniently trafficked corners of every Italian town, these fast food spots on wheels usually diversify their offer by perfecting a few local dishes, making them a must for locals as well as a great find for random tourists that stumble across them. Paninari are not there for the fame or for the aesthetics, but to feed the hungry and hungover all the greasy delicacies their hearts might long for.
The very special paninaro whose food I am desperately craving right now is located by Punta Ristola, a scenic location in Santa Maria di Leuca, Puglia. In this exact spot, when gazing at the sea, the naked eye can clearly distinguish the divergent currents of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas that clash beneath the rocky cliffs and take on various gradients of blue due to their different levels of salinity. As this astonishing and almost inexplicable phenomenon takes place before your eyes, joyful tacky music pumps out of the food truck’s mighty speakers and invites the random attendees to take their place as the sunset approaches.
While newcomers squint their eyes to grasp the words on the billboard menu, experienced customers start conveying their orders which almost always include a panino con porchetta and a portion of pezzetti di cavallo al sugo. At Punta Ristola’s paninaro, both dishes are served in a puccia, the typical bread from Salento. Finally, with the perfect pairing of a strong Aperol Spritz poured in a flimsy plastic cup, the food is gladly devoured while sitting in front of the golden-tinted waters of one of the most beautiful places in the whole south of Italy.
To stumble upon the paninaro yourself, use the pineapple-shaped bar next to it as your reference on Google Maps.
Festa del Nodo d’Amore: celebrating a myth from the Middle Ages on love & food in the name of Tortellini
By Ilaria Riva: Storyteller, on a hunt to find taste, history and natural beauty on less traveled paths around Italy.
Nestled in Veneto’s hills, Valeggio is a charismatic town that attracts visitors from far and wide during summer months, many of whom return each year to participate in the Festa del Nodo d'Amore: a celebration now synonymous with the town's culture. This year’s edition was the first after a five year break due to the pandemic, making it all the more special.
The Festa del Nodo d'Amore, which literally translates to "Celebration of the Love Knot" is an unforgettable experience that captivates visitors with its blend of history, myth and gastronomy. The festival is centered around the local culinary jewel, the Tortellini di Valeggio, whose fascinating story was featured in the previous issue of the newsletter. Thousands of handmade tortellini - 900.000 to be exact - are crafted by local women in a display of culinary prowess: a spectacle to witness. You can observe their artistry as you stroll through the main piazza, from the dough being kneaded and stretched to when it is filled with mouthwatering braised meats. The air is permeated with the irresistible aroma of herbs and roast meat, and the joyful chatter of people enjoying themselves fills the tiny streets. The stroll guides you to Valeggio’s beautifully preserved fortified Medieval bridge, across which a 1 kilometer long table stretches, with two thousand five hundred seats ready to be filled by guests excited to savor local flavors. Once seated, the dinner begins with a parade of locals dressed-up in Medieval costumes who reenact the legend of the Nodo d’Amore. The mythology behind the story further enhances the unique spirit of the festival. Legend has it that one night Captain Malco, who was camped out on the banks of the Mincio river with the army of the Lord of Milan - Gian Galeazzo Visconti - meets and falls in love with Silvia, a nymph. When the two flee together into the waters of the river, they leave a tenderly knotted golden handkerchief on the bank, a symbol of their eternal union. A knot of love, which the small local tortellini aspire to recall in shape and color, as a symbol of eternal love.
Through culinary delicacies, alluring folklore, colorful history and a vibrant atmosphere, the Festa del Nodo d’Amore truly captures the essence of Italy's rich cultural heritage.
Meet Plaisentif: the most unique Alpine cheese you’ve probably ever heard of
by Laís Zimmermann: cheese nerd and food history lover.
From the green mountains of Val Chisone, in Piedmont, comes a unique cheese made only in the months of June and July by a handful of producers. Although the history of Plaisentif can be traced back to the 16th century, it was not until 1999 that production resumed, following the discovery of a document from 1570, detailing the commercial agreements between the government and the locals. Plaisentif - from the French plaisir, pleasure - was a valuable cheese, worth twice to three times more than others. Thanks to its value, it used to be offered during times of political instability as a gift to the local governor in the hopes that he would allow commerce and transit within Piemonte’s valleys.
The same document also notes that the Plaisentif had a pleasant aroma of violets, which is where its current nickname, La Toma delle Viole originates from. Violets are the principal defining characteristic of Plaisentif, and the reason behind the production season being so short. In June, cattle commence their transhumance, a phase in which they transition from low valleys to pastures on the top of mountains, where they spend the spring and summer months grazing on green grass, flowers and aromatic herbs. Violets are among the first flowers to bloom after the winter snow melts, speckling the scenery purple until the end of July.
A cow’s feed and the time of year greatly influence the process and outcome of cheesemaking. Due to the period of lactation cycles, milk produced during summer months in the mountains has less fat and more water. However, as the feed the cows are given is of greater quality - compared to the hay they are given in winter - the milk that results is very complex, full of flavor and nuanced. Many producers consider summer milk to be the best for cheesemaking, and perhaps it is one of the reasons why Plaisentif was and continues to be so well regarded.
Plaisentif can only be consumed in the fall, after the cheese ages for a minimum of 70 days. If you ever crave being transported to a summer mountain pasture during the cold months of winter, be sure to give this cheese a try. It’s easy to spot in specialized cheese shops: a small round wheel with a branded “P” and a flower adorn the top.