One thing that holds true for all cultures of the world is that food is a key element in defining the character of those cultures. Just as regions in the United States are known for certain cuisines, such as Barbeque in the South or Pizza in New York City, regions in Italy also are made unique by their own local dishes. When it comes to Trentino and Alto-Adige, there are many appetizing recipes and traditional foods that define the regions character. Potatoes and corn have become the staple ingredients of the regions meals over the centuries. These ingredients are the key to making the three famous dishes of the land, gnocchi, Canederli, and…my personal favorite…polenta. Of course the preparation of these dishes has changed over the centuries, since corn was introduced from the Americas and so on, the actual meals themselves have been around for a long time.
Gnocchi is thought to have originated in the Middle-East and was first recorded in Italian cooking manuscripts in the 14th century (Webster). The city of Florence and Northern Italy in general is said to be the home of gnocchi but the Romans spread the popular dish throughout world. But what is gnocchi? The word gnocchi literally means “lumps” in Italian. They are little balls of dough made from flour and mashed potatoes and usually served with a sauce. They are quite easy and fun to make. My family has a “homemade gnocchi” party every year around Christmas where we all get together and roll the small balls of dough. It can get messy but homemade gnocchi is always the best.
Canederli is a very well-known and appreciated dish in Trentino. This is one dish that I was not familiar with until I did some research. However, it holds true to the same idea as most Northern Italian meals, and that is to make the best tasting meal with what little ingredients you have. Canederli is a dish that takes avanzi, or left overs, and mixes them together to create a meal. Peasant farmers would take stale bread, along with any other ingredients on their farm such as eggs, bacon, or sausage, and mix them together and form them into balls. Today, the recipe usually uses salted meats like speck or pancetta rather than left over pork. The balls are boiled in broth and then served in a bowl with broth or with a sauce (Folgheraiter 27). I have never eaten this dish before but it sounds like a great way to utilize stale bread and left overs.
The last dish that I will discuss this is week is one that I am all too familiar with… polenta. Polenta is probably the most well-known dish that comes out of the Tyrol or even Northern Italy for that matter. The recipe for polenta is simple, cornmeal, salt, and water. Although that is the recipe we know today, polenta is one of Italy’s oldest foods dating back to at least 990 BCE. Roman soldiers would make a similar porridge made from spelt and cook it right in their helmets (Folgheraiter 11). However, polenta has been made with corn meal since it was introduced from the Americas. Polenta has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. We eat it at Thanksgiving and at Christmas as well as just an occasional dinner. It is always a special occasion when we have it though. My favorite time to have it is during Labor Day. Every year I go to our camp in Elk County with my dad, brother, friends, and many of my dad’s friends from our hometown. We make the polenta in a traditional way, in a large copper pot. First boiling the water with a little salt then, steadily mixing in the cornmeal using the large hand carved polenta sticks. The “Young Fellas” stir while the “Old Timers” over watch. It is worth noting that I have never seen or heard of a measurement of water or cornmeal to add. Usually, you stir until the polenta stick can stand straight up without falling down. When one of the more experienced guys knows it is done, they “flip the polenta” onto the large wooden polenta board. It takes a lot of practice to do it right otherwise some of it may be stuck to the pot. We then set it out on the table and serve it with either red sauce or homemade venison sauce.
Keep in mind that there are thousands of cultural dishes unique to Trentino and Alto-Adige but the most common and most loved are the ones that have come from poor beginnings. The foods of the region are amazing for the fact that simple peasant foods have been turned into delicious meals over the centuries that have the ability to bring people together.
Tyrolean Proverb:
“Polenta without salt is like dancing without a girl.”
Sources
Webster, Mike. “Origin of Gnocchi.” Savory Celebration . N.p., 24 Apr 2013. Web. 27 Feb 2014. <http://savorycelebration.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/origin-of-gnocchi/>.
Folgheraiter, Alberto. “Our Tyrolean Kitchen… Polenta” FILO. Dec 2012: 11. Print.
Folgheraiter, Alberto. “Our Food: Canederli” FILO. Sept 2012: 27. Print.
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