10 Obscure but Exquisite Things on the Italian Table

Italy.

The mere utterance of the word makes my stomach growl. I have just recently returned from an Italian road trip and the verdict is in. It is a place I would come back to again and again. I don’t have to tell you this, but if you are passionate about food, Italy has to be on your bucket list. I traveled to Rome, through Tuscany, then north to Emilia-Romagna, with a delicious finish in Venice.

On this trip, I discovered that the inherent nature of this gastronomic superpower is and will forever reside ONLY in Italy. What ends up on your plate in Italy is always a visceral amalgamation of Italy’s rich ancient history passed on uninterrupted through generations, its obsession with doing food right exactly how previous generations have done it, the freshest local ingredients from its fertile valleys or its abundant seas. It is food that is slow and social; it is food that pays homage to seasons and local ingredients. But perhaps what is the most elusive and ephemeral is the milieu of Italy itself – the feverish Italian chatter that comes with food preparation, the noisy clanging of the church bells, the crooked cobblestone streets, the peeling plaster off the walls, truffle foraging in the woods, home-growing olives and grape to make into your own olive oil and liquor.

But to give you a little taste of what awaits on the Italian table, here are ten things that I have never tasted elsewhere. I wandered beyond pizza, lasagna, tiramisu, and gelato, and I found what I believe to be the undiluted Italy. The kind that never made it beyond Italy.

And a fair warning. Leave your diet restrictions at the airport, per favore. Buon appetito!

ROME: Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper)

This is a dish with nothing but the beautiful combination of cheese, cracked pepper and butter on spaghetti noodles. That’s it. A true testament that less is more. Especially when devoured al fresco on a warm Roman evening, this will haunt you long after your Roman holiday has ended.

TUSCANY: Burro e Salvia (Butter and Sage)

Think fresh home-made tagliatelle smeared with enough butter to make it glossy, then tossed with Tuscan sage the size of your palm. Grated cheese optional. Again, very minimalist ingredients but the combination is genius.

TUSCANY: Pappa al Pomodoro (Bread soaked in Tomato Sauce)

I employed my own travel advice in Tuscany. Order the daily special. Chances are, you will get the dish made from the freshest ingredients hand-picked by the chef from the market that day. I was skeptical about this in the beginning – bread soaked in fresh tomato sauce topped with fresh basil – it didn’t sound spectacular to me. But the first bite sent me to gastronomical heights. The ripe and fresh taste of the most perfect tomatoes interloped with the texture of soaked bread. It was simple but beautiful.

TUSCANY: Bavarese alle Fragole (Strawberry Cream Dessert)

Italians have the unbelievable acumen for knowing what goes well with what, without making it too complex. Neuroscience degree not required. This is a light cream dessert made with seasonal fruits like strawberry, fresh cream and gelatin, chilled in the fridge for 24 hours.

FLORENCE: Bistecca Fiorentina (Florence Steak)

The epitome of steaks in all of Florence, Bistecca Fiorentina comes from the cow, revered in all of Tuscany. (Tip: Mention that you know about to an Italian and watch him/her yell Florence’s signature steak is done medium rare, hardly seasoned so that intense flavor comes out.

EMILIA-ROMAGNA: Parmigiano Reggiano con Balsamico di Modena (Parmesan with Balsamic Vinegar from Modena)

Let me share with you Italy’s best guarded secret: . Let the tourists have Rome, Florence, and Venice. You, my dear foodie, need to know that the obscure region of Emilia-Romagna is the food capital of Italy. Like Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna is vast and would require its own blog post, but if you must remember one city that you must travel to in this delicious region, it is Bologna, popular for tortellini and (thinly cut cured meat with cubed fat and pistachio). But then, there is also Modena, where balsamic vinegar reigns in all of Italy. And Parma, home of the prosciutto and (in English, parmesan, originating from the regions of Parma and Reggio in Emilia-Romagna). The rule of thumb is that anything that was produced from ingredients that grew alongside each other, the combination will be killer. Such is the case for , served up in small chunks with a couple dots of which is dense and a tad sweeter than what you could buy at grocery stores overseas. The dance of the savory cheese and the sweetness of the opens up your taste buds to an entirely new taste experience.

EMILIA-ROMAGNA: Culatello, Mortadella, Proscuitto (salumi plate) with Stracchino (a soft cheese) or Tartufo with Parmigiano-Reggiano (truffles with parmesan)

Bologna’s signature meat is , a thinly sliced cured ham with fat chunks. This was my absolute favorite, although the other local hams like and are also wonderful. Served with local cheeses, they make the perfect and surprisingly filling combination.

EMILIA-ROMAGNA: Lambrusco (A bubbly red wine, if you can imagine that)

Often homemade, is a bubbly red wine and a staple on an Emilia-Romagna dinner table. Italians are hardcore DIY-ers. Why buy when you can make your own? I was also able to try homemade Prosecco (a bubbly white) and a variety of homemade liquors made from walnuts, and even anise (fennel).

VENICE: Cichetti (Italian small plates)

This is the Venetian equivalent of the Spanish tapas. For a true local experience, wander off the main drag of Venice and look for a place with a menu. You stand at the bar, order from a board and chomp away. This is a great way to integrate with the locals while tasting a slew of Venetian bites such as octopus salad, meatballs, and peas.

VENICE: Amarone (A red wine from Veneto)

A big, bold red that could very well be one of the best wines in the world and is surely becoming one of my favorites. Although a splurge, Amarone is a stunner. A signature of Verona, another city in the Veneto region, Amarone is one of those wines that hardly make it out of Italy. A sip takes you down a spiral of layered complexity and before you get completely lost down that rabbit hole, you snap back to reality – this reality – of a small boat careening past the tiny canal in front of you and the sun starting to set in beautiful, seductive Venice.

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