<img src="http://blissflowyoga.com/tuscanvillage.JPG"
alt="tuscanvillage" />
<blockquote>"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you
what you are"- Antheleme
Brillat-Savarin</blockquote>
In Italy, when it comes to food there are rules. Strict rules. Rules about which food to eat in which season. Rules about what time you should drink your cappuccino (never after 11am!) and when you should grate cheese over a pasta that contains seafood (on pain of death). These rules might seem strange to the average American. After all what harm does it really do to order a cappuccino after dinner? To illustrate the level of passion that this can ignite, I once posed that very question to a group of Italian men....who responded that the mere thought of that was "like a knife to their hearts." They then proceeded to gesture wildly as they heatedly discussed how this would affect digestion for the next 20 minutes. Again, this might seem a bit over the top, but for an Italian, these rules and are sacrosanct and represent millennia of culinary traditions. Recipes have been passed down and perfected over generations....so why mess with perfection!<!--more-->
Foremost among these traditions is that of regionality. For many Americans, Italian cuisine is one big, garlicky conglomerate, but in fact each region has vastly different cuisines. What you eat in Sicily is vastly different from what you eat in Tuscany. Even within a region there are subtle differences from place to place. Sicilian cooks from several villages away might have a heated discussion about what exactly goes into the perfect 'spiedini' again with a level of intensity that would rival any discussion over whose football team reigns supreme!
So, what happens when this idea of regionality meets globalization? When these rules and traditions that are so ingrained in Italian culture clash with the modern world? The Tuscan village of Lucca is dealing with this issue right now. As immigrants move to Italy in greater numbers, bringing with them kebab stands and ethnic restaurants, many in this medieval, walled village worry that this represents an assault on their regional cuisine and culture. With the economy in a global downspin, fast food seems to have even more appeal. A controversial decision to ban these foreign restaurants and fast food has brought international attention to Lucca. While some believe that this decision is neccesary to maintain traditions, others believe that this decision is nothing more than discrimination.
In our idealized version of Italy, each little medieval village is filled with housewives rolling out ravioli by hand. In reality, things change. Schedules get busy (yes! even in la bella Toscana) and fast food begins to have greater appeal. Immigrants come in, bringing with them new cuisines and new ways of looking at the world and the younger generation wants to learn more. Is banning foreign food necessary to preserve Lucca's culinary traditions or does this all smack of culinary xenophobia?
I have to admit that I am torn on this one. As a daughter of an
Italian immigrant (and chef) , I think that American
culture is much richer because of the food that my dad brought. How
boring would American cuisine be if we weren't the melting pot
that we are? At the same time, Italy wouldn't be Italy if these
traditions were lost and the local osteria was replaced by a
McDonalds. While diversity is important, in my mind these
traditions and recipes represent a cultural heritage that is just
as important to maintain as is the Sistine chapel.
I would love to hear what you think. Check out this
weekend's article in the NY Times and then comment or take my
poll below.
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/world/europe/13lucca.html?scp=1&sq=lucca&st=cse">A
Walled City in Tuscany Clings to It's Ancient
Menu</a>
Should the city of Lucca ban all foreign and fast food vendors?
<a href="http://survey.constantcontact.com/poll/a07e2hfct9qfsapjzx4/start.html">Click
here to take my poll to tell me what you think! </a>
